Joining in Snowflake
INTRODUCTION TO SNOWFLAKE SQL
George Boorman
Senior Curriculum Manager, DataCamp
JOINS
INNER JOIN
OUTER JOINS
LEFT OUTER JOIN or LEFT JOIN
RIGHT OUTER JOIN or RIGHT JOIN
FULL OUTER JOIN or FULL JOIN
CROSS JOINS
SELF JOINS
NATURAL JOIN
LATERAL JOIN
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Pizza dataset
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NATURAL JOIN
NATURAL JOIN automatically match columns and eliminate duplicated ones
Syntax:
SELECT ...
FROM <table_one> [
{
| NATURAL [ { LEFT | RIGHT | FULL } [ OUTER ] ]
}
]
JOIN <table_two>
[ ... ]
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NATURAL JOIN
Without NATURAL JOIN With NATURAL JOIN
SELECT * SELECT *
FROM pizzas AS p FROM pizzas AS p
JOIN pizza_type AS t NATURAL JOIN pizza_type AS t
ON t.pizza_type_id = p.pizza_type_id
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NATURAL JOIN
NOT ALLOWED
select *
FROM pizzas AS p
NATURAL JOIN pizza_type AS t
ON t.pizza_type_id = p.pizza_type_id
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NATURAL JOIN
ALLOWED
WHERE clause
SELECT *
FROM pizzas AS p
NATURAL JOIN pizza_type AS t
WHERE pizza_type_id = 'bbq_ckn'
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LATERAL JOIN
LATERAL JOIN : lets a subquery in FROM reference columns from preceding tables or views.
Syntax:
SELECT ...
FROM <left_hand_expression> , --
LATERAL
(<right_hand_expression>)
left_hand_expression - Table, view, or subquery
right_hand_expression - Inline view or subquery
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LATERAL JOIN with a subquery
SELECT
p.pizza_id,
lat.name,
lat.category
FROM pizzas AS p,
LATERAL -- Keyword LATERAL
( SELECT *
FROM pizza_type AS t
-- Referencing outer query column: p.pizza_type_id
WHERE p.pizza_type_id = t.pizza_type_id
) AS lat
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Why LATERAL JOIN?
SELECT
*
FROM orders AS o,
LATERAL (
-- Subquery calculating total_spent
SELECT
SUM(p.price * od.quantity) AS total_spent
FROM order_details AS od
JOIN pizzas AS p
ON od.pizza_id = p.pizza_id
WHERE o.order_id = od.order_id
) AS t
ORDER BY o.order_id
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Subquerying and
Common Table
Expressions
INTRODUCTION TO SNOWFLAKE SQL
George Boorman
Senior Curriculum Manager, DataCamp
Subquerying
Nested queries
Used in FROM , WHERE , HAVING or SELECT clauses
Example:
SELECT column1
FROM table1
WHERE column1 = (SELECT column2 FROM table2 WHERE condition)
Types: Correlated and uncorrelated subqueries
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Uncorrelated subquery
-- Main query returns pizzas priced at the maximum value found in the subquery
SELECT pizza_id
FROM pizzas
-- Uncorrelated subquery that identifies the highest pizza price
WHERE price = (
SELECT MAX(price)
FROM pizzas
)
Subquery doesn't interact with the main query
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Correlated subquery
Subquery references columns from the main query
SELECT pt.name,
pz.price,
pt.category
FROM pizzas AS pz
JOIN pizza_type AS pt
ON pz.pizza_type_id = pt.pizza_type_id
WHERE pz.price = (
-- Identifies max price for each pizza category
SELECT MAX(p2.price) -- Max price
FROM pizzas AS p2
WHERE -- Correlated: uses outer query column
p2.pizza_type_id = pz.pizza_type_id
)
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Common Table Expressions
General Syntax:
-- WITH keyword
WITH cte1 AS ( -- CTE name
SELECT col_1, col_2
FROM table1
)
...
SELECT ...
