Re: empty text fields

On Wed, Jun 28, 2006 at 06:25:22PM +0200, Leif B. Kristensen wrote:

> >>     event_date          CHAR(18) NOT NULL DEFAULT

> The event_date field is a "fuzzy date" construct. It will allow the
> storage of such dates as "1784", "ca. 1810", "May 1852", "1798 or
> 1799", "between 1820 and 1830" and so on. It's very useful in
> historical research to handle such dates meaningfully.
How and where do you handle the fuzziness of it ? In the
application ? We have to deal with the same thing in medical
history data and haven't yet satisfactorily solved it.

> By the way, I was also going to ask sometime if there's a better way to
> handle such a construct than an unspecified CHAR(18) column.

A composite type comes to mind. Tagged types (google for
"tagged_type") would probably help, too.

A "full-blown" implementation of a fuzzy timestamp type which

a) preserves the input/update timestamp
b) allows setting the accuracy of the value per row
c) allows for known "modifiers" and "terms" ("mid-summer", "second half of ...")
d) allows for an arbitrary textual addition ("ca.", "probably")

would be great. I know I should be helping to write one
instead of hoping someone does it for me. But I lack the
expertise to do it properly. I am willing to help, at any
rate, though.

Karsten
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