EXPLAIN is used to analyze how SQL executes a query.
It shows the execution plan chosen by the optimizer.
This helps identify performance problems.
EXPLAIN does not run the query.
It only displays how the query would be executed.
This makes it safe for analysis.
EXPLAIN shows index usage, scan type, and row estimates.
It helps determine whether indexes are used.
This is crucial for optimization.
By analyzing EXPLAIN output, developers can improve query performance.
Missing indexes can be identified easily.
EXPLAIN is a powerful tuning tool.
It is heavily used by database engineers.
Understanding EXPLAIN improves performance skills.