Joins: Table aliases are NOT required!

• David Walker-278941

  Ten Centuries

  Points: 1064

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  August 14, 2009 at 10:05 am

  #209423

  Why does everyone think that table aliases are a necessary part of the syntax? They are not.

  SELECT Emp.Empid, Emp.EmpFirstName, Emp.EmpLastName, Dept.DepartmentName

  FROM Employee Emp

  INNER JOIN Department dept

  ON Emp.Departmentid=Dept.Departmenttid

  It's easier to read this as:

  SELECT Employee.Empid, Employee.EmpFirstName, Employee.EmpLastName, Department.DepartmentName

  FROM Employee

  INNER JOIN Department

  ON Employee.Departmentid=Department.Departmenttid

  Some people will complain about "all the typing". However, I don't believe for one second that the speed of writing SQL code is constrained by HOW FAST you can type. It's how fast you can design and think that is the limiting factor! Besides, copy and paste are your friends.

  The next thing you know, you'll be using one-letter table aliases, even in complex queries, and then the code is VERY hard to read later on. Table aliases are SOMETIMES required, but not in simple joins like this. PLEASE don't teach people in "SQL 101" to use table aliases in simple joins. Code readability is far too important. Please!

  David Walker