What is the effect of the SELECT statement in SQL?

The SELECT statement in SQL is specifically designed to retrieve data from one or more tables within a database. When used, it can specify precisely which columns to return and can also apply various clauses and conditions to organize or refine the results. For instance, it can retrieve all rows or only those that meet specific criteria, depending on the additional clauses included, such as WHERE, ORDER BY, and others. This ability to pull data from single or multiple tables facilitates data analysis and reporting, making it a fundamental aspect of database management and manipulation.

The retrieval aspect is paramount, as it allows users to access the information stored in a database efficiently, whether it involves extracting complete data sets or just particular fields that meet specified conditions.