Re: newbie query (decode) experts opinion wanted ;)

"Daniel A. Morgan" <damorgan_at_exesolutions.com> wrote in message news:<3C4D5CAD.34CCC41D_at_exesolutions.com>...
> I don't have a lot of time to look at this right now but my first thought would
> be ... what do you mean by a.*,
>
> Did you mean SELECT a.*, b.*
>
> Knowing whether you are retrieving data form 'b' would change my answer.
>
> Daniel Morgan
>
>
> oranewbie wrote:
>
> > I would like some input on if this query, that I've written, is the
> > best way to go about things. I thought perhaps inclusion of a decode
> > statement might make things run faster, but I'm not sure. Thanks.
> >

> > opinions?

Actually a.* means that I'm getting everything from the table1 that satisfies the query. I have added the other fields that I want to get from table2 to make it more clearer.   

a.*, b.test_score_min, b.test_score_max, b.department_flag

     from   table1 a,
            table2 b
           where
           ( a.employee_num = b.employee_num and a.test_id = 1 and
            a.employee_num = 'SA' and ((a.test_score >=
b.test_score_min
            and a.test_score < b.test_score_max) or
           (a.test_score >= b.test_score_min and b.test_score_max is
null ) )
           and (case when b.department_flag is null then '1'
           when b.department_flag = 'Y' and  a.department_flag = 'Y'
                      then '1'
                      when b.department_flag = 'N' and
a.department_flag = 'N'
                      then '1'
                      else ' ' end ) = '1')