Moodle

Don't store empty number fields as 0

Details

  • Type: Bug Bug
  • Status: Closed Closed
  • Priority: Major Major
  • Resolution: Fixed
  • Affects Version/s: 1.9, 1.9.1
  • Fix Version/s: 1.9.2
  • Component/s: Database activity module
  • Labels:
    None
  • Database:
    Any
  • Affected Branches:
    MOODLE_19_STABLE
  • Fixed Branches:
    MOODLE_19_STABLE

Description

A field of type "number" must allow

  • to be left empty on purpose
  • to be explicitly set to the number 0 (zero)

Currently, if you add a record that contains number fields, all these fields will implicitly be filled with 0 if they are left empty. Thus, there is no way to distinguish a number being truly 0.00 or empty (non-existent).

Issue Links

blocks

Improvement - An enhancement to an existing Moodle feature. MDL-14771 Allow a "number" field to be displayed with a specified number of decimals (Backend code)

  • Major - Major loss of function, incorrect output
  • Closed - The issue is considered finished, the resolution is correct. Issues which are closed should not be reopened.

Activity

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Robert Allerstorfer added a comment -

The attached patch fixes this bug.

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Robert Allerstorfer added a comment - The attached patch fixes this bug.
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Petr Škoda added a comment -

if (strlen($value) < 1)

{ return; }

can not work when updating records, we should always use null in these case

this could work:
$value = trim($value);
if ($value === '') {
$value = null;
}

I am not really sure this change would be suitable for 1.9.x - maybe we could add option to allow no number 2.0

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Petr Škoda added a comment - if (strlen($value) < 1) { return; } can not work when updating records, we should always use null in these case this could work: $value = trim($value); if ($value === '') { $value = null; } I am not really sure this change would be suitable for 1.9.x - maybe we could add option to allow no number 2.0
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Robert Allerstorfer added a comment -

Thanks for your comment, Petr - yes, you are right, my first attempt can't work when a non-empty field should be updated to an empty one. The new attached patch (MDL-14788_20080512.patch) works perfectly for me - I tested it under all cases. Your attempt would still display all empty fields as the number 0.

I don't see a need to add an option allowing empty fields - why make things more complicated? Please think how everybody knows a number field to behave in Excel for example - an empty number field will never be implicitly replaced with the number 0 - the way Moodle currently treats the number is simply mathematically wrong. Having a measurement result of 0.002 and having no result at all are completely different cases, however, Moodle would display both values identically, as 0.00 (assuming my patch MDL-14771 has been applied and you have specified 2 decimals). Thus, I really see this as a bug to be fixed in 1.9.1 and not as a new feature.

Show
Robert Allerstorfer added a comment - Thanks for your comment, Petr - yes, you are right, my first attempt can't work when a non-empty field should be updated to an empty one. The new attached patch ( MDL-14788 _20080512.patch) works perfectly for me - I tested it under all cases. Your attempt would still display all empty fields as the number 0. I don't see a need to add an option allowing empty fields - why make things more complicated? Please think how everybody knows a number field to behave in Excel for example - an empty number field will never be implicitly replaced with the number 0 - the way Moodle currently treats the number is simply mathematically wrong. Having a measurement result of 0.002 and having no result at all are completely different cases, however, Moodle would display both values identically, as 0.00 (assuming my patch MDL-14771 has been applied and you have specified 2 decimals). Thus, I really see this as a bug to be fixed in 1.9.1 and not as a new feature.
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Petr Škoda added a comment -

Hello,
we are very close to 1.9.1, I am afraid minor bugs will have to wait until 1.9.2

thanks for the patch

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Petr Škoda added a comment - Hello, we are very close to 1.9.1, I am afraid minor bugs will have to wait until 1.9.2 thanks for the patch
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Robert Allerstorfer added a comment -

Now that 1.9.1 is out, can I commit the patch to MOODLE_19_STABLE and HEAD?

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Robert Allerstorfer added a comment - Now that 1.9.1 is out, can I commit the patch to MOODLE_19_STABLE and HEAD?
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Petr Škoda added a comment -

+1 for commit for 1.9.2

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Petr Škoda added a comment - +1 for commit for 1.9.2
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Petr Škoda added a comment -

thanks

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Petr Škoda added a comment - thanks

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Dates

  • Created:
    Updated:
    Resolved: