Data types in Snowflake - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the purpose of data types in Snowflake?

Data types define the kind of data that can be stored in a column, such as numbers, text, or dates. They help Snowflake understand how to store, process, and retrieve data efficiently.

beginner

Name three common numeric data types in Snowflake.

1. NUMBER (for integers and decimals)<br>2. FLOAT (for floating-point numbers)<br>3. INTEGER (alias for NUMBER without decimals)

beginner

What data type would you use to store text in Snowflake?

You use VARCHAR or STRING data types to store text. They can hold variable-length character data.

intermediate

How does Snowflake handle date and time data types?

Snowflake provides DATE for dates, TIME for time of day, TIMESTAMP for date and time combined, and TIMESTAMP_TZ for timestamps with time zone information.

intermediate

What is the difference between VARIANT and OBJECT data types in Snowflake?

VARIANT can store semi-structured data like JSON, XML, or Avro in a flexible way. OBJECT is a subtype of VARIANT that specifically stores key-value pairs like a JSON object.

Which Snowflake data type is best for storing whole numbers without decimals?

A VARCHAR

B TIMESTAMP

C NUMBER

D BOOLEAN

NUMBER is used for numeric values including whole numbers. INTEGER is an alias for NUMBER without decimals.

Which data type should you use to store a user's full name?

A VARCHAR

B FLOAT

C DATE

D OBJECT

VARCHAR stores variable-length text, perfect for names.

What data type stores date and time with timezone in Snowflake?

A TIME

B TIMESTAMP_TZ

C DATE

D VARIANT

TIMESTAMP_TZ stores date and time including timezone information.

Which data type is designed for semi-structured data like JSON?

A VARIANT

B BOOLEAN

C OBJECT

D NUMBER

VARIANT can store semi-structured data such as JSON flexibly.

If you want to store true or false values, which data type do you choose?

A TIMESTAMP

B VARCHAR

C NUMBER

D BOOLEAN

BOOLEAN stores true or false values.

Explain the main categories of data types available in Snowflake and give an example of each.

Think about numbers, words, dates, flexible data, and true/false.

Describe when you would use the VARIANT data type instead of VARCHAR or NUMBER in Snowflake.

Consider data that is not just simple text or numbers.