Skip to main content
PYSPARK • LESSON 45

Fallback Default Values with otherwise()

How do we provide a default fallback value when a conditional when() branch evaluates to False?

Intermediate2 Minutes290 XP
🤔 THE QUESTION

How do we provide a default fallback value when a conditional when() branch evaluates to False?

💡 WHAT IS IT?

otherwise(defaultValue) completes a when() conditional expression by defining the fallback result.

🎯 WHAT IS IT USED FOR?

Preventing null values in categorical classifications and guaranteeing exhaustive business rules.

💻 EXAMPLE
from pyspark.sql.functions import col, when

df = df.withColumn(
    "tier",
    when(col("score") >= 90, "Platinum")
    .otherwise("Standard")
)

🎯 Mission Objectives

Practice typing production-grade PySpark code for Fallback Default Values with otherwise().

  • Chain otherwise() to when() branch
  • Define fallback categorical value
  • Eliminate null classification outputs