How to Handle NULLs in ParadeDB in PostgreSQL

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How do I handle NULL values in ParadeDB?

Use COALESCE, IS NULL filters, and default vector functions to safely manage NULL values in ParadeDB columns.

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Description

Example H2

Example H3

Why do NULLs matter in ParadeDB?

ParadeDB’s text and vector functions error when they receive NULL inputs. Supplying defaults or filtering NULLs keeps searches fast and predictable.

How can I detect NULLs fast?

Use IS NULL or IS NOT NULL on text, JSON, or vector columns before calling ParadeDB functions.

Example

SELECT id FROM products WHERE description IS NULL;

When should I replace NULLs?

Replace NULLs whenever the function expects non-NULL text or vector data.COALESCE() is the simplest approach.

Example

SELECT COALESCE(description,'') AS clean_desc FROM products;

How to embed safely with NULLs?

Wrap ParadeDB’s embedder in COALESCE to avoid runtime errors.

Example

SELECT paradedb_embed(COALESCE(description,'')) AS vector FROM products;

What about aggregations?

Use COUNT(col) to ignore NULLs or COUNT(*) for all rows. SUM(), AVG(), and MAX() automatically skip NULLs.

Best practice checklist

• Check NULLs on load
• Use defaults on inserts (DEFAULT '' or zero-vector)
• Wrap ParadeDB calls in COALESCE
• Document assumptions in schema comments

Why How to Handle NULLs in ParadeDB in PostgreSQL is important

How to Handle NULLs in ParadeDB in PostgreSQL Example Usage


-- Find products without descriptions, embed an empty string, and update
UPDATE Products
SET vector = paradedb_embed(''),
    description = COALESCE(description,'')
WHERE description IS NULL;

How to Handle NULLs in ParadeDB in PostgreSQL Syntax


-- Detect NULLs
SELECT * FROM Products WHERE description IS NULL;

-- Replace NULL text before embedding
SELECT paradedb_embed(COALESCE(description,'')) AS vector
FROM Products;

-- Default vector on insert to avoid NULL
INSERT INTO Products (name, price, stock, description, vector)
VALUES ('USB Cable', 5.99, 200, NULL, paradedb_embed(''));

-- Aggregate ignoring NULLs
SELECT customer_id, COUNT(order_date) AS completed_orders
FROM Orders
GROUP BY customer_id;

Common Mistakes

Ignoring NULLs before calling <code>paradedb_embed()</code> causes execution errors. Fix by wrapping the input with <code>COALESCE(text,'')</code>.
Using <code>COUNT(*)</code> to measure filled columns misleads because it counts NULL rows too. Use <code>COUNT(column)</code> for non-NULL counts.