What advantage does a Left Join provide when combining two tables in data analysis?

The advantage of using a Left Join when combining two tables is that it keeps all records from the left table, regardless of whether there are matches in the right table. This means that even if there are no corresponding records in the right table for some entries in the left table, those entries will still be included in the result set. The fields from the right table will display as NULL for those entries where there is no match. This is particularly useful in scenarios where you want to retain all data from the primary table (the left one) while enriching it with related information from the secondary table (the right one) where applicable. It ensures that the analysis is informed by the full context of the left table’s data, making it easier to identify records that may not have corresponding entries in the right table.

In contrast, the other options represent different behaviors not associated with Left Joins: retaining only matching records describes an Inner Join; including all records from the right table pertains to a Right Join; and automatic sorting of records is not a function of any type of join.