In SQL, what keyword is used before specifying a list of elements to be returned?

In SQL, what keyword is used before specifying a list of elements to be returned?

• A. RETRIEVE
• B. RETURN
• C. SELECT
• D. FETCH

Answer: (C)

The keyword used before specifying a list of elements to be returned in SQL is "SELECT." This keyword is fundamental to querying databases, as it indicates to the SQL engine that you intend to retrieve data from one or more tables. When you use "SELECT," you can define what specific columns or fields you want to include in your results, along with applying various conditions, sorting options, or even joining multiple tables. The syntax generally follows the format of "SELECT column1, column2 FROM table_name", where you replace "column1" and "column2" with the actual names of the columns you wish to retrieve. In contrast, the other options do not serve this purpose within SQL. "RETRIEVE" and "RETURN" are not valid SQL keywords used for selecting data; they do not signal the beginning of a query. "FETCH" is typically used in the context of cursor operations to retrieve rows one at a time from a set of results, but it cannot be used to initiate a selection of data directly. Thus, "SELECT" is the correct and essential keyword for specifying the data you want to return in a SQL query.

The keyword used before specifying a list of elements to be returned in SQL is "SELECT." This keyword is fundamental to querying databases, as it indicates to the SQL engine that you intend to retrieve data from one or more tables.

When you use "SELECT," you can define what specific columns or fields you want to include in your results, along with applying various conditions, sorting options, or even joining multiple tables. The syntax generally follows the format of "SELECT column1, column2 FROM table_name", where you replace "column1" and "column2" with the actual names of the columns you wish to retrieve.

In contrast, the other options do not serve this purpose within SQL. "RETRIEVE" and "RETURN" are not valid SQL keywords used for selecting data; they do not signal the beginning of a query. "FETCH" is typically used in the context of cursor operations to retrieve rows one at a time from a set of results, but it cannot be used to initiate a selection of data directly. Thus, "SELECT" is the correct and essential keyword for specifying the data you want to return in a SQL query.