Writing SQL Queries: Can You Have 2 Efficient Solutions?

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SUMMARY

Two SQL queries can indeed produce the same result while differing in efficiency. The discussion highlights that using "SELECT *" retrieves all fields, which can be slower compared to a targeted query like "SELECT `field`", which only fetches necessary data. This principle emphasizes the importance of optimizing SQL queries for performance, particularly in database environments. Additionally, factors such as the number of fields queried and runtime considerations play a significant role in query efficiency.

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Chromium
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I just have a general question that I came up with while doing homework for my database class. I was asked to write a specific query, and when I checked my answer against the posted solutions, it was different. I don't know that much SQL (yet), but I'm pretty sure that my query would produce the result as the given solution. I'm thinking that the solution is just an optimized query. So my question is: Can you have two SQL queries that produce the same result, while one is more efficient/optimized than the other? I just want to know if I'm on the right track regarding the comparison between the two queries.
 
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Yes, very much so. Less fields you use to search your query, the faster it is. One query can uses "Select *..." and another query uses "Select `field`...". The one that retrieves the certain field, will run faster. There also can be other factors that deal with a run-time.
 

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