Bug #9573

Improper handling of 'Null' string value

Details

Submitted	2006-12-07 15:29 UTC
From	cj at sitemajic dot com
Assigned	alan_k
Status	Closed
Package	DB_DataObject
PHP Version	5.1.6
OS	Red Hat Linux Enterprise
Roadmaps	(Not assigned)

Comments

[2006-12-07 15:29 UTC] cj at sitemajic dot com

Description:
------------
From DB_Dataobject.php

if (is_string($this->$k) && (strtolower($this->$k) === 'null') && !($v & DB_DATAOBJECT_NOTNULL)) {
$rightq .= " NULL ";
continue;
}

When attempting to add a real person to a database with the last name 'Null' I found that DB_Dataobject was deciding for me that my string value was actually null instead of it's real value 'Null'

If a field is null it should be null, if it's a string with the word 'null' or 'Null' or 'NUll' in it there should be no conversion -- this was a bad assumption!

Test script:
---------------
Just take any dataobject and try to save the string value 'Null'

Expected result:
----------------
The dataobject will write the value null to the database instead of the intended 'Null'

Actual result:
--------------
Data was improperly saved and lost

[2006-12-12 02:52 UTC] cj at sitemajic dot com

Amazingly this error was brought to light by the fact that there is a real person with the name "Ralph Null" and the client kept getting frustrated that the last name would disappear every time they edited it anywhere :)