Which join types are available in a Join node of a calculation view?

In a Join node of a calculation view within SAP HANA, various join types are utilized to combine data from different sources based on specific conditions. The most commonly used join type in this context is the referential join. This type is particularly effective for linking dimension tables to fact tables based on primary key and foreign key relationships, ensuring data integrity and consistency when accessing related data.

Referential joins are often preferred due to their efficiency and ease of understanding in a star schema or snowflake schema design, where keeping the data model normalized is essential. They enable the user to create a more straightforward and efficient query path while leveraging the defined relationships between tables, which can enhance both performance and usability in complex data extraction scenarios.

The other join types, while available in different contexts or specific use cases, do not generally apply within a standard calculation view's Join node in the same primary way as referential joins. For instance, cross joins create Cartesian products between two tables, which can lead to performance issues and complexity in the results, while spatial and temporal joins are specialized types focused on geospatial and time-based data relationships, respectively. Their applications are more niche and generally lie outside of standard practice within a primary join operation in calculation views.