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289. NVL Function

Learn how Oracle uses NVL to replace NULL values with an alternative value.

📘 Lesson 289 of 728 ⏱ 9 min 🎯 Intermediate

NVL is commonly used in Oracle Database to return an alternative value when the first expression is NULL.

Handling missing values is a common requirement in database reporting and analysis. NVL provides a simple Oracle-specific solution.

Display zero instead of NULL commission values.

SQL 
SELECT
    EmployeeName,
    NVL(Commission, 0) AS Commission
FROM Employees;

NVL is widely used in Oracle reporting, financial calculations, data transformation, and analytical queries.

  • NVL handles NULL values.
  • It is commonly associated with Oracle.
  • It returns an alternative value for NULL.
  • It is useful in reporting.
  • COALESCE provides a more portable alternative.
What does NVL do?

NVL returns an alternative value when its first expression is NULL.

Which database commonly uses NVL?

NVL is commonly associated with Oracle Database.

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