Creating Python UDFs¶

Writing the Python Module and Function¶

Write a module that follows the specifications below:

• Define the module. A module is a file containing Python definitions and statements.

• Define a function inside the module.

• If the function accepts arguments, each argument must be one of the data types specified in the Python Data Type column of the SQL-Python Type Mappings table.

  Function arguments are bound by position, not name. The first argument passed to the UDF is the first argument received by the Python function.

• Specify an appropriate return value. Because a Python UDF must be a scalar function, it must return one value each time that it is invoked. The type of the return value must be one of the data types specified in the Python Data Type column of the SQL-Python Type Mappings table. The type of the return value must be compatible with the SQL data type specified in the RETURNS clause of the CREATE FUNCTION statement.

• Your module can contain more than one function. The function that is called by Snowflake can call other functions in the same module, or in other modules.

• Your function (and any functions called by your function) must comply with the Snowflake-imposed constraints for Python UDFs.

Creating an In-line Python UDF¶

For an in-line UDF, you supply the Python source code as part of the CREATE FUNCTION statement.

For example, the following statement creates an in-line Python UDF that adds one to a given integer:

create or replace function addone(i int)
returns int
language python
runtime_version = '3.8'
handler = 'addone_py'
as
$$
def addone_py(i):
  return i+1
$$;

The Python source code is specified in the AS clause. The source code can be surrounded by either single quotes or by a pair of dollar signs ($$). Using the double dollar signs is usually easier if the source code contains embedded single quotes.

Call the UDF:

select addone(10);

Here is the output:

+------------+
| ADDONE(10) |
|------------|
|         11 |
+------------+

The Python source code can contain more than one module, and more than one function in a module, so the HANDLER clause specifies the module and function to call.

An in-line Python UDF can call code in modules that are included in the IMPORTS clause.

For more details about the syntax of the CREATE FUNCTION statement, see CREATE FUNCTION.

For more examples, see in-line Python UDF examples.

Creating a Python UDF With Code Uploaded from a Stage¶

The following statements create a simple Python UDF using code uploaded from a stage. The stage hosting the file must be readable by the owner of the UDF. Also, ZIP files must be self-contained and not rely on any additional setup scripts to be executed.

Create a Python file named sleepy.py that contains your source code:

def snore(n):   # return a series of n snores
    result = []
    for a in range(n):
        result.append("Zzz")
    return result

Launch the SnowSQL (CLI client) and use the PUT command to copy the file from the local file system to the default user stage, named @~. (The PUT command cannot be executed through the Snowflake GUI.)

put
file:///Users/Me/sleepy.py
@~/
auto_compress = false
overwrite = true
;

If you delete or rename the file, you can no longer call the UDF. If you need to update your file, then update it while no calls to the UDF can be made. If the old file is still in the stage, the PUT command should include the clause OVERWRITE=TRUE.

Create the UDF. The handler specifies the module and the function.

create or replace function dream(i int)
returns variant
language python
runtime_version = '3.8'
handler = 'sleepy.snore'
imports = ('@~/sleepy.py')

Call the UDF:

select dream(3);

+----------+
| DREAM(3) |
|----------|
| [        |
|   "Zzz", |
|   "Zzz", |
|   "Zzz"  |
| ]        |
+----------+

create or replace function multiple_import_files(s string)
returns string
language python
runtime_version=3.8
imports=('@python_udf_dep/bar/python_imports_a.zip', '@python_udf_dep/foo/python_imports_b.zip')
handler='compute'
as
$$
def compute(s):
  return s
$$;