Names

Applies to: check marked yes Databricks SQL check marked yes Databricks Runtime

Identifies different kinds of objects in Databricks.

The following limitations apply for all object names in Unity Catalog:

  • Object names cannot exceed 255 characters.

  • The following special characters are not allowed:

    • Period (.)

    • Space ( )

    • Forward slash (/)

    • All ASCII control characters (00-1F hex)

    • The DELETE character (7F hex)

  • Unity Catalog stores all object names as lowercase.

  • When referencing UC names in SQL, you must use backticks to escape names that contain special characters such as hyphens (-).

Note

Column names can use special characters, but the name must be escaped with backticks in all SQL statements if special characters are used. Unity Catalog preserves column name casing, but queries against Unity Catalog tables are case-insensitive.

Connection name

Identifies a foreign connection. A foreign connection serves as a link to a foreign system, such as PostgreSQL and can then be used to reference its catalogs, schemas, and tables.

Syntax

connection_identifier

Parameters

Examples

> CREATE CONNECTION my_postgresql ...;

Catalog name

Identifies a catalog. A catalog provides a grouping of objects which can be further subdivided into schemas.

Syntax

catalog_identifier

Parameters

Examples

> USE CATALOG hive_metastore;

> CREATE CATALOG mycatalog;

Schema name

Identifies a schema. A schema provides a grouping of objects in a catalog.

Syntax

{ [ catalog_name . ] schema_identifier |
  IDENTIFIER clause }

Parameters

Examples

> USE SCHEMA default;

> CREATE SCHEMA my_sc;

Database name

A synonym for schema name.

While usage of SCHEMA, and DATABASE is interchangeable, SCHEMA is preferred.

Table name

Identifies a table object. The table can be qualified with a schema name or unqualified using a simple identifier.

Syntax

{ [ schema_name . ] table_identifier [ temporal_spec ] |
  IDENTIFIER clause [ temporal_spec ] |
  { file_format | `file_format` } . `path_to_table` [ temporal_spec ] [ credential_spec ] }

temporal_spec
{
  @ timestamp_encoding |
  @V version |
  [ FOR ] { SYSTEM_TIMESTAMP | TIMESTAMP } AS OF timestamp_expression |
  [ FOR ] { SYSTEM_VERSION | VERSION } AS OF version
}

credential_spec
  WITH ( CREDENTIAL credential_name )

Parameters

  • schema_name: A qualified or unqualified schema name that contains the table.

  • table_identifier: An identifier that specifies the name of the table or table_alias.

  • file_format: One of json, csv, avro, parquet, orc, binaryFile, text, delta (case insensitive).

  • path_to_table: The location of the table in the file system. You must have the ANY_FILE permission to use this syntax.

  • IDENTIFIER clause: A mapping of constant STRING to a table name.

  • temporal_spec: When used references a Delta table at the specified point in time or version.

    You can use a temporal specification only within the context of a query or a MERGE USING.

    • @ timestamp_encoding: A positive Bigint literal that encodes a timestamp in yyyyMMddHHmmssSSS format.

    • @V version: A positive Integer literal identifying the version of the Delta table.

    • timestamp_expression: A simple expression that evaluates to a TIMESTAMP. timestamp_expressiom must be a constant expression, but may contain current_date() or current_timestamp().

    • version: A Integer literal or String literal identifying the version of the Delta table.

  • credential_spec

    You can use an applicable credential to gain access to a path_to_table which is not embedded in an external location.

    • credential_name

      The name of the credential used to access the storage location.

If the name is unqualified and does not reference a known table alias, Databricks first attempts to resolve the table in the current schema.

If the name is qualified with a schema, Databricks attempts to resolve the table in the current catalog.

See Table and view resolution for more information on name resolution.

Databricks raises an error if you use a temporal_spec for a table that is not in Delta Lake format.

Examples

`Employees`

employees

hr.employees

`hr`.`employees`

hive_metastore.default.tab

system.information_schema.columns

delta.`somedir/delta_table`

`csv`.`spreadsheets/data.csv`

`csv`.`spreadsheets/data.csv` WITH (CREDENTIAL some_credential)

View name

Identifies a view. The view can be qualified with a schema name or unqualified using a simple identifier.

Syntax

{ [ schema_name . ] view_identifier |
  IDENTIFIER clause }

Parameters

  • schema_name: The qualified or unqualified name of the schema that contains the view.

  • view_identifier: An identifier that specifies the name of the view or the view identifier of a CTE.

  • IDENTIFIER clause: A mapping of constant STRING to a view name.

Examples

`items`

items

hr.items

`hr`.`items`

Column name

Identifies a column within a table or view. The column can be qualified with a table or view name, or unqualified using a simple identifier.

Syntax

{ [ { table_name | view_name } . ] column_identifier |
  IDENTIFIER clause }

Parameters

  • table_name: A qualified or unqualified table name of the table containing the column.

