Data from two tables into one view

Question

Is it possible to grab data from two tables (that have the same fields) into one view. Basically, so the view sees the data as if it was one table.

Answer 1

Yes, using a UNION -

CREATE VIEW vw_combined AS    SELECT * FROM TABLE1    UNION ALL    SELECT * FROM TABLE2 

...requires that there be the same number of columns, and the data types match at each position.

..preferrably, using a JOIN:

CREATE VIEW vw_combined AS    SELECT *      FROM TABLE1 t1     JOIN TABLE2 t2 ON t2.col = t1.col 

But I want to warn against depending on views - if not materialized, they are only prepared SQL statements. There's no performance benefit, and can negatively impact performance if you build a view based on another. Also, views are brittle - they can change, and you won't know until using a supporting view if there are issues.