SHOW EXTERNAL TABLES¶

Syntax¶

SHOW [ TERSE ] EXTERNAL TABLES [ LIKE '<pattern>' ]
                               [ IN
                                        {
                                          ACCOUNT                                         |

                                          DATABASE                                        |
                                          DATABASE <database_name>                        |

                                          SCHEMA                                          |
                                          SCHEMA <schema_name>                            |
                                          <schema_name>

                                          APPLICATION <application_name>                  |
                                          APPLICATION PACKAGE <application_package_name>  |
                                        }
                               ]
                               [ STARTS WITH '<name_string>' ]
                               [ LIMIT <rows> [ FROM '<name_string>' ] ]

Parameters¶

TERSE

Returns only a subset of the output columns:

• created_on

• name

• kind

• database_name

• schema_name

LIKE 'pattern'

Optionally filters the command output by object name. The filter uses case-insensitive pattern matching, with support for SQL wildcard characters (% and _).

For example, the following patterns return the same results:

... LIKE '%testing%' ...

... LIKE '%TESTING%' ...

. Default: No value (no filtering is applied to the output).

[ IN ... ]

Optionally specifies the scope of the command. Specify one of the following:

ACCOUNT

Returns records for the entire account.

DATABASE, . DATABASE db_name

Returns records for the current database in use or for a specified database (db_name).

If you specify DATABASE without db_name and no database is in use, the keyword has no effect on the output.

Note

Using SHOW commands without an IN clause in a database context can result in fewer than expected results.

Objects with the same name are only displayed once if no IN clause is used. For example, if you have table t1 in schema1 and table t1 in schema2, and they are both in scope of the database context you’ve specified (that is, the database you’ve selected is the parent of schema1 and schema2), then SHOW TABLES only displays one of the t1 tables.

SCHEMA, . SCHEMA schema_name

Returns records for the current schema in use or a specified schema (schema_name).

SCHEMA is optional if a database is in use or if you specify the fully qualified schema_name (for example, db.schema).

If no database is in use, specifying SCHEMA has no effect on the output.

APPLICATION application_name, . APPLICATION PACKAGE application_package_name

Returns records for the named Snowflake Native App or application package.

Default: Depends on whether the session currently has a database in use:

• Database: DATABASE is the default (that is, the command returns the objects you have privileges to view in the database).

• No database: ACCOUNT is the default (that is, the command returns the objects you have privileges to view in your account).

STARTS WITH 'name_string'

Optionally filters the command output based on the characters that appear at the beginning of the object name. The string must be enclosed in single quotes and is case-sensitive.

For example, the following strings return different results:

... STARTS WITH 'B' ...

... STARTS WITH 'b' ...

. Default: No value (no filtering is applied to the output)

LIMIT rows [ FROM 'name_string' ]

Optionally limits the maximum number of rows returned, while also enabling “pagination” of the results. The actual number of rows returned might be less than the specified limit. For example, the number of existing objects is less than the specified limit.

The optional FROM 'name_string' subclause effectively serves as a “cursor” for the results. This enables fetching the specified number of rows following the first row whose object name matches the specified string:

• The string must be enclosed in single quotes and is case-sensitive.

• The string does not have to include the full object name; partial names are supported.

Default: No value (no limit is applied to the output)

Note

For SHOW commands that support both the FROM 'name_string' and STARTS WITH 'name_string' clauses, you can combine both of these clauses in the same statement. However, both conditions must be met or they cancel out each other and no results are returned.

In addition, objects are returned in lexicographic order by name, so FROM 'name_string' only returns rows with a higher lexicographic value than the rows returned by STARTS WITH 'name_string'.

For example:

• ... STARTS WITH 'A' LIMIT ... FROM 'B' would return no results.

• ... STARTS WITH 'B' LIMIT ... FROM 'A' would return no results.

• ... STARTS WITH 'A' LIMIT ... FROM 'AB' would return results (if any rows match the input strings).

Output¶

The command output provides table properties and metadata in the following columns:

For more information about the properties that can be specified for a external table, see CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE.

Usage notes¶

• This command doesn’t list external tables that have been dropped.

• The command doesn’t require a running warehouse to execute.

• The command only returns objects for which the current user’s current role has been granted at least one access privilege.

• The MANAGE GRANTS access privilege implicitly allows its holder to see every object in the account. By default, only the account administrator (users with the ACCOUNTADMIN role) and security administrator (users with the SECURITYADMIN role) have the MANAGE GRANTS privilege.

• To post-process the output of this command, you can use the RESULT_SCAN function, which treats the output as a table that can be queried.

• The value for LIMIT rows can’t exceed 10000. If LIMIT rows is omitted, the command results in an error if the result set is larger than ten thousand rows.

  To view results for which more than ten thousand records exist, either include LIMIT rows or query the corresponding view in the Snowflake Information Schema.

Examples¶

Show all the external tables whose name starts with line that you have privileges to view in the tpch.public schema:

SHOW EXTERNAL TABLES LIKE 'line%' IN tpch.public;

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