How Does Oracle 23c Address the Longstanding Absence of a Boolean Data Type, and What Limitations Remain?

Oracle Database Finally Embraces Boolean Data Types

Oracle databases have historically lacked a dedicated boolean data type, unlike the BIT datatype in Microsoft SQL Server. This absence presented significant challenges for developers. However, Oracle 23c (released in 2023) has addressed this long-standing issue.

The Path to Boolean Support in Oracle

Before Oracle 23c, the database system lacked native boolean support in SQL. Developers often used workarounds like CHAR(1) with 'Y'/'N' values or NUMBER(1) with 0/1 values to simulate boolean behavior.

Oracle 23c: A Major Leap Forward

Oracle 23c introduced full support for boolean data types across SQL and PL/SQL. Developers can now define boolean columns, insert boolean values (TRUE, FALSE), and employ boolean expressions in queries.

<code class="language-sql">SQL> select true;

TRUE
-----------
TRUE

SQL> create table test1(a boolean);

Table created.

SQL> insert into test1 values (true),(false),(to_boolean(0)),(to_boolean('y'));

4 rows created.</code>

Remaining Challenges: The Empty String Anomaly

Despite this significant improvement, a limitation persists. Oracle SQL interprets an empty string as FALSE, differing from the standard practice of treating it as NULL. Developers must account for this behavior when writing code.

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