[sql] SQL Server: Best way to concatenate multiple columns?

I am trying to concatenate multiple columns in a query in SQL Server 11.00.3393.

I tried the new function CONCAT() but it's not working when I use more than two columns.

So I wonder if that's the best way to solve the problem:

SELECT CONCAT(CONCAT(CONCAT(COLUMN1,COLUMN2),COLUMN3),COLUMN4) FROM myTable

I can't use COLUMN1 + COLUMN2 because of NULL values.

EDIT

If I try SELECT CONCAT('1','2','3') AS RESULT I get an error

The CONCAT function requires 2 argument(s)

If the fields are nullable, then you'll have to handle those nulls. Remember that null is contagious, and concat('foo', null) simply results in NULL as well:

SELECT CONCAT(ISNULL(column1, ''),ISNULL(column2,'')) etc...

Basically test each field for nullness, and replace with an empty string if so.

Blockquote

Using concatenation in Oracle SQL is very easy and interesting. But don't know much about MS-SQL.

Blockquote

Here we go for Oracle : Syntax: SQL> select First_name||Last_Name as Employee from employees;

Result: EMPLOYEE

EllenAbel SundarAnde MozheAtkinson

Here AS: keyword used as alias. We can concatenate with NULL values. e.g. : columnm1||Null

Suppose any of your columns contains a NULL value then the result will show only the value of that column which has value.

You can also use literal character string in concatenation.

e.g. select column1||' is a '||column2 from tableName; Result: column1 is a column2. in between literal should be encolsed in single quotation. you cna exclude numbers.

NOTE: This is only for oracle server//SQL.

Try using below:

SELECT 
    (RTRIM(LTRIM(col_1))) + (RTRIM(LTRIM(col_2))) AS Col_newname,
    col_1,
    col_2 
FROM 
    s_cols 
WHERE
    col_any_condition = ''
;

SELECT CONCAT(LOWER(LAST_NAME), UPPER(LAST_NAME)
       INITCAP(LAST_NAME), HIRE DATE AS ‘up_low_init_hdate’)
FROM EMPLOYEES
WHERE HIRE DATE = 1995