docs/sql-ref-syntax-ddl-create-view.md

---
layout: global
title: CREATE VIEW
displayTitle: CREATE VIEW 
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  Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one or more
  contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file distributed with
  this work for additional information regarding copyright ownership.
  The ASF licenses this file to You under the Apache License, Version 2.0
  (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
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---

### Description
Views are based on the result-set of an `SQL` query. `CREATE VIEW` constructs
a virtual table that has no physical data therefore other operations like
`ALTER VIEW` and `DROP VIEW` only change metadata. 

### Syntax
{% highlight sql %}
CREATE [ OR REPLACE ] [ [ GLOBAL ] TEMPORARY ] VIEW [ IF NOT EXISTS ] view_identifier
    create_view_clauses AS query
{% endhighlight %}

### Parameters
<dl>
  <dt><code><em>OR REPLACE</em></code></dt>
  <dd>If a view of same name already exists, it will be replaced.</dd>
</dl>
<dl>
  <dt><code><em>[ GLOBAL ] TEMPORARY</em></code></dt>
  <dd>TEMPORARY views are session-scoped and will be dropped when session ends 
      because it skips persisting the definition in the underlying metastore, if any.
      GLOBAL TEMPORARY views are tied to a system preserved temporary database `global_temp`.</dd>
</dl>
<dl>
  <dt><code><em>IF NOT EXISTS</em></code></dt>
  <dd>Creates a view if it does not exists.</dd>
</dl>
<dl>
  <dt><code><em>view_identifier</em></code></dt>
  <dd>
    Specifies a view name, which may be optionally qualified with a database name.<br><br>
    <b> Syntax:</b>
      <code>
        [ database_name. ] view_name
      </code>
  </dd>
</dl>
<dl>
  <dt><code><em>create_view_clauses</em></code></dt>
  <dd>These clauses are optional and order insensitive. It can be of following formats.
    <ul>
      <li><code>[ ( column_name [ COMMENT column_comment ], ... ) ]</code> to specify column-level comments.</li>
      <li><code>[ COMMENT view_comment ]</code> to specify view-level comments.</li>
      <li><code>[ TBLPROPERTIES ( property_name = property_value, ... ) ]</code> to add metadata key-value pairs.</li>
    </ul>  
  </dd>
</dl>
<dl>
  <dt><code><em>query</em></code></dt>
  <dd>A <a href="sql-ref-syntax-qry-select.html">SELECT</a> statement that constructs the view from base tables or other views.</dd>
</dl>

### Examples
{% highlight sql %}
-- Create or replace view for `experienced_employee` with comments.
CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW experienced_employee
    (ID COMMENT 'Unique identification number', Name) 
    COMMENT 'View for experienced employees'
    AS SELECT id, name FROM all_employee
        WHERE working_years > 5;

-- Create a global temporary view `subscribed_movies` if it does not exist.
CREATE GLOBAL TEMPORARY VIEW IF NOT EXISTS subscribed_movies 
    AS SELECT mo.member_id, mb.full_name, mo.movie_title
        FROM movies AS mo INNER JOIN members AS mb 
        ON mo.member_id = mb.id;
{% endhighlight %}

### Related Statements
- [ALTER VIEW](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-alter-view.html)
- [DROP VIEW](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-drop-view.html)