Syntax options: JOIN BY CROSS JOIN BY MATCH JOIN BY ANY METHOD Specifies the method with which two data sources should be joined. The following table lists the valid methods. Method Meaning CROSS Indicates that a cross strategy should be used MATCH Indicates that a match strategy should be used ANY METHOD Indicates that the optimizer can choose any method to join the two data sources NOTE The match join strategy requires that an equivalent join column exist between the inner and outer context of the join order. If the query for which the outline is created does not have an equivalent join column, then the optimizer cannot use the match join strategy specified in the outline. There is no default join method.