Working with data definition language commands

In this section, we will learn about data definition commands that are specific to Databricks SQL and Lakehouse. Specifically, we will focus on commands that allow administrators to manage data catalogs, cloud storage locations, and Delta Sharing.

Databricks SQL supports the common data definition commands such as the following:

• CREATE/ALTER/DROP database/schema
• CREATE/ALTER/DROP/TRUNCATE table
• CREATE/ALTER/DROP view

These are standard commands in the database and data warehouse world. They have the same semantics in Databricks SQL and do not require detailed unpacking. However, as we learned in Chapter 3, The Data Catalog, Databricks SQL encapsulates database objects in a new type of object called the catalog. Let’s learn how to create catalog objects and work with them.

DDL for catalogs

Databricks SQL supports a three-level namespace, with the catalog being the highest-level namespace. As a reminder...