Sybase, ANSI compliant? Phooey.

As previously discussed in this blog, I don't enjoy having to program with Sybase.

Here's another nail in it's coffin in my mind - full join.

Appendix A: Compatibility with Other Sybase Databases.

So, Adaptive Server Anywhere supports Ansi full join, as does IQ (Sybase's data warehouse product), but their flagship Adaptive Server Enterprise (mmmm, Enterprise) doesn't?

Instead I have to distinct union together the left and right outer join...

Could be worse - I could be using Mysql (which also has no full join).

Of course, Postgresql does have full outer joins (so does Oracle 9i for the record).

Update: Oh, and a blank string coerces to a date of 1/1/1900. Brilliant.

Update: brillant. Like MySQL, Sybase would rather silently ignore your bugs than report them:

• commit: If no transaction is currently active, the commit or rollback statement has no effect on Adaptive Server.