SQL - NOT NULL Constraint

By default, a column can hold NULL values.

The NOT NULL constraint enforces a column to NOT accept NULL values.

This enforces a field to always contain a value, which means that you cannot insert a new record, or update a record without adding a value to this field.

The following SQL ensures that the "ID", "LastName", and "FirstName" columns will NOT accept NULL values:

Example

CREATE TABLE Persons (
    ID int NOT NULL,
    LastName varchar(255) NOT NULL,
    FirstName varchar(255) NOT NULL,
    Age int
);

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Tip: If the table has already been created, you can add a NOT NULL constraint to a column with the ALTER TABLE statement.