  • view_name: A qualified or unqualified view name of the view containing the column.

  • column_identifier: An identifier that specifies the name of the column.

  • IDENTIFIER clause: A mapping of constant STRING to a column name.

The identified column must exist within the table or view.

Databricks supports a special _metadata column. This pseudo column of type struct is part of every table and can be used to retrieve metadata information about the rows in the table.

Warning

If the table schema contains a column named _metadata, queries will return the column from the data source, and not the file metadata. The _metadata pseudo column will not be accessible.

Examples

-- An unqualified column name
> SELECT c1 FROM VALUES(1) AS T(c1);
 c1
 1

-- A qualified column name
> SELECT T.c1 FROM VALUES(1) AS T(c1);
 c1
 1

-- Using _matadata to retrieve infromation about rows retrieved from T.
> CREATE TABLE T(c1 INT);
> INSERT INTO T VALUES(1);
> SELECT T._metadata.file_size;
  574

Field name

Identifies a field within a struct. The field must be qualified with the path up to the struct containing the field.

Syntax

{ expr { . field_identifier [. ...] } |
  IDENTIFIER clause }

Parameters

A deeply nested field can be referenced by specifying the field identifier along the path to the root struct.

Examples

> SELECT addr.address.name
    FROM VALUES (named_struct('address', named_struct('number', 5, 'name', 'Main St'),
                              'city', 'Springfield')) as t(addr);
  Main St

Variable name

Identifies a temporary (session) variable. The variable can be qualified with a schema name (system.session or session), or unqualified using a simple identifier.

Syntax

{ [ schema_name . ] variable_identifier |
  IDENTIFIER clause }

Parameters

  • schema_name: system.session or session which contains all temporary variables.

  • variable_identifier: An identifier that specifies the name of the variable.

Examples

`session`.myvar

myvar

system.session.`myvar`

Function name

Identifies a function. The function can be qualified with a schema name, or unqualified using a simple identifier.

Syntax

{ [ schema_name . ] function_identifier |
  IDENTIFIER clause }

Parameters

Examples

`math`.myplus

myplus

math.`myplus`

Parameter name

Identifies a parameter in the body of a SQL user-defined function (SQL UDF). The function can be qualified with a function identifier, or unqualified using a simple identifier.

Syntax

[ function_identifier . ] parameter_identifier

Parameters

Examples

CREATE FUNCTION area(x INT, y INT) RETURNS INT
RETURN area.x + y;

Table alias

Labels a table reference, query, table function, or other form of a relation.

Syntax

[ AS ] table_identifier [ ( column_identifier1 [, ...] ) ]

Parameters

If you provide column identifiers, their number must match the number of columns in the matched relation.

If you don’t provide column identifiers, their names are inherited from the labeled relation.

Examples

> SELECT a, b FROM VALUES (1, 2) AS t(a, b);
 a  b
 1  2

> DELETE FROM emp AS e WHERE e.c1 = 5;

Column alias

Labels the result of an expression in a SELECT list for reference.

If the expression is a table valued generator function, the alias labels the list of columns produced.

Syntax

[AS] column_identifier
[AS] ( column_identifier [, ...] )

Parameters

While column aliases need not be unique within the select list, uniqueness is a requirement to reference an alias by name.

Examples

> SELECT 1 AS a;
 a
 1

> SELECT 1 a, 2 b;
 a b
 1 2

> SELECT 1 AS `a`;
 a
 1

> SELECT posexplode(array(2)) AS (i, a);
 i  a
 0  2

> SELECT a + a FROM (SELECT 1 AS a);
 a
 2

Credential name

Identifies a credential to access storage at an external location.

Syntax

credential_identifier

Parameters

Examples

Location name

Identifies an external storage location.

Syntax

location_identifier

Parameters

Examples

`s3-json-data`

s3_json_data

Share name

Identifies a share to access data shared by a provider.

Syntax

share_identifier

Parameters

  • share_identifier: An unqualified identifier that uniquely identifies the share.

Examples

`public info`

`public-info`

public_info

Provider name

Identifies a Delta Sharing provider.

Syntax

provider_identifier

Parameters

Examples

`Good Corp`

`Good-corp`

Good_Corp

Recipient name

Identifies a recipient for a share.

Syntax

recipient_identifier

Parameters

Examples

`Good Corp`

`Good-corp`

Good_Corp

Volume name

Identifies a Unity Catalog volume. The volume can be qualified with a schema name or unqualified using a simple identifier.

Syntax

[ schema_name .] volume_identifier

Parameters

  • schema_name: A qualified or unqualified schema name that contains the volume.

  • volume_identifier: An unqualified identifier that uniquely identifies the volume within the schema.

Examples

`myVolume`

`my volume`

myschema.myVolume

my_unity_catalog.my_schema.my_volume