The question is somewhat completely and utterly wrong.
A where clause does not evaluate TO anything at all. In this case there will never be any rows matching the filter (assuming the normal ANSI NULLS setting), so the best answer among all of the possible but all incorrect answers is "False". "Unknown" is not correct, because it is "known" that no rows will match.
The expression IN the where clause evaluates to Unknown, but that is not what the question asks.
If you want to know how many records there are with MyID that is null, you write the query this way:
select top 10 * from MyTable where Myid IS NULL
Or to return all rows where Myid has a value:
select top 10 * from MyTable where Myid IS NOT NULL
How can that question be answered the way it is stated? I've known how NULLS work for ever and still got it wrong. I'm 100% confident in how NULLS work.
Myid = NULL and Myid != NULL
Will both evaluate FALSE, or not give results. If I received results would that be TRUE. By not getting results is FALSE!!!
I think the Question and Answer are phrased badly and incorrect. The answer should be FALSE. How can UNKNOWN be the answer, when I know what the results would be (FALSE).
Maybe, it's only UNKNOWN to the writer. Because, I know it's FALSE. It'll always return NO ROWS, that's pretty well KNOWN.
If you get the question right, it's obvious what UNKNOWN is. How NULLS work!!!
If you got the question right. Here's how NULLS work.
Myid IS NULL (is the proper way to write the statement)
Also, I agree with Jeff Gray on the ANSI NULLS setting.
Please give me my points back!
Hi Larry,
The expression evaluates to Unknown. It is neither true nor false.
Try this
If NULL = NULL Print 'True'If NOT (NULL = NULL) Print 'False'
The problem with the question is that it asks what the WHERE clause evaluates to, which is only true if the expression is true.
Curiously, the explanation correctly indicates that the expression evaluates to Unknown. It's almost as if the explanation to a different question is given.
