Checking if a string is null

[Bill Baxter]

Manfred Nowak wrote:

> By Occams razor there must be a good reason for not doing this last 
> step, because the near to 100 posts in this thread alone show the need 
> for having a clean mathematical model at hand.

A thread of 100 posts, half of which are by a single author arguing with 
the posters of the other half doesn't generally show a strong case for 
anything.  Except maybe a case for the one poster being unsuccessful in 
winning others over to his point of view.

--bb