Re: Suggestion about Collection

[Benoît Minisini <benoit.minisini@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Le 05/10/2025 à 20:25, Fabien Bodard a écrit :
> Le dim. 5 oct. 2025 à 19:05, Benoît Minisini <benoit.minisini@gambas- 
> basic.org <mailto:benoit.minisini@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>> a écrit :
>
>     Le 05/10/2025 à 14:30, Fabien Bodard a écrit :
>      > Hi Benoit,
>      >
>      > I think a standard way to disable the collection autoremoving for
>     null
>      > entry will be interesting.
>      >
>      > You have used an inherited class to do that in JSON... but
>     finally why
>      > not just add a function to the collection instance ?
>      >
>      > Dim c as Collection
>      > c.AllowNull = true (Default = false for back compatibilty)
>      >
>      > --
>      > Fabien Bodard
>
>     I think that it is useless for actual programs. I mean making a
>     difference between "no value" and Null.
>
>     I follow that not just in Collection, but everywhere in Gambas. For
>     example, there is no difference between "no string" and a zero-length
>     string.
>
>     I had to make the difference with JSON, because (alas), JSON (and
>     Javascript) makes a difference between "no value" (undefined) and null
>     value.
>
>     I never found that distinction useful since the first time I wrote my
>     first program when I was... I don't remember... A long time ago.
>
>     In Gambas, I only allow "undefined" values with the 'IsMissing()'
>     special function, for optional arguments.
>
>     And new trending cult languages (like Rust) tend to forbid at runtime
>     not only undefined, but null too, by detecting them at compilation time.
>
>     Regards,
>
>
> My fault, actually.
> I started a reply to your email, and in the process, I noticed a design 
> error in my way of passing parameters via a collection.
>
> I'm using a 'Value' input that can only be filled in, or null if it's 
> missing... so no worries.

If you want to store a Null value in a Collection, it normally means 
that somewhere in your code you make a difference between "Null" and "no 
value". Which is IMHO not a useful distinction to make in a program.

--
Benoît Minisini.