To select all records from a table in SQL, you would typically use the `SELECT` statement followed by an asterisk (*) to denote that you want all columns. The basic syntax looks like this: `SELECT * FROM table_name;`. This command retrieves every column from every row in the specified table, making it a straightforward way to pull in all data for inspection or further processing. However, it’s important to be judicious with this approach, particularly when working with large datasets, as it can lead to performance issues or unnecessarily consume resources, particularly if you only need a subset of the columns or rows.

In a more performance-centric approach, it’s advantageous to specify the exact columns you require rather than using SELECT *. For instance, you could use: `SELECT column1, column2 FROM table_name WHERE condition;` to efficiently retrieve only the pertinent data. Additionally, consider implementing pagination or filtering conditions to minimize the data load, especially in production environments where data volumes can be significant. Using effective indexing and understanding your data’s distribution can also enhance query performance. Always remember to analyze the execution plan for your SQL statements to ensure optimal efficiency and performance in your database queries.