sql server - SQL join format - nested inner joins

Question

I have the following SQL statement in a legacy system I'm refactoring. It is an abbreviated view for the purposes of this question, just returning count(*) for the time being.

SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM Table1 
    INNER JOIN Table2 
        INNER JOIN Table3 ON Table2.Key = Table3.Key AND Table2.Key2 = Table3.Key2 
    ON Table1.DifferentKey = Table3.DifferentKey

It is generating a very large number of records and killing the system, but could someone please explain the syntax? And can this be expressed in any other way?

• Table1 contains 419 rows
• Table2 contains 3374 rows
• Table3 contains 28182 rows

EDIT:

Suggested reformat

SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM Table1 
    INNER JOIN Table3
          ON Table1.DifferentKey = Table3.DifferentKey
    INNER JOIN Table2 
          ON Table2.Key = Table3.Key AND Table2.Key2 = Table3.Key2

Answer 1

For readability, I restructured the query... starting with the apparent top-most level being Table1, which then ties to Table3, and then table3 ties to table2. Much easier to follow if you follow the chain of relationships.

Now, to answer your question. You are getting a large count as the result of a Cartesian product. For each record in Table1 that matches in Table3 you will have X * Y. Then, for each match between table3 and Table2 will have the same impact... Y * Z... So your result for just one possible ID in table 1 can have X * Y * Z records.

This is based on not knowing how the normalization or content is for your tables... if the key is a PRIMARY key or not..

Ex:
Table 1       
DiffKey    Other Val
1          X
1          Y
1          Z

Table 3
DiffKey   Key    Key2  Tbl3 Other
1         2      6     V
1         2      6     X
1         2      6     Y
1         2      6     Z

Table 2
Key    Key2   Other Val
2      6      a
2      6      b
2      6      c
2      6      d
2      6      e

So, Table 1 joining to Table 3 will result (in this scenario) with 12 records (each in 1 joined with each in 3). Then, all that again times each matched record in table 2 (5 records)... total of 60 ( 3 tbl1 * 4 tbl3 * 5 tbl2 )count would be returned.

So, now, take that and expand based on your 1000's of records and you see how a messed-up structure could choke a cow (so-to-speak) and kill performance.

SELECT
      COUNT(*)
   FROM
      Table1 
         INNER JOIN Table3
            ON Table1.DifferentKey = Table3.DifferentKey
            INNER JOIN Table2
               ON Table3.Key =Table2.Key
               AND Table3.Key2 = Table2.Key2