atw: Re: Is "non-null" an acceptable term?

Barry Dale:
On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 11:37:40 +1000, you wrote:
> What would be wrong with using "actual values?"
>

A good deal, I would suggest.  "null" can be an actual value in
 (and in some system, "not defined" is a value too).

"Non-null" does actually mean something, just as non-zero does. 
(And they are not the same.)   

Stick with your initial instincts, Elizabeth. 



> Elizabeth Fullerton wrote:
>> Hi all
>> Yesterday when we were reviewing a document, we needed
>> to describe values-which-are-not-null - and I
>> facetiously (so unlike me, I know!) scribbled down
>> "unnull" (it has a nice symmetry, don't you think?).
>>
>> When I made the change, I said "non-null values". I
>> think this is an acceptable term. Unfortunately,
>> "unnull" has hunted me down and bitten me on the bum,
>> because the others, knowing I was joking with "unnull"
>> are now confusing the two terms, and think "non-null"
>> is also a joke. The alternative is the longer "values
>> which are not null".
>>
>> It's a small thing, but I'd prefer not to write a whole
>> sentence when a single, unambiguous word will do the
>> same job. What do you lot think? Is non-null actually a
>> valid choice? (Could I possibly be wrong?) Is there a
>> better option? Ultimately, for this particular
>> document, it's not worth wrangling over, and I will use
>> whichever term causes the least trouble (in terms of
>> coming back interminably for changes). But I'm
>> interested in your thoughts...
>>


-Peter G. Martin, 
Technical writer
Proxima Technology


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