Describing a database schema

In this recipe, you will learn how to describe databases in Hive.

Getting ready

The DESCRIBE DATABASE command is used to get information about the database, such as the name of the database, its comment (if attached during the creation of the database), its location on the filesystem, and its dbproperties. The general format of using the DESCRIBE DATABASE command is as follows:

DESCRIBE DATABASE [EXTENDED] db_name;
DESCRIBE SCHEMA [EXTENDED] db_name;

Where:

• DATABASE|SCHEMA: These are the same thing. These words can be used interchangeably.

• [EXTENDED]: This is an optional clause. This clause will list all the dbproperties attached to a particular database in Hive.

How to do it…

Follow these steps to describe a database in Hive:

• The following example lists the name of the database, the comment on the database, and the directory location on the filesystem:

  Describe database Hive_learning;
  

• The following example gives the same result as previous one:

  Describe schema Hive_learning...