Take it all or what you need
 

Is there really any difference in using the * to select everything for a table then just to select the stuff you need? I'm talking performance wise and if there is any security risks.

Selecting * will make the database retrieve all variable values - if you don't need to, don't do it, since it's going to waste time and resources.

i feel pretty much the same way as Erwin...

if you're selecting by using * and you're only using one or two rows of a table then you're sacrificing spd for getting data you don't necessarily need...

for instance if you're selecting doing a validation of a username and you only need the username and user then use:

rather then using SELECT *

just an example...

regards,
g-force2k2