== Why is this an issue?

Explicit variable initializations with null values are superfluous, since unassigned variables are implicitly initialized to null.


=== Noncompliant code example

[source,sql]
----
SET SERVEROUTPUT ON

DECLARE
  foo PLS_INTEGER := NULL; -- Noncompliant, the null assignation is superfluous
  bar VARCHAR2(100) := ''; -- Noncompliant, the null assignation is superfluous
  correctInitializedString VARCHAR2(100) := 'Hello world!';

BEGIN
  IF foo IS NULL THEN
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('foo is NULL');
  ELSE
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('foo is NOT NULL');
  END IF;
END;
/
----


=== Compliant solution

[source,sql]
----
SET SERVEROUTPUT ON

DECLARE
  foo PLS_INTEGER;
  bar VARCHAR2(100);
  correctInitializedString VARCHAR2(100) := 'Hello world!';

BEGIN
  IF foo IS NULL THEN
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('foo is NULL');
  ELSE
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('foo is NOT NULL');
  END IF;
END;
/
----

ifdef::env-github,rspecator-view[]

'''
== Implementation Specification
(visible only on this page)

=== Message

Remove this "NULL" initialization.


endif::env-github,rspecator-view[]