NULL vs Empty when dealing with user input

Question

Yes, another NULL vs empty string question.

I agree with the idea that NULL means not set, while empty string means \"a value that is empty\". Here\'s my problem: If the

Answer 1

I try to keep things simple. In this case, I'd make the first-name column not-nullable and allow blanks. Otherwise, you'll have three cases to deal with anywhere you refer to this field:

1. Blank first name
2. Null first name
3. Non-blank first name

If you go with 'blank is null' or 'null is blank' then you're down to two cases. Two cases are better than three.

To further answer your question: the user entering data probably doesn't (and shouldn't) know anything about what a "null" is and how it compares to an "empty". This issue should be resolved cleanly and consistently in the system--not the UI.