SQL Server "LEFT OUTER JOIN" syntax

Question

Haven't seen a solution to this on the forum or in the docs.
I've got 2 objects, Task and Role, that are linked in a M-M relationship.
My tables are:
T_TASKS
T_TASKSROLES
T_ROLES
I am querying T_TASKS and joining on T_ROLES, but I need to use an outer join on T_ROLES.
In SQL Server, my FROM clause SHOULD look like this:
FROM (T_TASKSROLES t2 LEFT OUTER JOIN T_TASKS t1 ON t1.ID = t2.TASKID) LEFT OUTER JOIN T_ROLES t0 ON t0.ID = t2.ROLEID
however, if I use eb.anyOfAllowingNone(_roles) in my ExpressionBuilder. TopLink creates a LEFT OUTER JOIN clause that looks like this:
FROM T_ROLES t0 LEFT OUTER JOIN T_TASKS t1 ON ((t0.ID = T_TASKSROLES.ROLEID) AND (t1.ID = T_TASKSROLES.TASKID))
I can see the logic in how it builds this clause. But, it doesn't parse in SQL Server.
Is there a way to effect how TopLink generates the FROM clause for outer joins? I mean, I understand how to use the XXXPlatform.java source files and can change whether to use OuterJoin in the WHERE clause or not. But, I can't see anything in the platform class that would allow me to figure this out.
I realize I could write SQL manually, but is there a way to do this so that the same code would work on SQL Server, Oracle, and Sybase (assuming the DatabaseLogin is configured appropriately)?
It just seems like LEFT OUTER JOIN when joining M-M relationships isn't generating proper SQL. Is the TopLink SQL SQL92-compliant?
Nate

Answer 1

I should add that I have tried to change SQLServerPlatform to have shouldPrintOuterJoinInWhereClause() return "true". This embeds a "=*" in the join conditions in the WHERE clause.
SQL Server 2000 still supports this syntax, but the "=*" isn't ALWAYS the correct operator. It is IMPORTANT to put the "*" on the correct side of the expression.
TopLink always prints "=*", and it always puts it in the correct space, but the OPERATORS are not always in the correct order so you are creating a "left join" on the wrong table.
So my other question, is it possible to FORCE TopLink to remember to put the outer join table in the RIGHT SIDE?
Nate