Understanding SQL Joins - Meeting The Family
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Before we begin, I'd like to introduce you to the three tables I'll be using in this tutorial. Say hello to table "a".
+----+------+
| a1 | a2 |
+----+------+
| 10 | u |
| 20 | v |
| 30 | w |
| 40 | x |
| 50 | y |
| 60 | z |
+----+------+
6 rows in set (0.05 sec)
Next up, drop by table "b",
+----+------+
| b1 | b2 |
+----+------+
| 10 | p |
| 20 | q |
+----+------+
2 rows in set (0.06 sec)
Finally, last but not least, table "c".
+-----+------+
| c1 | c2 |
+-----+------+
| 90 | m |
| 100 | n |
| 110 | o |
+-----+------+
3 rows in set (0.05 sec)
As you can see, I spent a lot of time naming them, so I expect you to be properly appreciative of my efforts.
These tables have been constructed in MySQL 4.x, a free (and very powerful) open-source RDBMS. Due to differences in capabilities, the techniques outlined in this article may not work on other RDBMS; you should refer to the documentation that comes with each system for accurate syntax.
I've deliberately kept these tables simple, so that you have as little difficulty as possible understanding the examples. At a later stage, once the basic joins are clear to you, I'll replace these simple tables with more complex, real-world representations, so that you understand some of the more arcane applications of joins.
Next: Keeping It Simple >>
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