Exploring SQL Functions in Databricks: Hands-On Examples

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Structured Query Language, better known as SQL, has continually established itself as a staple in the world of data sciences. This article focuses on providing hands-on examples highlighting some fundamental SQL functions applicable in Databricks.

1. SELECT Function

The SELECT function is among the most basic, yet essential, SQL operations. It permits data extraction based on specific criteria from a database. A simple SELECT statement looks like this:

This SQL snippet retrieves all records from the ‘Employees’ table.

2. WHERE Clause

The WHERE clause is used to filter records meeting particular conditions. For instance, here’s a query that selects entries where ‘Employee_ID’ is 123:

3. COUNT Function

Perhaps you’re curious about the total number of employees in the company. In that case, you’d use the COUNT function:

This will yield the total count of rows present in the ‘Employees’ table, essentially giving the total number of employees.

4. NULL Functions

SQL NULL functions allow you to handle NULL values in expressions. Here is an example of the ISNULL function:

In this snippet, ISNULL(UnitsOnOrder, 0) function replaces NULL with 0 if ‘UnitsOnOrder’ is NULL.

Conclusion

These are just a few basic examples of SQL functions and their usage. Databricks offers much more functionality and flexibility in managing and manipulating data using SQL. So, it’s worth experimenting to grasp SQL’s full power within Databricks and adjust it to your needs.

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