Significant Differences
On the surface, it might seem that there are only a couple of minor
differences between the COALESCE and ISNULL functions. In practice, there are quite a few differences—some of which are significant. This article describes not only the minor and straightforward
differences but also the more complex and significant ones. Some
of the differences make the COALESCE function preferable, whereas
others make ISNULL preferable. Armed with this knowledge, you
can make an educated decision about which function to use based
on your priorities. ■
