Explicitly names the query outline to be used with the select expression even if the outline ID for the select expression and for the outline are different. The following example is the query used to create an outline named WOMENS_DEGREES: SQL> SELECT E.LAST_NAME, E.EMPLOYEE_ID, D.DEGREE, D.DEGREE_FIELD, D.YEAR_GIVEN cont> FROM EMPLOYEES E, DEGREES D WHERE E.SEX = 'F' cont> AND E.EMPLOYEE_ID = D.EMPLOYEE_ID cont> ORDER BY LAST_NAME By using the OPTIMIZE USING clause and specifying the WOMENS_ DEGREES outline, you can ensure that Oracle Rdb attempts to use the WOMENS_DEGREES outline to execute a query even if the query is slightly different as shown in the following example: SQL> SELECT E.LAST_NAME, E.EMPLOYEE_ID, D.DEGREE, D.DEGREE_FIELD, D.YEAR_GIVEN cont> FROM EMPLOYEES E, DEGREES D WHERE E.SEX = 'F' cont> AND E.EMPLOYEE_ID = D.EMPLOYEE_ID cont> ORDER BY LAST_NAME cont> LIMIT TO 10 ROWS cont> OPTIMIZE USING WOMENS_DEGREES; ~S: Outline WOMENS_DEGREES used <-- the query uses the WOMENS_DEGREES outline . . . E.LAST_NAME E.EMPLOYEE_ID D.DEGREE D.DEGREE_FIELD D.YEAR_GIVEN Boyd 00244 MA Elect. Engrg. 1982 Boyd 00244 PhD Applied Math 1979 Brown 00287 BA Arts 1982 Brown 00287 MA Applied Math 1979 Clarke 00188 BA Arts 1983 Clarke 00188 MA Applied Math 1976 Clarke 00196 BA Arts 1978 Clinton 00235 MA Applied Math 1975 Clinton 00201 BA Arts 1973 Clinton 00201 MA Applied Math 1978 10 rows selected See the CREATE OUTLINE statement for more information on creating an outline.