FROM cte1 -- Query CTE
;
INTRODUCTION TO SNOWFLAKE SQL
Common Table Expressions
WITH max_price AS ( -- CTE called max_price
SELECT pizza_type_id,
MAX(price) AS max_price
FROM pizzas
GROUP BY pizza_type_id
)
-- Main query
SELECT pt.name,
pz.price,
pt.category
FROM pizzas AS pz
JOIN pizza_type AS pt ON pz.pizza_type_id = pt.pizza_type_id
JOIN max_price AS mp -- Joining with CTE max_price
ON pt.pizza_type_id = mp.pizza_type_id
WHERE pz.price < mp.max_price -- Compare the price with max_price CTE column
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Multiple CTEs
-- Define multiple CTEs separated by commas
WITH cte1 AS (
SELECT ...
FROM ...
),
cte2 AS (
SELECT ...
FROM ...
)
-- Main query combining both CTEs
SELECT ...
FROM cte1
JOIN cte2 ON ...
WHERE ...
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Why Use CTEs?
Managing complex operations
Modular
Readable
Reusable
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Snowflake Query
Optimization
INTRODUCTION TO SNOWFLAKE SQL
George Boorman
Senior Curriculum Manager, DataCamp
Why Optimize Queries in Snowflake?
Achieve faster results
Cost efficiency
Shorter query times consumes fewer resources like CPU and memory.
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Common query problems
Exploding Joins: Be cautious!
Incorrect
SELECT *
FROM order_details AS od
JOIN pizzas AS p -- Missing ON condition leading to exploding joins
INTRODUCTION TO SNOWFLAKE SQL
Common query problems
Exploding Joins: Be cautious!
Correct
SELECT *
FROM order_details AS od
JOIN pizzas AS p
ON od.pizza_id = p.pizza_id
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Common query problems
UNION or UNION ALL : Know the difference
UNION removes duplicates, slows down the query
UNION ALL is faster if no duplicates
Handling big data
Use filters to narrow down data
Apply limits for quicker results
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How to optimize queries?
SELECT * SELECT LIMIT 10* ⚡
SELECT SELECT *
* FROM SNOWFLAKE_SAMPLE_DATA.TPCH_SF100.ORDERS
FROM SNOWFLAKE_SAMPLE_DATA.TPCH_SF100.ORDERS LIMIT 10
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How to optimize queries?
Using SELECT * Avoid SELECT * ⚡
SELECT SELECT o_orderdate,
* o_orderstatus
FROM SNOWFLAKE_SAMPLE_DATA.TPCH_SF100.ORDERS FROM SNOWFLAKE_SAMPLE_DATA.TPCH_SF100.ORDERS
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How to optimize queries?
Filter Early
Use WHERE Clause Early On
Apply filters before JOIN s
JOIN will process fewer rows
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Without early filtering
SELECT orders.order_id,
orders.order_date,
pizza_type.name,
pizzas.pizza_size
FROM orders
JOIN order_details
ON orders.order_id = order_details.order_id
JOIN pizzas
ON order_details.pizza_id = pizzas.pizza_id
JOIN pizza_type
ON pizzas.pizza_type_id = pizza_type.pizza_type_id
WHERE orders.order_date = '2015-01-01'; -- Filtering after JOIN
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With early filtering
WITH filtered_orders AS (
SELECT *
FROM orders
WHERE order_date = '2015-01-01' -- Filtering in CTE before JOIN
)
SELECT filtered_orders.order_id,
filtered_orders.order_date,
pizza_type.name,
pizzas.pizza_size
FROM filtered_orders -- Joining with CTE
JOIN order_details
ON filtered_orders.order_id = order_details.order_id
JOIN pizzas
ON order details pizza id = pizzas pizza id
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Query history
Query History
snowflake.account_usage.query_history
Query History provides different metrics such as execution time
SELECT query_text, start_time, end_time, execution_time
FROM
snowflake.account_usage.query_history
WHERE query_text ILIKE '%order_details%'
ILIKE : Case-insensitive string-matching
INTRODUCTION TO SNOWFLAKE SQL
Query history
Spot slow or frequently running queries
SELECT query_text,
start_time,
end_time,
execution_time
FROM
snowflake.account_usage.query_history
WHERE
execution_time > 1000
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Handling semi-
structured data
INTRODUCTION TO SNOWFLAKE SQL
George Boorman
Senior Curriculum Manager, DataCamp
Structured versus semi-structured
