Does it make much difference if I use in either of the following in a WHERE clause:
WHERE [Process Code] = 1 AND ([Material ID] = 'PLT' OR [Material ID] = 'BMI')
--or
WHERE [Process Code] = 1 AND [Material ID] IN ('PLT', 'BMI')
Would there be a time I would use one instead of the other?
In the example you’ve provided, they’re doing the exact same thing (they will result in the same execution plan). However, with the latter syntax (besides being more terse) you can do this: