====== COALESCE Function - PL/HQL Reference======
COALESCE function returns first non-NULL expression.
**Syntax**:
COALESCE(expr1, expr2 [, expr3, ...]);
**Parameters:**
| **Parameter** | **Type** | **Value** |
| exprN | Any | Variable or expression |
**Notes**:
* When first non-NULL expression is found the following expressions are not evaluated
* COALESCE and [[nvl|NVL]] functions are synonyms
**Return Value:**
* First non-NULL expression
* NULL if all expressions evaluate to NULL
**Return Type:**
The data type of first non-NULL expression.
**Example 1:**
COALESCE(NULL, 1, 2, 3);
Result: 1
**Compatibility**: Oracle, IBM DB2, Teradata, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL and Netezza
**Version**: PL/HQL 0.03
See also:
* [[nvl|NVL]]