It might be more efficient to do something like ... Select <col> From tab1, tab2 Where tab1.id = tab2.id And tab1.datefield between tab2.datefield) - 5/86400 and tab2.datefield) + 5/86400 ----- Original Message ---- From: "Bobak, Mark" <Mark.Bobak@xxxxxxxxxxxx> To: "ricks12345@xxxxxxxxx" <ricks12345@xxxxxxxxx>; "oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 2:41:34 PM Subject: RE: anyone know how to do a join where the data can be different How about: Select <col> From tab1, tab2 Where tab1.id = tab2.id And abs(tab1.datefield-tab2.datefield) <= 5/86400; -Mark -- Mark J. Bobak Senior Database Administrator, System & Product Technologies ProQuest 789 E. Eisenhower, Parkway, P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor MI 48106-1346 +1.734.997.4059 or +1.800.521.0600 x 4059 mark.bobak@xxxxxxxxxxxx www.proquest.com www.csa.com ProQuest...Start here. From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Rick Ricky Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 2:32 PM To: oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: anyone know how to do a join where the data can be different I have two different data sets. They come from two different feeds. I have an ID field that I can join on that is the same in both. However, I have a date field in each. Here is the catch, the dates can be up to 5 second apart. So I have select <col> from tab1, tab2 where tab1.id = tab2.id and tab1.datefield is with in 5 seconds of tab2.datefield anyone know a way to do this without a lot of complex pl/sql?