Adding a NULL value for a datetime entry in an SQL table through Bash

Question

I am attempting to populate an SQL table through reading text files via bash to hand off to the table. I have it all working except when trying to add a null value to a datetime field.

mysql --host 10.100.10.19 --port 3306 -utest -ptest << EOF
INSERT INTO imaging.imagestatus (StatusDate, FileName, FolderName, Status, User, CaptureDate, Kind, Preview) VALUES ('2013-05-01T15:25:55', 'fileName1', 'folderName1', 'Status1', 'User1', 'NULL', 'kind1', 'preview1');
EOF

I keep getting:

ERROR 1292 (22007) at line 1: Incorrect datetime value: 'NULL' for column 'CaptureDate' at row 1

for the value labeled 'NULL' which is a data type datetime in the table. I have tried the combinations '\N', '\N', 'NULL', 'null' and ' '

I started to use a temporary date: 00-00-00 00:00:00 but I want it to match other null entry formats or just a blank space in the table. Thanks for the help!

ANSWER-- As was implemented

The value in the text file name "NULL" that is pulled in can be swapped with a variable like a=NULL to get a correct NULL value for a datetime input.

Answer 1

If you're using quotes, then you're saying that you want the date to be the string 'NULL'. Did you try just using NULL?

INSERT INTO imaging.imagestatus (StatusDate, FileName, FolderName, Status, User, CaptureDate, Kind, Preview) 
VALUES ('2013-05-01T15:25:55', 'fileName1', 'folderName1', 'Status1', 'User1', NULL, 'kind1', 'preview1');