> > SQL Server also supports COALESCE. And, while the two are very similar, > they > aren't identical in functionality. A Google search on "coalesce vs isnull" > turns up all sorts of mildly interesting stuff.
You're right on both counts, Dave. My main point was that MS even bothered to make a non-standard function. IIRC, Coalesce does more than isNull, but the basic thing that most people use isNull() for is this: isNull(mname,'blank') so you don't have nulls in your return values, and this works the same as coalesce. However, I can't justly bash MS for this, because Oracle, MySQL and DB2 have proprietary functions for this as well. I just wanted to point out that all the popular DB platforms have non-standard SQL to some degree. -- My Sites: http://www.techfeed.net/blog/ http://www.cfquickdocs.com/ http://cfformprotect.riaforge.org/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Create robust enterprise, web RIAs. Upgrade & integrate Adobe Coldfusion MX7 with Flex 2 http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;56760587;14748456;a?http://www.adobe.com/products/coldfusion/flex2/?sdid=LVNU Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Talk/message.cfm/messageid:266042 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.4
