SQL join: where clause vs. on clause

Question

After reading it, this is not a duplicate of Explicit vs Implicit SQL Joins. The answer may be related (or even the same) but the question is different.

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What is the difference and what should go in each?

If I understand the theory correctly, the query optimizer should be able to use both interchangeably.

Answer 1

• Does not matter for inner joins

• Matters for outer joins

  a. WHERE clause: After joining. Records will be filtered after join has taken place.

  b. ON clause - Before joining. Records (from right table) will be filtered before joining. This may end up as null in the result (since OUTER join).

Example: Consider the below tables:

    1. documents:
     | id    | name        |
     --------|-------------|
     | 1     | Document1   |
     | 2     | Document2   |
     | 3     | Document3   |
     | 4     | Document4   |
     | 5     | Document5   |


    2. downloads:
     | id   | document_id   | username |
     |------|---------------|----------|
     | 1    | 1             | sandeep  |
     | 2    | 1             | simi     |
     | 3    | 2             | sandeep  |
     | 4    | 2             | reya     |
     | 5    | 3             | simi     |

a) Inside WHERE clause:

  SELECT documents.name, downloads.id
    FROM documents
    LEFT OUTER JOIN downloads
      ON documents.id = downloads.document_id
    WHERE username = 'sandeep'

 For above query the intermediate join table will look like this.

    | id(from documents) | name         | id (from downloads) | document_id | username |
    |--------------------|--------------|---------------------|-------------|----------|
    | 1                  | Document1    | 1                   | 1           | sandeep  |
    | 1                  | Document1    | 2                   | 1           | simi     |
    | 2                  | Document2    | 3                   | 2           | sandeep  |
    | 2                  | Document2    | 4                   | 2           | reya     |
    | 3                  | Document3    | 5                   | 3           | simi     |
    | 4                  | Document4    | NULL                | NULL        | NULL     |
    | 5                  | Document5    | NULL                | NULL        | NULL     |

  After applying the `WHERE` clause and selecting the listed attributes, the result will be: 

   | name         | id |
   |--------------|----|
   | Document1    | 1  |
   | Document2    | 3  | 

b) Inside JOIN clause

  SELECT documents.name, downloads.id
  FROM documents
    LEFT OUTER JOIN downloads
      ON documents.id = downloads.document_id
        AND username = 'sandeep'

For above query the intermediate join table will look like this.

    | id(from documents) | name         | id (from downloads) | document_id | username |
    |--------------------|--------------|---------------------|-------------|----------|
    | 1                  | Document1    | 1                   | 1           | sandeep  |
    | 2                  | Document2    | 3                   | 2           | sandeep  |
    | 3                  | Document3    | NULL                | NULL        | NULL     |
    | 4                  | Document4    | NULL                | NULL        | NULL     |
    | 5                  | Document5    | NULL                | NULL        | NULL     |

Notice how the rows in `documents` that did not match both the conditions are populated with `NULL` values.

After Selecting the listed attributes, the result will be: 

   | name       | id   |
   |------------|------|
   |  Document1 | 1    |
   |  Document2 | 3    | 
   |  Document3 | NULL |
   |  Document4 | NULL | 
   |  Document5 | NULL | 

Answer 2

In terms of the optimizer, it shouldn't make a difference whether you define your join clauses with ON or WHERE.

However, IMHO, I think it's much clearer to use the ON clause when performing joins. That way you have a specific section of you query that dictates how the join is handled versus intermixed with the rest of the WHERE clauses.