APEX

I would like to use an LOV in such a way that I can have a row that has a "Display Value" of NULL and associated "Return Value" of NULL. The return value is then associated to a column on a table which is not required (Nullable) and NUMERIC.

I have experienced a few oddities in this quest. 1st I notice that if I want my Display Value to be <<NULL>> and therefore assign "<<NULL>>" to the "Null Display Value" in the "List of Values" section for that "Page Item", the actual result is "<>" and not "<<NULL>>". My end users wanted to see the word "NULL" in their Display Lits. Can I accomplish this? Or is NULL always converted, as it is a reserved-word or the like?

2nd, if I set my "Null Return Value" to NULL (no quotes) and utilise this row, I get an error on insert or update stating that the value is not "numeric". If I set the "Null Return Value" to 0 (the number zero), I don't have this problem. Or if I set it to any other number, I don't have this value. I would assume from this behaviour that the string "NULL" is being using instead of the actual null value.

Note that it is valid to assign a null to a nullable numeric column. So, that is not the problem.

3rd - I see some posts having to do with "%null%", but am unsure as to its uses. Is this some type of reserved-word/variable. If so, how do I use it, and does it have to be lower case or upper case and is it single quotes or double-quotes.

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Note, that I also tried to accomplish this "Diplay=<<NULL>>" "Return=NULL" via modifying my Shared Component LOV, but that did not work, either. Same kind of result. Below is an example that was accomplished:

RETURN 'SELECT..GENDER_DESC
..........................,..GENDER_CD
.................FROM..GENDER
...............WHERE..LOGICAL_DELETE_IND = ''N''
.................UNION.ALL_SELECT ''<null>'', NULL FROM DUAL
................ORDER.BY.GENDER_DESC ' ;