Address @rxin 's comments.

sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/expressions/predicates.scala

@@ -46,12 +46,18 @@ trait PredicateHelper {
     }
   }
 
-  private def combineConjunctivePredicates(predicates: Seq[Expression]) =
-    predicates.reduceLeft(And)
-
-  /** Returns true if `expr` can be evaluated using only the output of `plan`. */
+  /**
+   * Returns true if `expr` can be evaluated using only the output of `plan`.  This method
+   * can be used to determine when is is acceptable to move expression evaluation within a query
+   * plan.
+   *
+   * For example consider a join between two relations R(a, b) and S(c, d).
+   *
+   * `canEvaluate(Equals(a,b), R)` returns `true` where as `canEvaluate(Equals(a,c), R)` returns
+   * `false`.
+   */
   protected def canEvaluate(expr: Expression, plan: LogicalPlan): Boolean =
-    expr.references subsetOf plan.outputSet
+    expr.references.subsetOf(plan.outputSet)
 }
 
 abstract class BinaryPredicate extends BinaryExpression with Predicate {

sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/planning/patterns.scala

@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ object PhysicalOperation extends PredicateHelper {
  * techniques.  For inner joins, any filters on top of the join operator are also matched.
  */
 object HashFilteredJoin extends Logging with PredicateHelper {
-  /** (joinType, rightKeys, leftKeys, condition, left, right) */
+  /** (joinType, rightKeys, leftKeys, condition, leftChild, rightChild) */
   type ReturnType =
     (JoinType, Seq[Expression], Seq[Expression], Option[Expression], LogicalPlan, LogicalPlan)
 
@@ -136,8 +136,8 @@ object HashFilteredJoin extends Logging with PredicateHelper {
     }
 
     val joinKeys = joinPredicates.map {
-      case Equals(l,r) if canEvaluate(l, left) && canEvaluate(r, right) => (l, r)
-      case Equals(l,r) if canEvaluate(l, right) && canEvaluate(r, left) => (r, l)
+      case Equals(l, r) if canEvaluate(l, left) && canEvaluate(r, right) => (l, r)
+      case Equals(l, r) if canEvaluate(l, right) && canEvaluate(r, left) => (r, l)
     }
 
     // Do not consider this strategy if there are no join keys.

sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/SparkStrategies.scala

@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ abstract class SparkStrategies extends QueryPlanner[SparkPlan] {
 
   object HashJoin extends Strategy with PredicateHelper {
     def apply(plan: LogicalPlan): Seq[SparkPlan] = plan match {
+      // Find inner joins where at least some predicates can be evaluated by matching hash keys
+      // using the HashFilteredJoin pattern.
       case HashFilteredJoin(Inner, leftKeys, rightKeys, condition, left, right) =>
         val hashJoin =
           execution.HashJoin(leftKeys, rightKeys, BuildRight, planLater(left), planLater(right))