How To Fix SDDL_PARSER_MSG084 - CASE expression without ELSE branch can lead to NULL values

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: SDDL_PARSER_MSG - Message Class for DDL Parser

• Message number: 084

• Message text: CASE expression without ELSE branch can lead to NULL values

Self-Explanatory Message

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Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message SDDL_PARSER_MSG084 - CASE expression without ELSE branch can lead to NULL values ?

  The SAP error message SDDL_PARSER_MSG084 indicates that there is a CASE expression in your SQL query that does not have an ELSE branch. This can lead to NULL values being returned if none of the conditions in the CASE statement are met. 
  Cause:
  The CASE expression is used to return a value based on certain conditions. If none of the specified conditions are true and there is no ELSE branch defined, the result of the CASE expression will be NULL. This can lead to unexpected behavior in your application or reports, especially if you are relying on a non-null value.
  Solution:
  To resolve this error, you should modify your CASE expression to include an ELSE branch. The ELSE branch will provide a default value to be returned when none of the conditions are met. Here’s an example of how to structure a CASE expression with an ELSE branch:
  SELECT 
      CASE 
          WHEN condition1 THEN value1
          WHEN condition2 THEN value2
          ELSE default_value  -- This is the ELSE branch
      END AS result
  FROM your_table;
  Example:
  Suppose you have a CASE expression that categorizes sales amounts:
  SELECT 
      CASE 
          WHEN sales_amount > 1000 THEN 'High'
          WHEN sales_amount BETWEEN 500 AND 1000 THEN 'Medium'
          -- No ELSE branch here, which can lead to NULL
      END AS sales_category
  FROM sales_data;
  To fix this, you can add an ELSE branch:
  SELECT 
      CASE 
          WHEN sales_amount > 1000 THEN 'High'
          WHEN sales_amount BETWEEN 500 AND 1000 THEN 'Medium'
          ELSE 'Low'  -- Adding an ELSE branch to handle other cases
      END AS sales_category
  FROM sales_data;
  Related Information:
  
  Best Practices: Always include an ELSE branch in your CASE expressions to avoid NULL values unless you specifically want to handle NULLs.
  Testing: After modifying your SQL query, test it to ensure that it behaves as expected and that no NULL values are returned when they shouldn't be.
  Documentation: Refer to the SAP documentation for more details on the syntax and usage of CASE expressions in SQL queries.
  
  By following these guidelines, you can avoid the SDDL_PARSER_MSG084 error and ensure that your SQL queries return the expected results.