MySQL IF() Function

The IF() function in MySQL adds conditional logic to your queries. It allows you to return different values depending on whether a condition is true or false, similar to an if-then-else statement in programming languages.

IF(): Definition and Usage

IF() is very helpful for creating more dynamic and flexible queries. It lets you create different outputs based on whether a condition evaluates to true or false. It's a concise way to add decision-making into your SQL.

Syntax


IF(condition, value_if_true, value_if_false)

Parameter Values

Parameter	Description
`condition`	The condition to be evaluated (must result in TRUE or FALSE). This is required.
`value_if_true`	The value returned if the `condition` is TRUE. This is required.
`value_if_false`	The value returned if the `condition` is FALSE. This is required.

Examples

Returning Strings Based on a Condition

This example returns "YES" if 500 is less than 1000, and "NO" otherwise.

Syntax


SELECT IF(500 < 1000, "YES", "NO");

Output

YES

Returning Numbers Based on a Condition

This example returns 5 if the condition is true, and 10 otherwise.

Syntax


SELECT IF(500 < 1000, 5, 10);

Output

Comparing Strings

This compares two strings and returns "YES" if they're the same, "NO" otherwise. Uses `STRCMP()` for string comparison, which returns 0 for equality.

Syntax


SELECT IF(STRCMP("hello", "bye") = 0, "YES", "NO");

Output

NO

Conditional Output in a Query

This example adds a 'Result' column based on 'Quantity' in the 'OrderDetails' table. (Assumes an 'OrderDetails' table with 'OrderID' and 'Quantity' columns.)

Syntax


SELECT OrderID, Quantity, IF(Quantity > 10, "MORE", "LESS")
FROM OrderDetails;

Output


OrderID | Quantity | Result
--------------------------
(Example data from the OrderDetails table)