Returns True if the value of a given attribute or variable is empty.
Attribute | &Variable.IsEmpty()
Type Returned:
Boolean
Data Types: Audio, Blob, BlobFile, Boolean,
Character, VarChar, LongVarChar, Date, DateTime,
Geography, GeoLine, GeoPoint, GeoPolygon, GUID, Image, Numeric, Video
Generators:
.NET,
.NET Framework, Java, RPG, Cobol, Ruby (up to GeneXus X Evolution 3), Visual FoxPro (up to GeneXus X Evolution 3)
Using the method with attributes will depend on whether the condition is evaluated on the Server (DBMS) or on the Client (Application Server). On the Client's side, if an attribute is null (or empty), this method returns true (in most situations, GeneXus handles nulls for attributes as expected). On the Server's side, only if the attribute is empty (not null), the IsEmpty method returns true.
Trailing blanks are ignored.
The following table shows the corresponding empty value for each data type and DBMS.
| DBMS |
Numeric |
Date |
Datetime |
Character (n) |
Varchar |
Long Varchar |
Blob |
| SQL Server |
0 |
1753-01-01 00:00:00.000 |
1753-01-01 00:00:00.000 |
n blanks |
<empty string> |
<empty string> |
<empty file> |
| Oracle |
0 |
0001-01-01 00:00:00 |
0001-01-01 00:00:00 |
n blanks |
1 blank |
1 blank |
<empty file> |
| DB2 UDB |
0 |
0001-01-01 |
0001-01-01 00:00:00.000 |
n blanks |
<empty string> |
<empty string> |
<empty file> |
| DB2 iSeries |
0 |
"00000000" or 0001-01-01(*) |
0001-01-01-00.00.00 |
n blanks |
<empty string> |
<empty string> |
<empty file> |
| MySQL |
0 |
1000-01-01 |
1000-01-01 00:00:00 |
<empty string> |
<empty string> |
<empty string> |
<empty file> |
| PostgreSQL |
0 |
0001-01-01 |
0001-01-01 00:00:00 |
n blanks |
<empty string> |
<empty string> |
<empty file> |
| Informix |
0 |
0001-01-01 |
0001-01-01 00:00:00 |
n blanks |
<empty string> |
<empty string> |
<empty file> |
Example 1: Server's side evaluation
In this case, the condition is evaluated on the Server's side, so only empty values are retrieved.
For each
Where attribute.IsEmpty() // server side execution
... // Only Empty attributes will be considered
EndFor
Note: Some
Where conditions could be resolved on the Client's side. This could happen when the
navigation group (For Each, Data Provider, Grid) includes in their Where/Condition clause a function or method that can not be evaluated by the DBMS. In this case, a warning icon 
will be shown for that condition in the navigation list. Passing the mouse over it displays: "Constraint evaluated in the client. This may lead to poor performance"
Example 2: Client's Side evaluation
This code is evaluated on the Client's side. Both null and empty values are retrieved.
For Each
If attribute.IsEmpty() // client side execution
... // Empty and Null attributes will be considered
EndIf
EndFor
Nullvalue function
IsNull function
Null function