The NULL-safe operator, <=>, can be used in place of the equal sign (=) to perform a NULL-safe equality comparison. It returns true if both values are equal or both are NULL; otherwise, it returns false.

Here’s an example of how to use the <=> operator in a JOIN operation:

SELECT *
FROM table1
JOIN table2
ON table1.column1 <=> table2.column2;

In this example, we are using the JOIN operation between table1 and table2. The ON clause specifies the condition for the JOIN, where we are comparing column1 from table1 with column2 from table2 using the NULL-safe operator <=>.

Using the NULL-safe operator ensures that NULL values in either column1 or column2 are treated as equal and included in the result set. Without the NULL-safe operator, NULL values would normally result in a false comparison and be excluded from the result set.

It is important to note that not all SQL database systems support the NULL-safe operator <=>. In such cases, you can use the COALESCE function or the IS NULL operator to handle NULL values during the JOIN operation.

By utilizing the NULL-safe operator, you can safely perform JOIN operations while accounting for NULL values and ensure expected results. This helps in maintaining data integrity and accuracy during data retrieval and analysis.

#SQL #NULLSafeOperator