Question

Which of the following is a reason for using the explicit syntax instead of the implicit syntax for joins? The explicit syntax:

1) is easier to read and understand
2) is the only syntax supported by SQL Server
3) combines the join and filtering conditions in the ON clause
4) is older and has been used in all versions of SQL Server

Answer 1

The explicit syntax for joins is preferred for its clarity in separating join conditions from filtering conditions, though both explicit and implicit syntaxes are supported in SQL Server. Correct answer is 2) is the only syntax supported by SQL Server.

Step-by-step explanation:

One of the reasons for using the explicit syntax instead of the implicit syntax for joins in SQL is that the explicit syntax combines the join and filtering conditions in the ON clause. This can make the SQL statement easier to read and understand because it clearly separates the join conditions from the where filter conditions.

While it's true that the explicit syntax may improve readability, the claim that explicit syntax is the only syntax supported by SQL Server is incorrect, as SQL Server supports both explicit and implicit join syntaxes. Moreover, the explicit syntax is not inherently older; both explicit and implicit joins have been used in SQL Server, and modern SQL best practices recommend using explicit join syntax for clarity. So, the correct answer is 2) is the only syntax supported by SQL Server.