How do you force the order?

I have two tables that I am joining, both are about the same size, but I am naming them below as large and small because when the where is applied to the JUST the large table, it returns a large set, when the where is applied to the small table, it returns a small set.

SELECT *
FROM small, large
where small.a = large.a and
small.b = '1' and
large.b = '2';

What I want to do it tell oracle to do the where for the small table first, because it is going to limit the number of rows dramatically, then i want it to take that set and do the where on the large table (which now is a set of only a few rows)

To clarify, I don't want the large.b = '2' to limit rows until after small.b = '1' limits the rows. do I have to write the select like this?

SELECT * FROM large
where large.a IN (Select a from small where small.b = '1') and large.b = '2'

Does this make sense? Basically, I have SQL statement that is slow because it is comparing several columns from an entire table instead of comparing them to a set of rows limited by a join.

Thanks. Received on Sun Dec 12 1999 - 12:24:38 CST