Exploring the DECODE Function
The DECODE function is one of the most powerful commands in SQL*Plus—and perhaps the most powerful. The standard language of SQL lacks procedural functions that are contained in languages such as COBOL and C.
 | The DECODE function is similar to an IF...THEN statement in a procedural programming language. Where flexibility is required for complex reporting needs, DECODE is often able to fill the gap between SQL and the functions of a procedural language. The DECODE function simply says to look in a column for a value and, if found, change the value to another value. |
DECODE(column1, value1, output1, value2, output2
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