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From: "nobody" <nobody@nowhere.near.here>
X-Newsgroups: comp.databases.postgresql.sql
Subject: Re: append columns that are null
Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2004 16:25:32 +0100
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"Gerwin Philippo" <gerwin@vernet.nl> wrote in message
news:40ec1043$0$559$e4fe514c@news.xs4all.nl...
> I have function that appends 2 columns, like
> "new.field1 = new.field2||new.field3",
> but when field 3 is null, then the entire outcome is null, while I
> expected just field2, since when I append nothing to field2, I get
> field2, right?
> Is this standard behaviour, and if so, is there another append function
> that I can use that doesn't behave like this?

COALESCE is your friend...