Question

A simple inner join

select * from table1 a
inner join 
dbo.table2 b
on a.inventory_id = b.inventory_id

Wouldn’t it be nice and intuitive to put it like this?

select * from table1 a
inner join 
dbo.table2 b
on inventory_id

Are there any comparable succinct approaches?

Thanks!

Answer 1

How about a natural join:

select *
from table1 a
natural join dbo.table2 b

However, your RDBMS may not support it, and I would recommend always specifying the join type and conditions in your queries. It’s much more maintainable in the long run.

I’m guessing from the dbo. that you’re using SQL Server though, and it’s not supported there. See here for more info.

Edit:
There’s another possibility that’s again not supported by SQL Server but is worth noting. This could actually be worth using, as your join condition is clearly specified. More info here.

select *
from table1
inner join dbo.table2 using (inventory_id)