ABAP Keyword Documentation → ABAP - Reference → Processing External Data → ABAP Database Accesses → Open SQL → Open SQL - Read Accesses → SELECT → SELECT - result → SELECT - select_list → SELECT - col_spec → SELECT - sql_exp
sql_exp - sql_coalesce
Other versions:
7.31 | 7.40 | 7.54
Syntax
... coalesce( arg1, arg2 ) ...
Effect
The coalesce function in Open SQL returns the value of the argument arg1 (if this is not the
null value); otherwise it
returns the value of the argument arg2. A blank must be placed after the
opening parenthesis and before the closing parenthesis. A comma must be placed between the arguments. There are a number of possible arguments:
- Columns and other expressions of dictionary types, except for ACCP, DF16_SCL (obsolete), DF34_SCL (obsolete), LCHR, LRAW, PREC, RAWSTRING, SSTRING, and STRING
- Host variables and literals of ABAP types, except for
stringandxstring
The data types of both arguments must either match of the data type of one argument must represent the full value of the other data type. The result has the dictionary type of the argument with the greater value range.
Note
The coalesce function can be used to assign a target object a self-defined value or the result of an expression when a null value is read. The type-appropriate initial value is assigned by default.
Example