Example of structured data Example of semi-structured data
| cust_id | cust_name | cust_age | cust_email |
|---------|-----------|----------|-----------------------|
| 1 | cust1 | 40 | cust1***@gmail.com |
| 2 | cust2 | 35 | cust2***@gmail.com |
| 3 | cust3 | 42 | cust3***@gmail.com |
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Introducing JSON
JavaScript Object Notation
Common use cases: Web APIs and Config files
JSON data structure:
Key-Value Pairs, e.g., cust_id: 1
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JSON in Snowflake
Native JSON support
Flexible for evolving schemas
Comparisons:
Postgres: Uses JSONB
Snowflake: Uses VARIANT
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How Snowflake stores JSON data
VARIANT supports OBJECT and ARRAY data types
OBJECT: { "key": "value"}
ARRAY: ["list", "of", "values"]
Creating a Snowflake Table to handle JSON data
CREATE TABLE cust_info_json_data (
customer_id INT,
customer_info VARIANT -- VARIANT data type
);
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Semi-structured data functions
PARSE_JSON
expr : JSON data in string format
Returns: VARIANT type, valid JSON
object
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PARSE_JSON
Example:
SELECT PARSE_JSON(
-- Enclosed in strings
'{
"cust_id": 1,
"cust_name": "cust1",
"cust_age": 40,
"cust_email":"cust1***@gmail.com"
}
'-- Enclosed in strings
) AS customer_info_json
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OBJECT_CONSTRUCT
OBJECT_CONSTRUCT
Syntax: OBJECT_CONSTRUCT( [<key1>, <value1> [, <keyN>, <valueN> ...]] )
Returns: JSON object
SELECT OBJECT_CONSTRUCT(
-- Comma separated values rather than : notation
'cust_id', 1,
'cust_name', 'cust1',
'cust_age', 40,
'cust_email', 'cust1***@gmail.com'
)
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Querying JSON data in Snowflake
Simple JSON
SELECT
customer_info:cust_age, -- Use colon to access cust_age from column
customer_info:cust_name,
customer_info:cust_email,
FROM
cust_info_json_data;
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Querying nested JSON Data in Snowflake
Example of nested JSON
Colon: :
Dot: .
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Querying nested JSON using colon/dot notations
Accessing values using colon notation Accessing values using dot notation
<column>:<level1_element>: <column>:<level1_element>.
<level2_element>:<level3_element> <level2_element>.<level3_element>
SELECT SELECT
customer_info:address:street AS street_name customer_info:address.street AS street_name
FROM FROM
cust_info_json_data cust_info_json_data
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Wrap-up
INTRODUCTION TO SNOWFLAKE SQL
George Boorman
Senior Curriculum Manager, DataCamp
Chapter 1: Snowflake SQL and key concepts
Connecting to Snowflake
WEB UI
Drivers & Connectors
Snowflake CLI
INTRODUCTION TO SNOWFLAKE SQL
Chapter 1: Snowflake SQL and key concepts
VARCHAR STRING functions: CONCAT , INITCAP
NUMBER
DATE & TIME functions: CURRENT_DATE ,
TIMESTAMP_LTZ CURRENT_TIME
Data Type conversion - What, Why, How? EXTRACT functions: GROUP BY ALL
Conversion Fucntions: TO_VARCHAR , TO_DATE
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Chapter 2: Advance Snowflake SQL Concepts
JOINS
NATURAL JOIN
LATERAL JOIN
Subquerying
CTEs
INTRODUCTION TO SNOWFLAKE SQL
Chapter 2: Advance Snowflake SQL Concepts
Snowflake Query Optimization
Common query problems: Exploding Joins, UNION vs UNION ALL
Rewriting queries: TOP , LIMIT , Early filtering, Avoid Select *`
Semi structured data
PARSE_JSON , OBJECT_CONSTRUCT
Querying JSON data in Snowflake
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Is this all?
Much more to unfold
Not addressed
Setting context
Roles, Users
Setting up Virtual Warehouses
Window functions
Query profiling
Materialized Views
Clustering
...
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Useful resources
Snowflake documentation: https://docs.snowflake.com/
Snowflake forums: https://community.snowflake.com/s/forum
Introduction to Data Modeling in Snowflake
Snowflake Tutorial
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This is just the
beginning!
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