MySQL IF( ) Function

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MySQL `IF()` Function

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1. Introduction

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2. Basic Examples

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3. Using `IF()` with NULL values

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5. Using `IF()` with Aggregate Functions

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6. Key Differences Between `IF()` Function and IF Statement

MySQL Conditional Expressions: `IF()` vs `CASE WHEN`vs `IFNULL()`

MySQL provides multiple ways to handle conditional logic inside queries. The three most common are:

IF() function
CASE WHEN expression
IFNULL() function

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1. `IF()` Function

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2. `CASE WHEN` Expression

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3. `IFNULL()` Function

4. Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	`IF()`	`CASE WHEN`	`IFNULL()`
Conditions	Handles 1 condition (TRUE/FALSE)	Handles multiple conditions	Handles only NULL check
Syntax	Short & simple	Longer but flexible	Very short
Readability	Good for simple checks	Best for complex logic	Clean for NULL defaults
Return type	Any (string/number)	Any (string/number)	Same as expression
Use case	Quick if-else	Multiple branches	NULL replacement

5. Practical Scenarios

Use IF():

When checking a simple TRUE/FALSE condition.

SELECT IF(amount > 10000, 'High Value', 'Normal') AS Value_Category
FROM payments;

Use CASE WHEN:

When checking multiple conditions.

SELECT
    CASE
        WHEN amount > 20000 THEN 'Very High'
        WHEN amount BETWEEN 10000 AND 20000 THEN 'High'
        ELSE 'Normal'
    END AS Value_Category
FROM payments;

Use IFNULL():

When you just want to replace NULL with a default.

SELECT customerName, IFNULL(phone, 'No Phone') AS phone
FROM customers;

✅ In summary:

Use IF() for binary conditions.
Use CASE WHEN for multiple conditional branches.
Use IFNULL() for handling NULL values.

MySQL IF( ) Function

MySQL IF() Function

1. Introduction

2. Basic Examples

3. Using IF() with NULL values

5. Using IF() with Aggregate Functions

6. Key Differences Between IF() Function and IF Statement

MySQL Conditional Expressions: IF() vs CASE WHENvs IFNULL()

1. IF() Function

2. CASE WHEN Expression

3. IFNULL() Function