LEFT JOIN is the same LEFT [OUTER] JOIN, just simply outer keyword ommited. There is only one inner join, not left or right inner joins. I have written an article about join types here http://www.gplivna.eu/papers/sql_join_types.htm Unfortunately the site is down just now, I've already contacted provider, but one can access this article for example from google cache: http://209.85.129.132/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.gplivna.eu%2Fpapers%2Fsql_join_types.htm Gints Plivna http://www.gplivna.eu 2009/9/23 Charles Schultz <sacrophyte@xxxxxxxxx>: > Good day, list, > Not sure if this is an Oracle bug or a feature; under OSEE 10.2.0.2 on RHEL4 > I have an ANSI "LEFT JOIN" that Oracle is turning into an OUTER JOIN. Any > idea why? I am having a hard time getting the optimizer to force a INNER > join without changing the query (stinking db-agnostic vendors *grin*). > NOTE: I do not know ANSI SQL all that well, but from what I have read, INNER > joins are implied unless OUTER joins are explicitly stated. -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l