Re: Outer Join Syntax

My mind must work the wrong way round:

    a.c = b.c(+)
tells me "intuitively" that I am ADDing a spurious null row to table B that will match any row in A. B is the deficient table that is 'causing' my problem, so I add something to it.

Whereas with

    select ... from a left outer join b on a.c = b.c I find it very hard to remember that I am using a LEFT join because the table on the RIGHT has lost some data ;(

(I would be cautious about making comments about 'sticking the plus sign on the right side of the equals' - some people right their predicate back to front, viz: b.c(+) = a.c)

--
Jonathan Lewis
http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk

Next Seminars
        UK            July / Sept
        Australia      July / August
        Malaysia        September
        USA (MI)        November
http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk/seminar.html

Howard J. Rogers wrote in message ...


>In other words, you stick the plus on precisely the wrong side of the join.

>

>If it's a left outer join, stick the plus sign on the right side of the "="

>test.

>

>If it's a right outer join, stick it on the left side.

>

>Highly intuitive, I think you'll agree.

>

>Regards

>HJR

>

>

>"Raphael Ploix" <raphael.ploix_at_threex.co.uk> wrote in message

>news:3d10822b$0$8514$ed9e5944_at_reading.news.pipex.net...

>> left outer joins work like this:

>>

>> select ... from a left outer join b on a.c = b.c

>>

>> is equivalent to

>>

>> select ... from a, b where a.c = b.c(+)

>>

>> table b is the 'optional' data in both cases: (+) in Oracle SQL, left

>outer

>> join in ANSI.

>>

>> Hope this helps.

>>

>> Raphael

>>

>>

>>