Final answer:
The USING clause in SQL allows you to join tables based on a column with the same name and definition in both tables. It simplifies the join process by not requiring you to specify the columns individually.
Step-by-step explanation:
The USING clause in SQL allows you to join tables based on a column with the same name and definition in both tables. It is used when the column names and definitions are identical in the tables being joined. This simplifies the join process as you don't need to specify the columns individually. For example:
SELECT * FROM table1
JOIN table2 USING (column_name);
The USING clause cannot be used to join tables based on a column with different names or different definitions in both tables. In those cases, you would need to use the ON clause to specify the columns individually.
So, the correct answer is 1) Join tables based on a column with the same name and definition in both tables.