What does the WHERE clause do in a SELECT query?

The WHERE clause in a SELECT query is essential for defining specific conditions that must be met for records to be included in the results. When you use the WHERE clause, you can filter the data based on one or multiple criteria, such as matching a specific value, using comparison operators, or combining multiple conditions. This functionality allows users to extract only the relevant data that meets their specified requirements.

For example, if you are querying a database of customers and only want to see those from a specific city, the WHERE clause can be used to specify that condition, ensuring that only records of customers from that city are returned. This capability is fundamental for efficient data retrieval, particularly in large datasets where retrieving all records would be impractical or unmanageable.

The other options do not accurately describe the primary role of the WHERE clause. While limiting records returned may happen as a result of the conditions specified in the WHERE clause, its main purpose is about setting those conditions themselves.