Multiple join types for a query

Even though multiple join types (inner, left outer, right outer, left exception, and right exception) can be specified in the query using the JOIN syntax, the iSeries™ Licensed Internal Code can only support one join type of inner, left outer, or left exception join type for the entire query. This requires the optimizer to determine what the overall join type for the query should be and to reorder files to achieve the correct semantics.

Note: This section does not apply to SQE or OPNQRYF.

The optimizer will evaluate the join criteria along with any row selection that may be specified in order to determine the join type for each dial and for the entire query. Once this information is known the optimizer will generate additional selection using the relative row number of the tables to simulate the different types of joins that may occur within the query.

Since null values are returned for any unmatched rows for either a left outer or an exception join, any isolatable selection specified for that dial, including any additional join criteria that may be specified in the WHERE clause, will cause all of the unmatched rows to be eliminated (unless the selection is for an IS NULL predicate). This will cause the join type for that dial to be changed to an inner join (or an exception join) if the IS NULL predicate was specified.

In the following example a left outer join is specified between the tables EMPLOYEE and DEPARTMENT. In the WHERE clause there are two selection predicates that also apply to the DEPARTMENT table.

    SELECT EMPNO, LASTNAME, DEPTNAME, PROJNO
     FROM CORPDATA.EMPLOYEE XXX LEFT OUTER JOIN CORPDATA.DEPARTMENT YYY
             ON XXX.WORKDEPT = YYY.DEPTNO
           LEFT OUTER JOIN CORPDATA.PROJECT ZZZ
             ON XXX.EMPNO = ZZZ.RESPEMP
     WHERE XXX.EMPNO = YYY.MGRNO AND
             YYY.DEPTNO IN ('A00', 'D01', 'D11', 'D21', 'E11')

The first selection predicate, XXX.EMPNO = YYY.MGRNO, is an additional join condition that will be added to the join criteria and evaluated as an "inner join" join condition. The second is an isolatable selection predicate that will eliminate any unmatched rows. Either one of these selection predicates will cause the join type for the DEPARTMENT table to be changed from a left outer join to an inner join.

Even though the join between the EMPLOYEE and the DEPARTMENT table was changed to an inner join the entire query will still need to remain a left outer join to satisfy the join condition for the PROJECT table.

Note: Care must be taken when specifying multiple join types since they are supported by appending selection to the query for any unmatched rows. This means that the number of resulting rows that satisfy the join criteria can become quite large before any selection is applied that will either select or omit the unmatched rows based on that individual dial's join type.