Possible bug? WAS :Bad (null) varchar() external representation.

Hi,

I haven't seen a mention of a maximum number of constraints of similar
applying to a table. If so, then could someone please point me to it...

The reason I mention this is because I've found what seems to be causing
this problem I'm experiencing with Postgres 7.03 :

CREATE TABLE "staff_details" (
"userid" character varying(24) NOT NULL,
"password" character(13) NOT NULL,
"name" character varying(96) NOT NULL,
"role" int2 NOT NULL,
"dob" date NOT NULL,
"phone_one" character varying(14) NOT NULL,
"phone_two" character varying(14),
"phone_three" character varying(14),
"address" character varying(280),
"status" int2,
"managers_notes" character varying(600),
CONSTRAINT "staff_details_uesrid" CHECK ((length(userid) < 25)),
CONSTRAINT "staff_details_password" CHECK ((length("password") <
14)),
CONSTRAINT "staff_details_name" CHECK ((length(name) < 97)),
CONSTRAINT "staff_details_dob" CHECK
(date_ge(date(("timestamp"('2001-01-08'::date) - '18 years
00:00'::"interval")), dob)),
CONSTRAINT "staff_details_phone_one" CHECK ((length(phone_one) <
17)),
CONSTRAINT "staff_details_phone_two" CHECK ((length(phone_two) <
17)),
CONSTRAINT "staff_details_phone_three" CHECK
((length(phone_three) < 17)),
CONSTRAINT "staff_details_address" CHECK ((length(address) <
281)),
CONSTRAINT "staff_details_managers_notes" CHECK
((length(managers_notes) < 601)),
PRIMARY KEY ("userid")
);

When I attempt to insert data into this table, I get the following error
:

foobar=# insert into staff_details values ('0000111122223333',
encrypt('foo'), 'Joshua', 1, '1970-07-01', '(03) 9867 5432', '(041) 309
2819', NULL, '1 Blankety-Blank Way\nBazzville', NULL, NULL);

Yet if I remove BOTH the "staff_details_phone_three" &
"staff_details_managers_notes" constraints it works :

foobar=# insert into staff_details values ('0000111122223333',
encrypt('foo'), 'Joshua', 1, '1970-07-01', '(03) 9867 5432', '(041) 309
2819', NULL, '1 Blankety-Blank Way\nBazzville', NULL, NULL);
INSERT 27605472 1

Removing EITHER of these constraints doesn't work, and neither does
removing any of the other constraints on this table. Just these two
TOGETHER. AND they're not even defined one-after-another possibly
indicating some formatting error.

Does anyone have an idea why this is occuring?

Regards and best wishes,

+ Justin Clift
Database Administrator

Justin Clift wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> I'm getting the following problem when trying to do a simple insert
> statement...
>
> "Bad (null) varchar() external representation"
>
> WHY?
>
> I'm running PostgreSQL 7.03 on Linux Mandrake 7.2 (using a specially
> compiled version, not an RPM).
>
> Here's the table :
>
> foobar=# \d staff_details
> Table "staff_details"
> Attribute | Type | Modifier
> ----------------+--------------+----------
> userid | varchar(24) | not null
> password | char(13) |
> name | varchar(96) |
> role | smallint |
> dob | date |
> phone_one | varchar(14) |
> phone_two | varchar(14) |
> phone_three | varchar(14) |
> address | varchar(280) |
> status | smallint |
> managers_notes | varchar(600) |
> Index: staff_details_pkey
> Constraints: (length(userid) < 25)
> (length("password") < 14)
> (length(name) < 97)
> (length(phone_one) < 17)
> (length(phone_two) < 17)
> (length(phone_three) < 17)
> (length(address) < 281)
> (length(managers_notes) < 601)
>
> foobar=# insert into staff_details values ('A', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL,
> NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
> ERROR: Bad (null) varchar() external representation
> foobar=# insert into staff_details (userid, password, name, role, dob,
> phone_one) values ('0000111122223333', 'foobarbaz1234', 'Joshua', 1,
> '1970-07-01', '(03) 9867 5432');
> ERROR: Bad (null) varchar() external representation
> foobar=# insert into staff_details values ('0000111122223333',
> encrypt('foo'), 'Joshua', 1, '1970-07-01', '(03) 9867 5432', '(041) 309
> 2819', NULL, '1 Blankety-Blank Way\nBazzville', NULL, NULL);
> ERROR: Bad (null) varchar() external representation
>
> etc...
>
> I've tried everything I can think of, also exported and reloaded the
> database, etc. This is a new table with nothing in it.
>
> This is driving me nuts. :-(
>
> + Justin Clift
> Database Administrator