PLSQL Decode function

DECODE( expression , search , result [, search , result]... [, default] )

Example

The DECODE function can be used in Oracle/PLSQL.

You could use the DECODE function in a SQL statement as follows:

SELECT supplier_name,
DECODE(supplier_id, 10000, 'IBM',
                    10001, 'Microsoft',
                    10002, 'Hewlett Packard',
                    'Gateway') result
FROM suppliers;

The above DECODE statement is equivalent to the following IF-THEN-ELSE statement:

IF supplier_id = 10000 THEN
   result := 'IBM';

ELSIF supplier_id = 10001 THEN
   result := 'Microsoft';

ELSIF supplier_id = 10002 THEN
   result := 'Hewlett Packard';

ELSE
   result := 'Gateway';

END IF;