Chapter 3 - Video # 2

Working with NULLs in

Expressions

Chapter 3: Using and Understanding Scalar Functions and Data Types

Course: Writing Queries for SQL Server (2005/2008 Edition)
Course Id: 160
Presented by Scott Whigham

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p. 1
 Before we get started…

• All functions in SQL:

– Require parentheses
– Accept 0 or more arguments (some of which may
be optional)

p. 2
 Before we get started…

• Scalar functions:
– Can be used anywhere an expression can be used
• All clauses and with all operators
– Can be nested

p. 3
 NULLs in Expressions

• In Chapter 2 we talked about deal with

NULLs in predicates
– IS NULL returns true if a predicate evaluates to
NULL
– IS NOT NULL returns true if a predicate evaluates
to a non-NULL value

p. 4
 NULLs in Expressions

• Let’s now talk about dealing with NULLs

in expressions
– Reminder: the result of any expression between a
NULL and a non-NULL (i.e. an “unknown” and a
“known”) returns NULL

SELECT 1 + NULL

– “What is 1 plus an unknown number?”

• “Unknown!”

p. 5
 NULLs in Expressions

• For the examples in this video, here is

our sample set of data:

p. 6
 NULLs in Expressions

“Give me a list of all customers and put their entire

name into one column”

p. 7
 NULLs in Expressions

• Often we want to ignore the unknowns

and simply return the known values:

p. 8
 NULLs in Expressions

• To handle NULLs in expressions, use:

– ISNULL() converts NULL inputs to known outputs
• Transact-SQL specific
– COALESCE() converts NULL inputs to known
outputs
• ISO standard
– NULLIF() converts known inputs to NULLs based
on predicate
• ISO standard

p. 9
 Next up

• Introduction to NULLIF, ISNULL, and

COALESCE

“Database management would be simpler if

missing values didn't exist."
E.F. Codd

p. 10