LATERAL VIEW clause

Applies to: Databricks SQL Databricks Runtime

Used in conjunction with generator functions such as EXPLODE, which generates a virtual table containing one or more rows. LATERAL VIEW applies the rows to each original output row.

In Databricks SQL and starting with Databricks Runtime 12.2 this clause is deprecated. You should invoke a table valued generator function as a table_reference.

Syntax

LATERAL VIEW [ OUTER ] generator_function ( expression [, ...] ) [ table_identifier ] AS column_identifier [, ...]

Parameters

• OUTER

  If OUTER specified, returns null if an input array/map is empty or null.

• generator_function

  A generator function (EXPLODE, INLINE, etc.).

• table_identifier

  The alias for generator_function, which is optional.

• column_identifier

  Lists the column aliases of generator_function, which may be used in output rows. The number of column identifiers must match the number of columns returned by the generator function.

Examples

> CREATE TABLE person (id INT, name STRING, age INT, class INT, address STRING);
> INSERT INTO person VALUES
    (100, 'John', 30, 1, 'Street 1'),
    (200, 'Mary', NULL, 1, 'Street 2'),
    (300, 'Mike', 80, 3, 'Street 3'),
    (400, 'Dan', 50, 4, 'Street 4');

> SELECT * FROM person
    LATERAL VIEW EXPLODE(ARRAY(30, 60)) tableName AS c_age
    LATERAL VIEW EXPLODE(ARRAY(40, 80)) AS d_age;
   id    name     age    class     address    c_age    d_age
 ------ ------- ------- -------- ----------- -------- --------
  100    John    30      1        Street 1    30       40
  100    John    30      1        Street 1    30       80
  100    John    30      1        Street 1    60       40
  100    John    30      1        Street 1    60       80
  200    Mary    NULL    1        Street 2    30       40
  200    Mary    NULL    1        Street 2    30       80
  200    Mary    NULL    1        Street 2    60       40
  200    Mary    NULL    1        Street 2    60       80
  300    Mike    80      3        Street 3    30       40
  300    Mike    80      3        Street 3    30       80
  300    Mike    80      3        Street 3    60       40
  300    Mike    80      3        Street 3    60       80
  400    Dan     50      4        Street 4    30       40
  400    Dan     50      4        Street 4    30       80
  400    Dan     50      4        Street 4    60       40
  400    Dan     50      4        Street 4    60       80

> SELECT c_age, COUNT(1) FROM person
     LATERAL VIEW EXPLODE(ARRAY(30, 60)) AS c_age
     LATERAL VIEW EXPLODE(ARRAY(40, 80)) AS d_age
     GROUP BY c_age;
  c_age    count(1)
 -------- -----------
  60       8
  30       8

SELECT * FROM person
    LATERAL VIEW EXPLODE(ARRAY()) tableName AS c_age;
  id    name    age    class    address    c_age
 ----- ------- ------ -------- ---------- --------

> SELECT * FROM person
     LATERAL VIEW OUTER EXPLODE(ARRAY()) tableName AS c_age;
   id    name     age    class     address    c_age
 ------ ------- ------- -------- ----------- --------
  100    John    30      1        Street 1    NULL
  200    Mary    NULL    1        Street 2    NULL
  300    Mike    80      3        Street 3    NULL
  400    Dan     50      4        Street 4    NULL

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