CREATE TABLE

Defines a table in an existing schema.

You can use any of the following different means to create a table for different purposes:

CREATE TABLE [USING]

Applies to: Databricks SQL Databricks Runtime

Use this syntax if the new table will be:
- Based on a column definition you provide.
- Derived from data at an existing storage location.
- Derived from a query.
CREATE TABLE (Hive format)

Applies to: Databricks Runtime

This statement matches CREATE TABLE [USING] using Hive syntax.

CREATE TABLE [USING] is preferred.
CREATE TABLE LIKE

Applies to: Databricks SQL Databricks Runtime

Using this syntax you create a new table based on the definition, but not the data, of another table.
CREATE TABLE CLONE

Applies to: Databricks SQL Databricks Runtime

You can use table cloning for Delta Lake tables to achieve two major goals:
- Make a complete, independent copy of a table including its definition and data at a specific version. This is called a DEEP CLONE.
- Make a copy of the definition of the table which refers to the original table's storage for the initial data at a specific version. Updates, on either the source or the new table will not affect the other. However the new table depends on the source table's existence and column definition.

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