Search code examples
sqloperatorssql-server-2000

SQL Server *= operator

I came across some code with this *= operator in a WHERE clause and I have only found one thing that described it as some sort of join operator for Sybase DB. It didn't really seem to apply. I thought it was some sort of bitwise thing (which I do not know much about) but it isn't contained in this reference at all.

When I change it to a normal = operator it doesn't change the result set at all.

The exact query looks like this:

select distinct 
       table1.char8_column1,
       table1.char8_column2,
       table2.char8_column3,
       table2.smallint_column
from   table1, table2
where  table1.char8_column1 *= table2.another_char8_column

Does anyone know of a reference for this or can shed some light on it? This is in SQL Server 2000.

Solution

  • Kill the deprecated syntax if you can, but:

    *= (LEFT JOIN)

=* (RIGHT JOIN)