Typically if you ever have DB developers managing tables or if your data layer is truly separate from your other layers, then in theory, your tables could change (i.e., someone could add more columns that you *don't* need) at any time. If you were using select *, then you will retrieve unnecessary columns without knowing it.
Additionally, I believe it's faster for the SQL engines to parse explicit column names instead of *. It's also more readable for someone else to explicitly know what is being retrieved in a query when debugging or examining code. Ryan, Terrence wrote: > I have a dumb question. Can someone point me to a definitive explanation > of why select * in SQL is bad? > > I've found this : http://www.adopenstatic.com/faq/selectstarisbad.asp > but I don't thing it effectively counters the argument "But I need all > of the columns in the table." > > Mind you, that I'm not looking for convincing for myself, rather I'm > doing a code review, and want to be have a stronger footing for saying: > "Get rid of the select *'s." > > Terrence Ryan > Senior Systems Programmer > Wharton Computing and Information Technology > E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Introducing the Fusion Authority Quarterly Update. 80 pages of hard-hitting, up-to-date ColdFusion information by your peers, delivered to your door four times a year. http://www.fusionauthority.com/quarterly Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/message.cfm/forumid:4/messageid:246101 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4
