join

An SQL JOIN clause combines records from two or more tables in a database.[1] It creates a set that can be saved as a table or used as is. A JOIN is a means for combining fields from two tables by using values common to each. ANSI standard SQL specifies four types of JOINs: INNER, OUTER, LEFT, and RIGHT. In special cases, a table (base table, view, or joined table) can JOIN to itself in a self-join.

A programmer writes a JOIN predicate to identify the records for joining. If the evaluated predicate is true the combined record is then produced in the expected format, for example a record set or a temporary table.