Sql "*=" Operator

Possible Duplicate: Transact-SQL shorthand join syntax? I ran across a T-SQL script that does something like this in the where clause: ... where o.obj_code *= c.prv_code I can'

Solution 1:

Deprecated Outer Join syntax. In on the list of Deprecated Engine Features:

Use of *= and =* Use ANSI join syntax. For more information, see FROM (Transact-SQL).

Solution 2:

It's an old way to do outer joins. Here's an article that explains in more detail.

Solution 3:

It is old non-ANSI outer join syntax. Don't use it. Heres and MSDN reference.

Solution 4:

*= is an old way to do left outer joins that came from Oracle. I found a mention to it in the SQL Server docs once as something they highly recommended not doing.

Here's some info on it from MS:

Transact-SQL Joins

Solution 5:

That's the old syntax for a left outer join, and was deprecated from SQL Server 2005 upwards.