The SIGN function in SQL is a mathematical function that returns the sign of a numeric expression—i.e., it tells you whether a number is positive, negative, or zero.

? Syntax

SIGN(numeric_expression)

? Return Values

? Example Usage

SELECT SIGN(100)     AS Result1,  -- Returns 1       SIGN(0)       AS Result2,  -- Returns 0       SIGN(-45.67)  AS Result3;  -- Returns -1

? Use Cases

• Determining the direction of a value (e.g., gain vs loss, trend up/down).

• Simplifying conditional logic in financial or mathematical queries.

• Assisting in ranking or sorting based on numeric direction.

? Example in a Table Query

Suppose you have a Transactions table with a BalanceChange column:

SELECT     TransactionID,    BalanceChange,    SIGN(BalanceChange) AS ChangeDirectionFROM Transactions;

This will help you quickly identify:

• 1: credit/gain

• -1: debit/loss

• 0: no change

Let me know if you'd like a stored procedure or case-based logic that leverages SIGN for more advanced reporting or analysis.