title: How does oracle db internally store 'NULL'
body: <p>I would like to know how Oracle db stores a null.
  First when using jdbc to fetch a value from a table and it has a null i.e the absence of a value. The jdbc method getInt() returns a zero for the value.
  What i need to know, is there a way to use maybe getByte instead to check if the value represents a null.
  I have had no success searching online either at oracle or in general on the web for an answer.</p>