Top Showplan Operator
The Top operator scans the input, returning only the first specified number or percent of rows, possibly based on a sort order. The Argument column can contain a list of the columns that are being checked for ties. In update plans, the Top operator is used to enforce row count limits.
Top is a logical and physical operator.
.gif "Top operator icon")
Graphical execution plan icon
See Also
Tasks
How to: Display an Actual Execution Plan
Concepts
Logical and Physical Operators Reference
Displaying Execution Plans by Using the Showplan SET Options (Transact-SQL)
Limiting Result Sets by Using TOP and PERCENT