Question

List the various cases where use of a NULL would be appropriate.​

Answer 1

In computer science, a NULL value is used to represent the absence of data or a meaningful value. It is commonly used in database systems, programming with pointers, and conditionals/error handling.

Step-by-step explanation:

In computer science, a NULL value is often used to represent the absence of data or the absence of a meaningful value. It is commonly used in situations where a variable or a field does not have a valid value or when there is no data available. Here are some cases where the use of a NULL would be appropriate:

1. Database systems: In database systems, NULL is used to represent missing or unknown values. For example, if a student record does not have a value for the date of birth, the date of birth field can be set to NULL.
2. Pointers in programming: NULL is often used to indicate that a pointer does not point to any memory location. It is particularly useful when dealing with dynamic memory allocation and data structures.
3. Conditionals and error handling: NULL is sometimes used as a special value to indicate an error condition or the absence of a result. For example, a function that searches for a particular item in a list can return NULL if the item is not found.