Which statement describes the implicit join in SQL?

An implicit join in SQL is characterized by a logical operation that combines records from two or more tables based on a specified relationship, specifically when matching criteria are met. This means that the join operation assesses the values from the corresponding fields in the involved tables and includes only those records that satisfy the defined condition, effectively filtering the combined table to include only relevant entries.

In traditional SQL syntax, implicit joins are typically executed by listing multiple tables in the FROM clause without using the explicit JOIN syntax. As the records are being merged, the conditions that dictate this merging are included in the WHERE clause, thus reinforcing the necessity of matching criteria for the combined results. This behavior aligns closely with the relational database principles where data integrity and relevant associations between tables are fundamental.

In contrast, the other options deal with different types of operations or misunderstand aspects of joins. For instance, while one option references the selection of specified fields, this aspect is merely about data retrieval and does not encapsulate the concept of how records are joined. Another option suggests that records are combined irrespective of matches, which would describe a cross join rather than an implicit join, as this would not consider criteria for matching records. Lastly, the removal of duplicate records is related to distinct operations rather than the join process itself