The conditional expression, typically employed within a query’s SELECT statement, facilitates assigning values based on whether specified conditions are met. It enables the evaluation of multiple conditions sequentially, returning a distinct result for the first condition that evaluates as true. This construct provides a structured method for categorizing or transforming data directly within the query result set.
This methodology enhances data manipulation capabilities within SQL. It minimizes the need for client-side processing or complex procedural logic by performing conditional data transformation at the database level. Historically, such conditional logic would often necessitate multiple queries or application-level code; however, the availability of this function simplifies query construction, improves efficiency, and promotes database-driven data manipulation.