Query with integers not working - database

Question

I've been searching here on stackoverflow and other sources but not found a solution to this
The query below works as expected expect for when either custinfo.cust_cntct_id or custinfo.cust_corrcntct_id = '' (blank not NULL) then I get no results. Both are integer fields and if both have an integer value then I get results. I still want a value returned for either cntct_email or corrcntct_email even if custinfo.cust_cntct_id or custinfo.cust_corrcntct_id = blank
Can someone help me out in making this work? The database is PostgreSQL.
SELECT
cntct.cntct_email AS cntct_email,
corrcntct.cntct_email AS corrcntct_email
FROM
public.custinfo,
public.invchead,
public.cntct,
public.cntct corrcntct
WHERE
invchead.invchead_cust_id = custinfo.cust_id AND
cntct.cntct_id = custinfo.cust_cntct_id AND
corrcntct.cntct_id = custinfo.cust_corrcntct_id;

Answer 1

PostgreSQL won't actually let you test an integer field for a blank value (unless you're using a truly ancient version - 8.2 or older), so you must be using a query generator that's "helpfully" transforming '' to NULL or a tool that's ignoring errors.
Observe this, on Pg 9.2:
regress=> CREATE TABLE test ( a integer );
CREATE TABLE
regress=> insert into test (a) values (1),(2),(3);
INSERT 0 3
regress=> SELECT a FROM test WHERE a = '';
ERROR: invalid input syntax for integer: ""
LINE 1: SELECT a FROM test WHERE a = '';
If you are attempting to test for = NULL, this is not correct. You must use IS NOT NULL or IS DISTINCT FROM NULL instead. Testing for = NULL always results in NULL, which is treated as false in a WHERE clause.
Example:
regress=> insert into test (a) values (null);
INSERT 0 1
regress=> SELECT a FROM test WHERE a = NULL;
a
---
(0 rows)
regress=> SELECT a FROM test WHERE a IS NULL;
a
---
(1 row)
regress=> SELECT NULL = NULL as wrong, NULL IS NULL AS right;
wrong | right
-------+-------
| t
(1 row)
By the way, you should really be using ANSI JOIN syntax. It's more readable and it's much easier to forget to put a condition in and get a cartesian product by accident. I'd rewrite your query for identical functionality and performance but better readability as:
SELECT
cntct.cntct_email AS cntct_email,
corrcntct.cntct_email AS corrcntct_email
FROM
public.custinfo ci
INNER JOIN public.invchead
ON (invchead.invchead_cust_id = ci.cust_id)
INNER JOIN public.cntct
ON (cntct.cntct_id = ci.cust_cntct_id)
INNER JOIN public.cntct corrcntct
ON (corrcntct.cntct_id = ci.cust_corrcntct_id);
Use of table aliases usually keeps it cleaner; here I've aliased the longer name custinfo to ci for brevity.