What is the purpose of the LIMIT clause in SQL queries?

The LIMIT clause in SQL queries primarily serves the purpose of restricting the number of records that are returned from a query. This is particularly useful in situations where a user wants to retrieve a specific subset of data, such as the first few rows of a large dataset, thereby making it easier to manage and analyze output. For example, when dealing with a large database of customer records, a developer might use LIMIT to show just the top 10 customers based on certain criteria, which enhances readability and performance by reducing the amount of data transferred and processed.

By using LIMIT, database performance can also be improved indirectly when dealing with large datasets, as it minimizes the volume of data that must be handled at once, though that is not the primary intent of the clause. It is important during data retrieval to only access what is necessary, thus optimizing the query handling time and user experience.

The other options describe different functionalities not related to the LIMIT clause. For instance, faster query execution involves other optimizations in execution plans, data integrity relates to maintaining accuracy and consistency of data in databases, and creating indexes is a separate process for improving the speed of data retrieval, not directly linked to limiting records returned.