Can complex queries be optimized to only process changed data within a streaming or CDC pipeline?

Yes, Snowflake allows you to optimize complex queries to process only changed data within a streaming or CDC pipeline. It achieves this functionality through a feature called Streams.

Here's how it works:

A Stream object tracks changes (inserts, updates, deletes) made to a source table.
You can create a complex query that joins the original table with the Stream object.
The query will only process the relevant rows from the source table based on the changes captured in the Stream, significantly improving performance.
Snowflake offers different Stream types depending on your needs (standard, append-only, insert-only). This allows you to tailor the CDC process to your specific use case.

Overall, Snowflake's Streams feature enables efficient processing of complex queries focused solely on the changed data within a streaming or CDC pipeline.