Right Join - SQL

In SQL, a right join, also known as a right outer join, is a type of join operation used to combine rows from two tables based on a related column, returning all rows from the right table (the second table specified in the JOIN clause) and the matched rows from the left table (the first table specified in the JOIN clause). If there is no match found in the left table, NULL values are included for the columns from the left table.

SELECT columns
FROM table1
RIGHT JOIN table2
ON table1.column = table2.column;

Where

• columns: Represents the columns to be retrieved from the tables.
• table1 and table2: Specifies the tables to be joined.
• RIGHT JOIN: Indicates that all rows from the right table (table2) will be returned, along with matching rows from the left table (table1).
• ON: Specifies the join condition, which establishes the relationship between the tables based on the specified columns.

Consider two tables, "orders" and "customers," where you want to retrieve all orders and their corresponding customer information. Some orders may not be associated with any customer.

SELECT orders.order_id, customers.customer_name
FROM orders
RIGHT JOIN customers
ON orders.customer_id = customers.customer_id;

In this query, the RIGHT JOIN ensures that all rows from the "customers" table are included in the result set, even if there is no matching row in the "orders" table. If an order is not associated with any customer, the order-related columns will contain NULL values.

Conclusion

In SQL, a right join is a useful tool for combining data from multiple tables based on a related column while ensuring that all rows from the secondary table are included in the result set. By understanding its syntax and behavior, SQL developers can effectively utilize right joins to handle various data retrieval and analysis tasks.