DESCRIBE SCHEMA

Applies to: check marked yes Databricks SQL check marked yes Databricks Runtime

Returns the metadata of an existing schema. The metadata information includes the schema's name, comment, and location on the filesystem. If the optional EXTENDED option is specified, schema properties are also returned.

While usage of SCHEMA and DATABASE is interchangeable, SCHEMA is preferred.

Syntax

{ DESC | DESCRIBE } SCHEMA [ EXTENDED ] schema_name

Parameters

  • schema_name: The name of an existing schema (schema) in the system. If the name does not exist, an exception is thrown.

Examples

-- Create employees SCHEMA
> CREATE SCHEMA employees COMMENT 'For software companies';

-- Describe employees SCHEMA.
-- Returns Database Name, Description and Root location of the filesystem
-- for the employees SCHEMA.
> DESCRIBE SCHEMA employees;
 database_description_item    database_description_value
 ------------------------- -----------------------------
             Database Name                     employees
               Description        For software companies
                  Location file:/you/Temp/employees.db

-- Create employees SCHEMA
> CREATE SCHEMA employees COMMENT 'For software companies';

-- Alter employees schema to set DBPROPERTIES
> ALTER SCHEMA employees SET DBPROPERTIES ('Create-by' = 'Kevin', 'Create-date' = '09/01/2019');

-- Describe employees SCHEMA with EXTENDED option to return additional schema properties
> DESCRIBE SCHEMA EXTENDED employees;
 database_description_item                    database_description_value
 ------------------------- ---------------------------------------------
             Database Name                                     employees
               Description                        For software companies
                  Location                 file:/you/Temp/employees.db
                Properties ((Create-by,kevin), (Create-date,09/01/2019))

-- Create deployment SCHEMA
> CREATE SCHEMA deployment COMMENT 'Deployment environment';

-- Describe deployment.
> DESCRIBE SCHEMA deployment;
 database_description_item database_description_value
 ------------------------- ------------------------------
             Database Name                     deployment
               Description         Deployment environment
                  Location file:/you/Temp/deployment.db