---
title: "Columns that Contain a Null Value By Default | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: "fresh2019may"
ms.date: "05/22/2019"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: "database-engine"
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.technology: xml
ms.topic: conceptual
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "columns [XML in SQL Server], null default value"
ms.assetid: 9381c07f-6887-4a62-9730-32661f9aa87c
author: MightyPen
ms.author: genemi
---
# Columns that Contain a Null Value By Default

[!INCLUDE[appliesto-ss-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md](../../includes/appliesto-ss-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md.md)]

By default, a null value in a column maps to the absence of the attribute, node, or element. This default behavior can be overridden by using the ELEMENTS XSINIL keyword phrase. This phrase requests element-centric XML. This means that null values are explicitly indicated in the returned results. These elements will have no value.

The ELEMENTS XSINIL phrase is shown in the following Transact-SQL SELECT example.

```sql
SELECT EmployeeID as "@EmpID",   
       FirstName  as "EmpName/First",   
       MiddleName as "EmpName/Middle",   
       LastName   as "EmpName/Last"  
FROM   HumanResources.Employee E, Person.Contact C  
WHERE  E.EmployeeID = C.ContactID  
  AND  E.EmployeeID=1
FOR XML PATH, ELEMENTS XSINIL;
```  
  
 The following shows the result. Note that if XSINIL is not specified, the <`Middle`> element will be absent.  
  
```xml
<row xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" EmpID="1">  
  <EmpName>  
    <First>Gustavo</First>  
    <Middle xsi:nil="true" />  
    <Last>Achong</Last>  
  </EmpName>  
</row>  
```  
  
## See Also  
 [Use PATH Mode with FOR XML](../../relational-databases/xml/use-path-mode-with-for-xml.md)