>>Instead of using INNER JOIN to link-up 2 or more tables, I would like to know that if I use another method for example :-
>>
>> SELECT a.*, b.Field1 FROM table1 a, table2 b WHERE a.KEY=b.KEY
>>
>>Will rushmore be applied with this SQL syntax?
>
>As long as the tags are present, it should be. As for me, I have a preference to always have only one table name assigned to the FROM clause. All the rest falls in the INNER JOIN syntax.

Me too, but I would add that this is not just a matter of personal preference, there is a clear advantage of doing so: If you use JOIN instead of WHERE to join the tables, it is easy to change your design and change from an inner join to an outer join, or vice-versa - just add or delete the LEFT keyword.

Also, unlike using only a WHERE clause, with JOIN it is clearer which parts of the command are used to join the tables, and which parts specify additional filtering conditions (whatever remains in the WHERE clause).