SQL CROSS JOIN

A CROSS JOIN returns every possible combination of rows from two tables.
It’s called a Cartesian product – no ON clause is required.

🔹 Basic Syntax

SELECT *
FROM table1
CROSS JOIN table2;

🔹 Example: All Product and Region Combinations

SELECT
  p.product_name,
  r.region_name
FROM products p
CROSS JOIN regions r;

✅ If there are 5 products and 3 regions, you get 5 × 3 = 15 rows – every combination.

🔹 Use Cases

  • Generate all combinations (e.g., size × color)
  • Testing and simulations
  • Matrix-style reports

⚠️ Caution

CROSS JOIN can return very large results if the tables are big. Use it carefully.

🧠 Quick Recap

Key PointExplanation
CROSS JOINReturns all combinations of rows from both tables
Output sizeMultiplies row counts (rows_A × rows_B)
No ON clauseDoesn’t need a join condition
Use casesAll pairings, simulations, exhaustive comparisons

💡 Use CROSS JOIN when you need every combination of two sets