[jstanley]

Similarly, the need for non-boolean columns is a non-problem in practice, because an application can just make an extra column for every bit it needs to store. If it needs strings or arbitrary-width numbers it can just join on other tables that store those bits.

(Existence of a workaround doesn't turn a problem into a non-problem)

[jl6]

I stand by it being a non-problem in practice because the workaround is trivial, and the supposed solution adds complexity everywhere.

There isn’t even a universally agreed methodology for how to handle nulls in the relational model in theory.

It’s a semantic problem that can only be solved with reference to the requirements of a particular use case, and when you do that using explicit extra columns, the problem evaporates.