FTB-C000086 / Data quality concept

Null Value

A null value is an explicit data representation indicating that no ordinary value is present in a field.

Also known asnulldatabase null

Foundation 2 linked topicsPublished

Definitions

In plain terms

Null is one way to encode absence, but it does not by itself explain whether the value was unknown, not applicable, missing, or suppressed.

Technical

Null semantics are schema- and system-specific and require field nullability, reason codes when needed, serialization rules, and comparison behavior.

Scope

Null is an encoding state; missingness is the broader business condition.

Examples

  • A governed dataset records null value explicitly and preserves the source context needed to interpret it.

Common misconceptions

  • Null Value does not have one universal meaning or policy without its declared source, scope, and data contract.

Concept relationships

Broader concepts

Contrasts with

Where this concept is used

Evidence and governance

  1. JSON Schema Validation: A Vocabulary for Structural Validation JSON Schema · official standard

    Supports: preferred label, short definition, technical definition

    Limits: It defines instance validation, not financial semantics, release severity, compatibility, precision, or schema-drift policy.

  2. Fintech Builder Glossary Definition Contract The Fintech Builder · internal governed contract

    Supports: variant distinction

    Limits: Defines governed platform behavior rather than claiming these policies are universally prescribed by external McClellan methodology.

Reviewed by
fintech-builder-owner-approved
Last reviewed
2026-07-26
Next review
2027-07-26
Record status
published