SQL Coalesce and Null Handling for Data Analysts

Null values in database tables often lead to broken calculations, empty reports, and incorrect data analysis. Understanding how to handle missing data gracefully is one of the most critical skills for anyone working with databases. This course teaches you how to write robust SQL queries that handle nulls effortlessly. You will transition from writing fragile queries to designing clean, production-ready data retrieval pipelines. What you'll learn: Understand what NULL represents in relational databases and why standard comparison operators fail; Master the COALESCE function to substitute default values and merge data across multiple columns; Combine COALESCE with JOIN operations to cleanly aggregate data from multiple tables; Apply conditional logic by comparing COALESCE with CASE statements and IFNULL functions; Implement modern query design patterns that prevent common mathematical errors when handling nulls. The course starts with essential definitions and the core mechanics of how databases store missing data, then moves step-by-step through practical query scenarios, syntax variations, and performance considerations. This text-based course is designed for beginners who have a basic understanding of SELECT statements and want to write professional-grade SQL. Start writing cleaner, more reliable queries today.