SHOW TABLES¶

Syntax¶

SHOW [ TERSE ] TABLES [ HISTORY ] [ LIKE '<pattern>' ]
                                  [ IN { ACCOUNT | DATABASE [ <db_name> ] | SCHEMA [ <schema_name> ] } ]
                                  [ STARTS WITH '<name_string>' ]
                                  [ LIMIT <rows> [ FROM '<name_string>' ] ]

Parameters¶

TERSE

Optionally returns only a subset of the output columns:

• created_on

• name

• kind

  The kind column value is always TABLE.

• database_name

• schema_name

Default: No value (all columns are included in the output)

HISTORY

Optionally includes dropped tables that have not yet been purged (i.e. they are still within their respective Time Travel retention periods). If multiple versions of a dropped table exist, the output displays a row for each version. The output also includes an additional dropped_on column, which displays:

• Date and timestamp (for dropped tables).

• NULL (for active tables).

Default: No value (dropped tables are not included in the output)

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 ACCOUNT | DATABASE [ db_name ] | SCHEMA [ schema_name ]

Optionally specifies the scope of the command, which determines whether the command lists records only for the current/specified database or schema, or across your entire account.

If you specify the keyword ACCOUNT, then the command retrieves records for all schemas in all databases of the current account.

If you specify the keyword DATABASE, then:

• If you specify a db_name, then the command retrieves records for all schemas of the specified database.

• If you do not specify a db_name, then:

  • If there is a current database, then the command retrieves records for all schemas in the current database.

  • If there is no current database, then the command retrieves records for all databases and schemas in the account.

If you specify the keyword SCHEMA, then:

• If you specify a qualified schema name (e.g. my_database.my_schema), then the command retrieves records for the specified database and schema.

• If you specify an unqualified schema_name, then:

  • If there is a current database, then the command retrieves records for the specified schema in the current database.

  • If there is no current database, then the command displays the error SQL compilation error: Object does not exist, or operation cannot be performed.

• If you do not specify a schema_name, then:

  • If there is a current database, then:

    • If there is a current schema, then the command retrieves records for the current schema in the current database.

    • If there is no current schema, then the command retrieves records for all schemas in the current database.

  • If there is no current database, then the command retrieves records for all databases and all schemas in the account.

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

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

• No database: ACCOUNT is the default (i.e. 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 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. Note that the actual number of rows returned might be less than the specified limit (e.g. 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

Both FROM 'name_string' and STARTS WITH 'name_string' can be combined 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).

Usage Notes¶

• If an account (or database or schema) has a large number of tables, then searching the entire account (or table or schema) can consume a significant amount of compute resources.

• The command does not require a running warehouse to execute.

• The value for LIMIT rows cannot exceed 10000. If LIMIT rows is omitted, the command results in an error if the result set is larger than 10K rows.

  To view results for which more than 10K records exist, either include LIMIT rows or query the corresponding view in the Snowflake Information Schema.

• 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.

Output¶

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

| created_on | name | database_name | schema_name | kind | comment | cluster_by | rows | bytes | owner | retention_time | dropped_on | automatic_clustering | search_optimization | search_optimization_progress | search_optimization_bytes | owner_role_type

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

Examples¶

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

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

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Show all the tables, including dropped tables, that you have privileges to view in the tpch.public schema:

SHOW TABLES HISTORY IN tpch.public;

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