Varun Sagar

Theegala

TOP 10
PRACTICAL TIPS
TO
ENHANCE
SQL JOINS &
SUB-QUERIES
 Varun Sagar
Theegala

Efficient use of JOINs and

subqueries is key to writing high-
performance SQL.

Mastering the right techniques

reduces query time and
complexity, while knowing when to
use INNER, LEFT, or RIGHT JOINs
and manage subqueries optimizes
query speed and accuracy.
 Varun Sagar
Theegala

LET’S VISIT 10 TIPS TO NOTE

WHEN USING JOINS & SUB-QUERIES
 #1
Use INNER JOIN for
Matching Data

WHAT IT IS ?
Retrieve rows that match in both tables.

WHY IT MATTERS ?
INNER JOIN is the most efficient for filtering
matching data, ensuring only relevant rows
are returned.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT ?
Use INNER JOIN to retrieve data where both
tables have matching rows.

Varun Sagar
Theegala
 LET’S WORK WITH AN
EXAMPLE

BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION

AFTER IMPLEMENTATION

Varun Sagar
Varun Sagar
Theegala
Theegala
 #2
Use LEFT JOIN for
Non-Matching Data
WHAT IT IS ?
Return all rows from the left table, even if
there’s no match.

WHY IT MATTERS ?
LEFT JOIN helps you find missing or
unmatched data, providing a full dataset
even when no match exists.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT ?
Use LEFT JOIN when you need all records
from the left table, regardless of matches.

Varun Sagar
Theegala
 LET’S WORK WITH AN
EXAMPLE

BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION

AFTER IMPLEMENTATION

Varun Sagar
Varun Sagar
Theegala
Theegala
 #3
Avoid Subqueries
When a JOIN Will Do
WHAT IT IS ?
Replace subqueries with JOINs whenever
possible.

WHY IT MATTERS ?
JOINs are generally faster than subqueries,
reducing the query’s complexity and
improving performance.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT ?
Convert subqueries to JOIN when data
retrieval can be done with a simple match.

Varun Sagar
Theegala
 LET’S WORK WITH AN
EXAMPLE

BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION

AFTER IMPLEMENTATION

Varun Sagar
Varun Sagar
Theegala
Theegala
 #4
Use LATERAL for
Row-by-Row Joins
WHAT IT IS ?
Use LATERAL for table-valued functions or
row-wise complex joins.

WHY IT MATTERS ?
LATERAL executes row-by-row, making it
ideal when each row depends on a subquery
or function, giving more granular results.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT ?
Implement LATERAL to join the result of a
row-wise subquery or table function.

Varun Sagar
Theegala
f
 LET’S WORK WITH AN
EXAMPLE
BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION

AFTER IMPLEMENTATION

Varun Sagar
Varun Sagar
Theegala
Theegala
 #5
Use RIGHT JOIN
Sparingly
WHAT IT IS ?
Return all rows from the right table, with
matching rows from the left.

WHY IT MATTERS ?
RIGHT JOIN can often be less intuitive, and
LEFT JOIN provides the same result with
better readability, making queries easier to
maintain.

HOW TO OPTIMISE ?
Default to LEFT JOIN unless there’s a clear
use case for RIGHT JOIN.

Varun Sagar
Theegala
 LET’S WORK WITH AN
EXAMPLE

BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION

AFTER IMPLEMENTATION

Varun Sagar
Varun Sagar
Theegala
Theegala
 #6
Avoid Cartesian
Products in JOINs
WHAT IT IS ?
Prevent accidental cross joins that result in
all possible row combinations.

WHY IT MATTERS ?
Cross joins without conditions can return
huge datasets, significantly slowing
performance and yielding irrelevant data.

HOW TO OPTIMISE ?
Include an ON condition with your joins to
avoid unintentional Cartesian products.

Varun Sagar
Theegala
 LET’S WORK WITH AN
EXAMPLE

BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION

AFTER IMPLEMENTATION

Varun Sagar
Varun Sagar
Theegala
Theegala
 #7
Use Aliases in JOINs
for Clarity
WHAT IT IS ?
Use clear aliases for table names in joins.

WHY IT MATTERS ?
Meaningful aliases improve readability,
especially in complex queries with multiple
tables, making it easier to understand and
maintain.

HOW TO OPTIMISE ?
Assign meaningful aliases to your table
names, avoiding single-letter aliases.

Varun Sagar
Theegala
 LET’S WORK WITH AN
EXAMPLE

BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION

AFTER IMPLEMENTATION

Varun Sagar
Varun Sagar
Theegala
Theegala
 #8
Avoid Subqueries in
SELECT Clauses
WHAT IT IS ?
Avoid use subqueries for column or case-
whens inside the SELECT statement.

WHY IT MATTERS ?
Subqueries in SELECT can increase
complexity and execution time, making the
query harder to read and less efficient.

HOW TO OPTIMISE ?
Use joins or Common Table Expressions
(CTEs) to refactor subqueries in the SELECT
clause.

Varun Sagar
Theegala
 LET’S WORK WITH AN
EXAMPLE

BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION

AFTER IMPLEMENTATION

Varun Sagar
Varun Sagar
Theegala
Theegala
 #9
Be Mindful of
NULLs in Joins
WHAT IT IS ?
Handle NULL values carefully when joining
to pul fields from other tables

WHY IT MATTERS ?
NULL values can lead to unexpected results
in joins, causing issues in filtering,
calculations, and data interpretation.

HOW TO OPTIMISE ?
Use COALESCE() or ISNULL() to replace
NULLs in your result set.

Varun Sagar
Theegala
 LET’S WORK WITH AN
EXAMPLE

BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION

AFTER IMPLEMENTATION

Varun Sagar
Varun Sagar
Theegala
Theegala
 #10
Optimize Performance
by Indexed JOIN fields
WHAT IT IS ?
Index columns that are frequently used in
join conditions.

WHY IT MATTERS ?
Indexes significantly improve join
performance by speeding up the retrieval of
matched rows, especially in large datasets.

HOW TO OPTIMISE ?
Add indexes to commonly joined columns,
ensuring faster query execution.

Varun Sagar
Theegala
 LET’S WORK WITH AN
EXAMPLE

BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION

AFTER IMPLEMENTATION

Varun Sagar
Varun Sagar
Theegala
Theegala
 TL;DR:
1. Use INNER JOIN for matching rows.
2. Use LEFT JOIN to preserve unmatched rows.
3. Avoid subqueries when JOIN suffices.
4. Use LATERAL for row-wise operations.
5. Use RIGHT JOIN sparingly; prefer LEFT.
6. Avoid Cartesian products with ON conditions.
7. Use meaningful aliases for table names.
8. Minimize subqueries in SELECT clauses.
9. Handle NULLs carefully in JOINs.
10. Index JOIN columns for performance.

VARUN SAGAR
THEEGALA
 REMEMBER

Efficiently handling JOINs and

subqueries ensures your SQL
queries remain fast, scalable,
and easy to read.

By using the correct type of

JOIN and avoiding subquery
pitfalls, you’ll write better SQL
code that enhances
performance and reduces
resource consumption.

Varun Sagar
Theegala
 Varun Sagar
Theegala

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