Re: trouble caused by change in 7.3 handling of '' in

--On Thursday, December 19, 2002 12:22:18 -0500 Tom Lane
<tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us> wrote:

> Larry Rosenman <ler(at)lerctr(dot)org> writes:
>> --On Thursday, December 19, 2002 12:01:21 -0500 Bruce Momjian
>> <pgman(at)candle(dot)pha(dot)pa(dot)us> wrote:
>>> Yes, this was really it --- we didn't realize how many apps used this.
>>> Also, we expected to hit them before final release, when we could have
>>> reverted the change.
>
>> IT DID! (see my post during Beta).
>
>> You said, well, that's only one.
>
> It's still only two. And I still haven't heard any cogent argument why
> we shouldn't regard these apps as broken --- regardless of how many
> there are. I cannot see any rational reason for accepting '' as meaning
> zero in an integer field. If someone were to present an example where
> this actually makes sense (and is not just evidence of very sloppy
> programming) I'd be more sympathetic ...
The issue isn't whether the app is broken or not, (it is), but the fact
that we
****CHANGED**** behavior with ****NO**** notice and no way to keep the app
working on
the current release without MAJOR changes to the app. (some apps just have
it so ingrained
in them).

We ***SHOULD*** have noticed the user community, and had a transition plan.

This should be a lesson to us to be more sensitive to applications out
there, and
give NOTICE about compatibility issues.

[snip]

I understand your point, Tom, but this does not help PostgreSQL's
acceptability in the
marketplace.

LER

--
Larry Rosenman http://www.lerctr.org/~ler
Phone: +1 972-414-9812 E-Mail: ler(at)lerctr(dot)org
US Mail: 1905 Steamboat Springs Drive, Garland, TX 75044-6749