I'm using UltraLite 9.0.2 and Visual Studio 2005 VB.NET.

Is it more efficient to use the IFNULL SQL function or check
for the Nothing value as shown below?

Option A:
Using cmd As New ULCommand("select
ifnull(DESCRIPTION , '',DESCRIPTION) as DESCRIPTION from
PARTS", _conn)
cursor = cmd.ExecuteReader
While cursor.MoveNext
txtComment.Text =
cursor.GetString(cursor.Schema.GetColumnID("DESCRI PTION"))

Option B:
Using cmd As New ULCommand("select DESCRIPTION
from PARTS", _conn)
cursor = cmd.ExecuteReader
While cursor.MoveNext
If Not
cursor.GetString(cursor.Schema.GetColumnID("DESCRI PTION")) =
Nothing Then
txtComment.Text =
cursor.GetString(cursor.Schema.GetColumnID("DESCRI PTION"))
Else
txtComment.Text = ""
End If

Thank you in advance.

IIRC, IfNull() is not ANSI standard - it's a SQLAnywhere extension to the
SQL dialect.

I'd use:
select coalesce(DESCRIPTION , '') as DESCRIPTION
from PARTS


--
Paul Horan[Sybase]
paulhoran.pbdjmagazine.com

<mct79c> wrote

I'm guessing Option A will be better, but that you might not be able
to measure the difference.

Option A is a scalar SQL operation meaning that it doesn't involve any
extra manipulation of result sets. Plus, I would guess the low level
code inside UltraLite is faster than application code executing at the
very high VB level.

Plus, IMO, Option A is quite a bit simpler... that's a bigger reason
to use it.

Like Paul, I too prefer COALESCE... it is simpler to code as well.

Breck


On 8 Jan 2009 14:10:50 -0800, mct79c wrote:

--
Breck Carter http://sqlanywhere.blogspot.com/

RisingRoad SQL Anywhere and MobiLink Professional Services
breck.carter (AT) risingroad (DOT) com