> "INNER JOIN" + WHERE is how one does an equijoin. It works, it has always worked, and there is no other alternate specification." ANSI might have something to say about that. FROM ISO/IEC 9075. Section 7 (Query Expressions), Subsection 7.7: <joined table> ::= <cross join> | <qualified join> | <natural join> <cross join> ::= <table reference> CROSS JOIN <table factor> <qualified join> ::= { <table reference> | <partitioned join table> } [ <join type> ] JOIN { <table reference> | <partitioned join table> } <join specification> <partitioned join table> ::= <table factor> PARTITION BY <partitioned join column reference list> <partitioned join column reference list> ::= <left paren> <partitioned join column reference> [ { <comma> <partitioned join column reference> }... ] <right paren> <partitioned join column reference> ::= <column reference> <natural join> ::= { <table reference> | <partitioned join table> } NATURAL [ <join type> ] JOIN { <table factor> | <partitioned join table> } <join specification> ::= <join condition> | <named columns join> <join condition> ::= ON <search condition> <named columns join> ::= USING <left paren> <join column list> <right paren> <join type> ::= INNER | <outer join type> [ OUTER ] <outer join type> ::= LEFT | RIGHT | FULL <join column list> ::= <column name list>