[SOLVED] Comments Field

[Grant Holmes]

I have a comments field from a feedback form. In my table it is a "mediumtext" field. I'm using my table for several forms, so on some forms this field is not sent to the db. In that case, I'm getting "NULL" inserted, when I'd prefer it just be blank.

 

Questions:

Did I set up the DB wrong? Should the field be set differently? (NULL: Is set to YES)

Should I just pass an empty quote to the DB with a hidden field?

Does it really matter?

 

Any logic around this would be helpful. I know doing it one way or another could cause more data to be saved in my table than I need. I'd like the smallest possible, no?

[revraz]

Turn off the Not Null requirement.  Since it's set to NOT NULL, it has to enter something if you dont.  Or you have it set to default NULL.

[Grant Holmes]

Revraz,

 

So to translate, If my field "NULL"

is set to "YES", it will require a value

is set to "NO", it will NOT require a value.

 

If true, then I would need to set NULL to "NO" and remove the default value.

[Zane]

I'm not sure which SQL DB editor your using...but as far as I know

there is

 

NULL

and

NOT NULL

 

If you set it to NULL...all that means is if you don't send a value...you'll get a complimentary NULL in place of whatever column you left out of your INSERT statement, or the blank strings...

 

If you set it to NOT NULL....you'll get exactly what you sent to the database...whether you sent it a blank string or not.

[Grant Holmes]

Zanus,

Thanks for the clarity. I'm using PHPmyAdmin 2.6.3 on a Yahoo server.

 

I'll call this one solved. Thanks!