Query too long in .NET 3.5 and SQL Compact 3.5

Question

Hi, this is a rather pathetic problem:

In Visual Basic 2008 Express with SQL Server Compact 3.5 and the Usual DataSet / TableAdapters, My Query is too long:

Changing the names, it is a query like this:

SELECT Table1.*, Table3.* 
FROM Table1 
    INNER JOIN Table2 
        ON Table1.ID = Table2.T1ID 
    INNER JOIN Table3 
        ON Table2.T3ID = Table3.PK

Problem is, Table1 and Table3 have around 10 and 5 columns each, with rather descriptive names, and The Table adapter is insistent on writing all the columns out and therefore hacks off my command. (It won't take * 's, it always says it can't find the column Table1.* )

Is there a way around this?

Answer 1

If you add an alias for the tables, will the table adapter take it?

SELECT t1.*, t3.* 
FROM Table1 t1
     INNER JOIN Table2 t2
         ON t1.ID = t2.T1ID
     INNER JOIN Table3
         ON t2.T3ID = t3.PK

Answer 2

Put the query in a stored procedure and then just call it. (It's also cleaner, more efficient, and helps encapsulate the logic within the database instead of your application just doing anything it likes)