MySQL CASE when SELECT - mysql

Question

I have the following query:
SELECT CASE WHEN `def_spell`.`type` = 0 THEN `spells_damage`.*
WHEN `def_spell`.`type` = 1 THEN `spells_weaken`.*
END
FROM `def_spell`
LEFT JOIN `spells_damage` ON `def_spell`.`id` = `spells_damage`.`spell_id`
LEFT JOIN `spells_weaken` ON `def_spell`.`id` = `spells_weaken`.`spell_id`
WHERE `def_spell`.`id` = 1;
Hopefully that makes sense... I'm basically trying to select everything from spells_damage providing type is 0 and everything from spells_weaken providing type is 1.
I'd also like to select everything from def_spell regardless.
Can someone please fix the query? I've never used cases like this before and not sure how to.

Answer 1

You can't use a CASE to choose between the output of the two tables like that.
Unfortunately, that's the easy bit; working out (a) what you're trying to do and (b) achieving an equivalent result is going to take a little longer.
It would be easier if you gave us information about the columns in the Spells_Weaken and Spells_Damage table. Presumably, there are some differences; otherwise, you'd have a single table. Indeed, a single Spells table might still be a better design.
Let's put doubts aside. Assuming that the Spells_Weaken and Spells_Damage tables are UNION-compatible, you can use a UNION to achieve the result:
SELECT s.*, d.*
FROM def_spell AS s
LEFT JOIN spells_damage AS d ON s.id = d.spell_id
WHERE s.type = 0
AND s.id = 1
UNION
SELECT s.*, w.*
FROM def_spell AS s
LEFT JOIN spells_weaken AS w ON s.id = w.spell_id
WHERE s.type = 1
AND s.id = 1;

Answer 2

You won't be able to do that. You will need to either split it into two queries, or manually specify each of the columns with the CASE statement.
SELECT CASE WHEN a.`type` = 0 THEN b.col1
WHEN a.`type` = 1 THEN c.col1
END AS col1
, CASE WHEN a.`type` = 0 THEN b.col2
WHEN a.`type` = 1 THEN c.col2
END AS col2
FROM `def_spell` a
LEFT JOIN `spells_damage` b ON a.`id` = b.`spell_id`
LEFT JOIN `spells_weaken` c ON a.`id` = c.`spell_id`
WHERE a.`id` = 1;