---
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title: SQL Syntax
displayTitle: SQL Syntax
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Spark SQL is Apache Spark's module for working with structured data. The SQL Syntax section describes the SQL syntax in detail along with usage examples when applicable. This document provides a list of Data Definition and Data Manipulation Statements, as well as Data Retrieval and Auxiliary Statements.

### DDL Statements

Data Definition Statements are used to create or modify the structure of database objects in a database. Spark SQL supports the following Data Definition Statements:

 * [ALTER DATABASE](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-alter-database.html)
 * [ALTER TABLE](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-alter-table.html)
 * [ALTER VIEW](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-alter-view.html)
 * [CREATE DATABASE](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-create-database.html)
 * [CREATE FUNCTION](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-create-function.html)
 * [CREATE TABLE](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-create-table.html)
 * [CREATE VIEW](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-create-view.html)
 * [DECLARE VARIABLE](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-declare-variable.html)
 * [DROP DATABASE](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-drop-database.html)
 * [DROP FUNCTION](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-drop-function.html)
 * [DROP TABLE](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-drop-table.html)
 * [DROP TEMPORARY VARIABLE](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-drop-variable.html)
 * [DROP VIEW](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-drop-view.html)
 * [REPAIR TABLE](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-repair-table.html)
 * [TRUNCATE TABLE](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-truncate-table.html)
 * [USE DATABASE](sql-ref-syntax-ddl-usedb.html)

### DML Statements

Data Manipulation Statements are used to add, change, or delete data. Spark SQL supports the following Data Manipulation Statements:

 * [INSERT TABLE](sql-ref-syntax-dml-insert-table.html)
 * [INSERT OVERWRITE DIRECTORY](sql-ref-syntax-dml-insert-overwrite-directory.html)
 * [LOAD](sql-ref-syntax-dml-load.html)

### Data Retrieval Statements

Spark supports <code>SELECT</code> statement that is used to retrieve rows
from one or more tables according to the specified clauses. The full syntax
and brief description of supported clauses are explained in
[SELECT](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select.html) section. The SQL statements related
to SELECT are also included in this section. Spark also provides the
ability to generate logical and physical plan for a given query using
[EXPLAIN](sql-ref-syntax-qry-explain.html) statement.

 * [SELECT Statement](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select.html)
   * [Common Table Expression](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-cte.html)
   * [CLUSTER BY Clause](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-clusterby.html)
   * [DISTRIBUTE BY Clause](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-distribute-by.html)
   * [GROUP BY Clause](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-groupby.html)
   * [HAVING Clause](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-having.html)
   * [Hints](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-hints.html)
   * [Inline Table](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-inline-table.html)
   * [File](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-file.html)
   * [JOIN](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-join.html)
   * [LIKE Predicate](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-like.html)
   * [LIMIT Clause](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-limit.html)
   * [OFFSET Clause](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-offset.html)
   * [ORDER BY Clause](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-orderby.html)
   * [Set Operators](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-setops.html)
   * [SORT BY Clause](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-sortby.html)
   * [TABLESAMPLE](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-sampling.html)
   * [Table-valued Function](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-tvf.html)
   * [WHERE Clause](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-where.html)
   * [Aggregate Function](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-aggregate.html)
   * [Window Function](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-window.html)
   * [CASE Clause](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-case.html)
   * [PIVOT Clause](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-pivot.html)
   * [UNPIVOT Clause](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-unpivot.html)
   * [LATERAL VIEW Clause](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-lateral-view.html)
   * [LATERAL SUBQUERY](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-lateral-subquery.html)
   * [TRANSFORM Clause](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-transform.html)
   * [star (*) Clause](sql-ref-syntax-qry-star.html)
 * [EXPLAIN](sql-ref-syntax-qry-explain.html)

### Auxiliary Statements

 * [ADD FILE](sql-ref-syntax-aux-resource-mgmt-add-file.html)
 * [ADD JAR](sql-ref-syntax-aux-resource-mgmt-add-jar.html)
 * [ANALYZE TABLE](sql-ref-syntax-aux-analyze-table.html)
 * [CACHE TABLE](sql-ref-syntax-aux-cache-cache-table.html)
 * [CLEAR CACHE](sql-ref-syntax-aux-cache-clear-cache.html)
 * [DESCRIBE DATABASE](sql-ref-syntax-aux-describe-database.html)
 * [DESCRIBE FUNCTION](sql-ref-syntax-aux-describe-function.html)
 * [DESCRIBE QUERY](sql-ref-syntax-aux-describe-query.html)
 * [DESCRIBE TABLE](sql-ref-syntax-aux-describe-table.html)
 * [LIST FILE](sql-ref-syntax-aux-resource-mgmt-list-file.html)
 * [LIST JAR](sql-ref-syntax-aux-resource-mgmt-list-jar.html)
 * [REFRESH](sql-ref-syntax-aux-cache-refresh.html)
 * [REFRESH TABLE](sql-ref-syntax-aux-cache-refresh-table.html)
 * [REFRESH FUNCTION](sql-ref-syntax-aux-cache-refresh-function.html)
 * [RESET](sql-ref-syntax-aux-conf-mgmt-reset.html)
 * [SET](sql-ref-syntax-aux-conf-mgmt-set.html)
 * [SET VAR](sql-ref-syntax-aux-set-var.html)
 * [EXECUTE IMMEDIATE](sql-ref-syntax-aux-exec-imm.html)
 * [SHOW COLUMNS](sql-ref-syntax-aux-show-columns.html)
 * [SHOW CREATE TABLE](sql-ref-syntax-aux-show-create-table.html)
 * [SHOW DATABASES](sql-ref-syntax-aux-show-databases.html)
 * [SHOW FUNCTIONS](sql-ref-syntax-aux-show-functions.html)
 * [SHOW PARTITIONS](sql-ref-syntax-aux-show-partitions.html)
 * [SHOW TABLE EXTENDED](sql-ref-syntax-aux-show-table.html)
 * [SHOW TABLES](sql-ref-syntax-aux-show-tables.html)
 * [SHOW TBLPROPERTIES](sql-ref-syntax-aux-show-tblproperties.html)
 * [SHOW VIEWS](sql-ref-syntax-aux-show-views.html)
 * [UNCACHE TABLE](sql-ref-syntax-aux-cache-uncache-table.html)