Advanced SQL Topics in Snowflake
1. Advanced Data Loading and Unloading
- COPY INTO Commands for Bulk Loading and Unloading Data
- Data Staging Areas (Internal vs. External Stages)
- Using Snowpipe for Continuous Loading of Data
- Working with Semi-Structured Data (JSON, Parquet, Avro) in Loading/Unloading
2. Semi-Structured Data Handling and JSON Manipulation
- VARIANT Data Type and Its Usage for JSON Data
- Parsing and Querying JSON, XML, and Avro Formats
- Working with Nested Data Using LATERAL FLATTEN
- Accessing and Manipulating Nested Arrays and Objects
3. Common Table Expressions (CTEs) and Recursive CTEs
- Using CTEs to Simplify Complex Queries
- Recursive CTEs for Hierarchical Data (Organizational Charts, Tree Structures)
- Combining CTEs with Window Functions and Aggregations for Advanced Analysis
4. Window Functions for Advanced Analytics
- Ranking Functions: RANK, DENSE_RANK, ROW_NUMBER
- Aggregate Window Functions: SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX Over Partitions
- Running Totals, Moving Averages, and Cumulative Aggregations
- Frame Specifications with ROWS and RANGE for Fine-Grained Control
5. Data Transformation and Aggregation Techniques
- Grouping Data with GROUP BY, ROLLUP, and CUBE
- Advanced Aggregations Using PIVOT and UNPIVOT
- Using Conditional Aggregates (CASE Statements within Aggregations)
- Slicing and Dicing Data for Complex Reporting
6. Table Cloning and Data Versioning
- Zero-Copy Cloning for Data Versioning and Testing
- Cloning Tables, Schemas, and Databases
- Utilizing Clones for Development and Staging Environments
7. Materialized Views and Caching Strategies
- Creating and Managing Materialized Views for Performance Optimization
- Querying Data Efficiently with Materialized Views
- Using Result Caching, Metadata Caching, and Data Caching in Virtual Warehouses
8. Query Optimization Techniques
- Query Profiling and Analyzing Execution Plans
- Best Practices for JOINs, Subqueries, and Nested Queries
- Using Clustering Keys for Large Tables and Partition Pruning
- Identifying and Resolving Performance Bottlenecks
9. Advanced JOIN Operations and Set Operations
- Understanding and Using Different JOIN Types (LEFT, RIGHT, FULL, CROSS)
- Using CROSS JOIN and SELF JOIN for Specific Scenarios
- Set Operations: UNION, INTERSECT, and EXCEPT
- Working with Multiple Subqueries in Complex Queries
10. Data Manipulation and MERGE Statements
- MERGE for Upserts and Complex Data Modifications
- Using ON, WHEN MATCHED, and WHEN NOT MATCHED Clauses in MERGE
- Conditional Inserts, Updates, and Deletes Using MERGE
11. User-Defined Functions (UDFs) and Stored Procedures
- Creating SQL and JavaScript UDFs for Custom Calculations
- Advanced Stored Procedure Development with JavaScript
- Error Handling and Transaction Control in Stored Procedures
- Recursive UDFs for Custom Business Logic
12. Streams and Tasks for Change Data Capture (CDC)
- Using Streams to Track Inserts, Updates, and Deletes
- Creating and Scheduling Tasks for Automated Workflows
- Implementing Change Data Capture (CDC) Solutions
- Combining Streams and Tasks for Incremental Data Processing
13. Time Travel and Data Recovery
- Querying Historical Data with Time Travel (AT and BEFORE Clauses)
- Using OFFSET and TIMESTAMP for Data Recovery
- Leveraging Time Travel for Auditing and Debugging
- Configuring Data Retention Policies for Time Travel
14. Advanced Security Features and Data Masking
- Row-Level Security with Row Access Policies
- Dynamic Data Masking for Sensitive Data Protection
- Access Control with Secure Views
- Implementing Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and Fine-Grained Permissions
15. Advanced Date and Time Functions
- Working with Date and Time Data in Various Formats
- Date Arithmetic and Interval Calculations
- Using Time Zone Functions and Converting Time Zones
- Date Truncation and Rounding Functions for Aggregations
16. Hierarchical and Tree Structures
- Using Recursive CTEs to Model Hierarchical Data
- Querying Parent-Child Relationships in Organizational Structures
- Path Enumeration and Aggregations in Hierarchical Data
17. Regular Expressions and Pattern Matching
- Using REGEXP Functions for Pattern Matching
- Searching and Manipulating Text with LIKE, ILIKE, and RLIKE
- Cleaning and Standardizing Data with Regex Functions
18. Data Sharing and Data Exchange
- Configuring Secure Data Sharing Between Snowflake Accounts
- Using Data Marketplace and Data Exchange
- Creating and Managing Secure Shares
- Monitoring Data Sharing Activities and Usage
19. Error Handling and Transaction Management
- Using TRY_CAST and Error-Handling Functions
- Controlling Transactions with COMMIT and ROLLBACK
- Nested Transactions and Savepoints for Complex Transactions
20. Advanced Analytics and Statistical Functions
- Correlation and Covariance Calculations
- Statistical Functions like STDDEV, VARIANCE, MEDIAN, etc.
- Using Hypothesis Testing Functions and Other Analytics
21. Clustering and Partitioning for Large Data Sets
- Defining and Optimizing Clustering Keys for Performance
- Partition Pruning for Query Efficiency
- Best Practices for Managing Large Tables with Clustering
22. Advanced Conditional Expressions
- Using CASE Statements for Conditional Logic
- IFF, COALESCE, and NULLIF Functions
- Nested CASE Statements and Conditional Aggregations
23. Data Governance and Auditing
- Tracking Data Usage and Query History
- Configuring Data Access and Auditing
- Using Access History for Compliance and Auditing
24. Integration with Machine Learning and External Tools
- Using Snowflake with Machine Learning Libraries (Python/R Integration)
- Integrating Snowflake with BI Tools (Tableau, Power BI)
- Preparing Data for Machine Learning Models
