Prefer primary keys and foreign keys over names or free-form text.
Section: Quick rules
Join on stable keys
sql
sql
Good: orders.customer_id = customers.customer_id
Risky: orders.customer_name = customers.nameExplanation
Keys are usually unique, indexed, and less error-prone than textual attributes.
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Same sheet · prioritizing Quick rules
Put right-side filters in ON when preserving outer rows
A `WHERE` clause can accidentally turn a left join into an inner join.
RIGHT JOIN
Keep all rows from the right table and match rows from the left when available.