[DERBY-2212] Add "Unique where not null" to create index

• Type: Improvement
• Status: Open
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Unresolved
• Affects Version/s: 10.2.1.6
• Component/s: SQL
• Labels: derby_triage10_10
• Urgency: Normal
• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: Oleksandr Alesinskyy
• Created: 04/Jan/07 13:28
• Updated: 05/Nov/17 15:37

Description

Derby prohibits creation of unique constraints on nullable colums (as well if only some columns in the constraint list are nullable) and treat nulls in unique indexes as normal values (i.e. only one row with null values in indexed columns may be inserted into the table). This bahavior is very restrictive, does not completely comply with SQL standards (both letter and intent) as well as with business needs and intending meaning of NULL values (2 null values are not considered as equal, this comparision shall return NULL, and for selection criteria boolean null is treated as FALSE).

This behavior, as far as I can see, is modelled after DB2 (and differs from behavior of most other major databases, like SyBase, Oracle, etc.).

But even DB2 provide some means to alleviate these restrictions, namely "UNIQUE WHERE NOT NULL" clause for CREATE INDEX statement.

It will be very good if such "UNIQUE WHERE NOT NULL" clause will be introduced in Derby.

Regards,
Oleksandr Alesinskyy

Issue Links

• relates to: DERBY-3330 provide support for unique constraint over keys that include one or more nullable columns.