Syntax Question

[csomberg]

SQL Server 2000

When joining tables, some use:
AliasTableName.ColumnName = AliasTableName.Column
while others use
LEFT/RIGHT etc JOIN .......

Is one better than the other in cases where the join is a simple JOIN
of equality ?

Curious ...

Thanks,

Craig

[David Portas]

In a WHERE clause your first example would perform an INNER JOIN
whereas LEFT and RIGHT are keywords for OUTER JOINs. So these are not
equivalent at all.

For INNER joins either put the criteria in the WHERE clause or use the
FROM ... INNER ... ON syntax. The choice mainly comes down to personal
preference and coding style within your organization.

For OUTER joins always use the { { LEFT | RIGHT | FULL } [OUTER] } JOIN
syntax. Avoid the obsolete *= / =*, which has some problems and
limitations and won't be fully supported in future.

--
David Portas
SQL Server MVP
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