How to use index in select statement?

Question

Lets say in the employee table, I have created an index(idx_name) on the emp_name column of the table.

Do I need to explicitly specify the index name in

Answer 1

The optimiser will judge if the use of your index will make your query run faster, and if it is, it will use the index.

Depending on your RDBMS you can force the use of an index, although it is not recommended unless you know what you are doing.

In general you should index columns that you use in table join's and where statements

Answer 2

By using the column that the index is applied to within your conditions, it will be included automatically. You do not have to use it, but it will speed up queries when it is used.

SELECT * FROM TABLE WHERE attribute = 'value'

Will use the appropriate index.