FileField and NULL Values in Django

Based on the available documentation, I can provide some context about FileField behavior and null values in Django.

Current Behavior of FileField

In Django 1.2.5 and later, FileField no longer automatically deletes files from storage when a model instance is deleted. This change was made to prevent potential data loss scenarios, such as in rolled-back transactions or when multiple models reference the same file.

NULL Values in Django Fields

Django's convention for string-based fields (like CharField and TextField) is to use empty strings rather than NULL values to represent "no data." The documentation specifically advises against using null=True for string-based fields because it creates two possible representations of "no data" (NULL and empty string), which can lead to confusion.

The exception to this rule is when a CharField has both unique=True and blank=True, where null=True becomes necessary to avoid unique constraint violations when saving multiple objects with blank values.

Regarding Your Proposal

Your proposal to make FileField behave like CharField with regard to NULL values would align with Django's existing field behavior patterns. However, I don't have specific information about Ticket #10244 or Aymeric Augustin's options in the provided context.

Backward Compatibility Considerations

Any change to how NULL values are handled could have backward compatibility implications:

1. Existing code that expects empty strings might break if NULL values are used instead
2. Database queries filtering for empty strings would need to be updated to also check for NULL values
3. Database migrations might be necessary for existing applications

Oracle-Specific Considerations

It's worth noting that when using the Oracle database backend, NULL values are stored to denote empty strings regardless of the null attribute setting. This special case would need to be considered in your implementation.

To get a definitive answer about consensus and the current status of the ticket, you would need to engage with the Django development community directly through the appropriate channels.