This not a killer problem. I'm sure I can find a way around it, but just 
wanted to provide some more feedback.

We use csv files to move data among heterogeneous systems which 
unfortunately do not agree on how to represent NULL. Nor do they all put 
quotes around zero-length strings.

H2 has decided that a particular representation of the zero-length string 
always means NULL.

Other systems have decided that the string \N means NULL.

Other systems (e.g. Java) have decided that the string null means NULL.

There is a certain logic behind each of these decisions. But, bottom line, 
they are all basically arbitrary. The zero-length string is no more or less 
special than \N or null.

So we need a way to let us make the arbitary decision about what null looks 
like.

Regards.




On Thursday, October 3, 2013 5:59:43 PM UTC-4, WillyMac wrote:
>
> I would expect that the only representation for null would be the one 
> specified. Maybe it is intended to work this way, but I find it confusing 
> to have two null representations. Why bother specifying null=xxx if ,, is 
> read as null anyway?
>
> Or maybe my syntax is wrong?
>
> *Input file:*
>
> c1,c2,c3
> a,,c
> a,"",c
> a,XX_null_XX,c
>
> *SQL:*
>
> select * from
> csvread( 'tst.csv', null, 'null=XX_null_XX' )
>
> *Output (? == null):*
>
> C1                C2                C3                
> ----------------- ----------------- ----------------- 
> a                 ?                 c                 
> a                                   c                 
> a                 ?                 c                 
>
>

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