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Intermediate SQL Topics-Part 5🤝

6 min readMay 26, 2025

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SQL CASE 💼, SQL NULL 🚫

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Photo by Hans Eiskonen on Unsplash

🔍 What is NULL In SQL? 🚫

  • NULL represents missing, unknown, or not applicable data.
  • It is not zero, not an empty string, and not false.
  • Think of it as a placeholder for “no value”.

📌Why Is It Important to Handle NULL Values?

Handling NULL values is a common task in various real-world scenarios where data may be incomplete or missing. In the realm of databases, NULL values serve as placeholders for uncertain or absent data.

📌Working with NULL in Queries

🔸Testing for NULL

Use IS NULL or IS NOT NULL instead of equality operators:

-- Find users with missing email
SELECT * FROM users
WHERE email IS NULL;

-- Find users with known phone numbers
SELECT * FROM users
WHERE phone_number IS NOT NULL;

🔸NULL in Conditional Expressions

SELECT 
employee_name,
CASE WHEN
bonus IS NULL THEN 'No bonus'
ELSE
'Has bonus' END AS bonus_status
FROM employees;

🔸NULL in Aggregate Functions

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Shaloo Mathew
Shaloo Mathew

Written by Shaloo Mathew

I love working with data and finding the stories it tells. Through analytics and technology, I aim to turn data into useful insights.

SQL Explained
SQL Explained

Published in SQL Explained

SQL Explained is your go-to publication for mastering SQL, from basics to advanced queries. Learn best practices, optimizations, and real-world applications through clear, concise, and practical insights. Perfect for beginners and experts alike! 🚀 #SQL #Data