Null Is Not the Same as Zero
Null means having no value or legal force. In computing it is distinct from zero and from empty.
Null means having no value, force or effect, as in a contract declared *null and void*. In computing the word is more precise than it sounds: null means no value exists, which is not the same as zero, and not the same as an empty string. A bank balance of zero is a known amount; a balance of null means the amount is unknown or absent. Confusing the three is a standard source of software bugs. Latin *nullus* is *ne* plus *ullus*, not any.
- Without value. *Null and void.*
- Absent value. *A null field.*
- To nullify. *To nullify a result.*
- Zero — a different thing. *Zero.*
- Latin — *nullus*, not any. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective | null | Null. |
| Verb | nullify | To nullify. |
| Noun | nullity | A nullity. |
| Compound | null and void | Null and void. |
| Latin | nullus | Not any. |
- The contract is null and void.Law.
- The field was null.Computing.
- Null is not zero.Distinction.
Null, zero and empty
- Null — no value is recorded at all
- Zero — a recorded value that happens to be nothing
- Empty string — a recorded text value of no characters
- A null balance means unknown; a zero balance means none
- Mixing these up is a classic source of bugs
Latin *nullus*, not any, from *ne*, not, plus *ullus*, any.
What is the difference between null and zero?
Zero is a known value of nothing; null means no value has been recorded at all.
What does null and void mean?
That an agreement has no legal force whatsoever, as if it had never been made.