Skip to main content

Difference between null and coalesce

ISNULL

  1. ISNULL function is used to replace the NULL value with specified value.
  2. It contains only two arguments.
  3. Same data type not compulsory.

Example -1:

SELECT ISNULL(NULL,'Raki') AS [ISNULL]

Output: Raki

Example -2:

DECLARE @name VARCHAR(10)
DECLARE @marks INT =500
SELECT ISNULL(@name,@marks) AS [ISNULL]

Output: 500

Example-3:

SELECT ISNULL(NULL,NULL,'Raki') AS [ISNULL]     

Output:

  Msg 174, Level 15, State 1,
  The isnull function requires 2 argument(s).

COALESCE

  1. Coalesce function is returns first non null value among arguments.  
  2. It contains multiple arguments.
  3. Same data type compulsory for arguments or precedence data type order should follow.


Example-1:

SELECT COALESCE(NULL,NULL,'Raki') as [COALESCE]

Output: Raki

Example-2:

DECLARE @name VARCHAR(5)='Raki'
DECLARE @marks INT =500
SELECT COALESCE(@name,@marks) as [COALESCE]

Output:  
Msg 245, Level 16, State 1, Line 3
Conversion failed when converting the varchar value 'Raki' to data type int.


         



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Coalesce function

Coalesce function returns the first non-null value among the arguments. Syntax: Coalesce (expression [,..n]) Here is example using Coalesce function Example 1 DECLARE @Str1 varchar ( 10 ), @str2 varchar ( 20 ), @Str3 varchar ( 20 ) SET @Str2 = 'Sql' , @Str3 = 'Server' SELECT COALESCE ( @Str1 , @str2 , @Str3 ) As [Coalesce] In above example @Str2 value is ‘Sql’ , @str3 value is ‘Server’  and @str1 values is Null because it not assigned any value . Output: It return’s “Sql” because Coalesce function return’s first non null value. Example 2: Coalesce in select statement. IF OBJECT_ID ( 'Employee' , 'U' ) IS NOT NULL DROP TABLE Employee CREATE TABLE Employee (   ID INT IDENTITY ( 1 , 1 ) PRIMARY KEY ,   NAME VARCHAR ( 20 ),   SALARY INT ) INSERT INTO Employee   ( NAME , SALARY ) VALUES ( 'Rakesh' , 5000 ),(NULL, 6000 ),( 'Naresh...

IDENTITY COLUMNS

Identity column specifies when ever new value is inserted into table. Identity column automatically inserted value into column. Identity Column can be specified at the time of creation of table. CREATE TABLE Employee (  EMPID INT IDENTITY ( 1 , 1 ),  EMPNAME VARCHAR ( 50 ),  SALARY INT ) In above table creation script EMPID column specifies IDENTITY property i.e., whenever a new row inserted into a Employee table EMPID Column will automatically value is inserted. INSERT INTO Employee ( EMPNAME , SALARY ) VALUES ( 'RAKESH' , 7000 ) INSERT INTO Employee ( EMPNAME , SALARY ) VALUES ( 'ALI' , 12000 ) SELECT * FROM Employee When u run above select statement is the following result is if u are trying insert value into identify columns .it will give error. INSERT INTO Employee ( EMPID , EMPNAME , SALARY ) VALUES ( 1 , 'RAKESH' , 7000 ) Msg 5...