SQL Server - Include NULL using UNPIVOT

Question

UNPIVOT will not return NULLs, but I need them in a comparison query. I am trying to avoid using ISNULL the following example (Because in the real sql there are over 100 fields):

Select ID, theValue, column_name
From 
(select ID,
  ISNULL(CAST([TheColumnToCompare]  AS VarChar(1000)), '') as TheColumnToCompare
  from MyView
  where The_Date = '04/30/2009'
) MA
UNPIVOT
   (theValue FOR column_name IN 
   ([TheColumnToCompare])
) AS unpvt

Any alternatives?

Answer 1

Using dynamic SQL and COALESCE, I solved the problem like this:

DECLARE @SQL NVARCHAR(MAX)
DECLARE @cols NVARCHAR(MAX)
DECLARE @dataCols NVARCHAR(MAX)

SELECT 
    @dataCols = COALESCE(@dataCols + ', ' + 'ISNULL(' + Name + ',0) ' + Name , 'ISNULL(' + Name + ',0) ' + Name )
FROM Metric WITH (NOLOCK)
ORDER BY ID

SELECT 
    @cols = COALESCE(@cols + ', ' + Name , Name )
FROM Metric WITH (NOLOCK)
ORDER BY ID

SET @SQL = 'SELECT ArchiveID, MetricDate, BoxID, GroupID, ID MetricID, MetricName, Value
            FROM 
               (SELECT ArchiveID, [Date] MetricDate, BoxID, GroupID,  ' + @dataCols + '
                FROM MetricData WITH (NOLOCK)
                INNER JOIN Archive WITH (NOLOCK)
                    ON ArchiveID = ID
                WHERE BoxID = ' + CONVERT(VARCHAR(40), @BoxID) + '
                AND GroupID = ' + CONVERT(VARCHAR(40), @GroupID) + ') p
            UNPIVOT
               (Value FOR MetricName IN 
                  (' + @cols + ')
            )AS unpvt
            INNER JOIN Metric WITH (NOLOCK)
                ON MetricName  = Name
            ORDER BY MetricID, MetricDate'

EXECUTE( @SQL )