Date:         Wed, 27 Feb 2002 14:23:08 -0500
Reply-To:     Dianne Rhodes <RHODESD1@WESTAT.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Dianne Rhodes <RHODESD1@WESTAT.COM>
Subject:      Re: Coalesce
Comments: To: "Michael L. Davis" <michael@BASSETTCONSULTING.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Now I have an excuse to read my Joe Celko book :

Coalesce() Function
The  COALESCE(<value expression>...<value expression>) function scans the
list of <value expressions> from left to right and returns the first
non-NULL value in the list.  If all the <value expressions> are NULL, the
result is NULL.  This is the same function, under a new name, as the
VALUE<value expression>...<value expression>) in DB2 and other SQL
implementations based on DB2.  (p 57)

 >-----Original Message-----
 >From: Michael L. Davis [mailto:michael@BASSETTCONSULTING.COM]
 >Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2002 1:54 PM
 >To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
 >Subject: Re: Coalesce
 >
 >
 >Hello Myra,
 >
 >I'm sure is it documented somewhere but here is my
 >understanding of the
 >Coalesce function.  Consider the following example:
 >
 >   newstuff=coalesce(updt_var, hist_var) ;
 >
 >If updt_var is non-missing, newstuff is equal to updt_var.  Otherwise,
 >newstuff is equal to hist_var.
 >
 >HTH.
 >
 >- Michael "Mad Doggy" Davis
 >
 >At 08:51 AM 2/27/2002 -0800, Myra Oltsik <myra@DATASQUARE.COM> wrote:
 >>I got a copy of an SQL query from someone to show me how he extracted
 >>data. It has the function COALESCE in it. Thought the SAS On-line
 >>documentation mentions it, the doc doesn't define it. From what I can
 >>tell, it concatenates two variables/columns into one. Am I correct?
 >>
 >>Thanks.
 >>Myra
 >
 >Michael L. Davis
 >Vice President
 >Bassett Consulting Services, Inc.
 >10 Pleasant Drive
 >North Haven  CT  06473-3712
 >E-Mail:  michael@bassettconsulting.com
 >Web:  http://www.bassettconsulting.com
 >Telephone:    203-562-0640
 >Facsimile:    203-498-1414
 >Messages:     888-477-1412
 >