actually i've tried it on sql2000 sp4, sql2005 without sp and with sp 1 and it happens on all of them

that is why i wasnt sure whether it was something...

hadnt noticed that in the execution plan.  so it must be a bug then rather than it trying to assume something.

colleague is going to use joins now instead of being...

if i ever get to debug / performance tune something that is written by someone else that is as simple as

update table1

set field1 = value1

, field2 = value2

then i...