How does the generator function work in snowflake?

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How does the generator function work in snowflake?

Alejandro Penzini Answered question May 3, 2023
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The `GENERATOR` function in Snowflake is a powerful SQL function that can be used to generate a sequence of rows on the fly. The function can be used to generate a sequence of numbers, dates, times, or other data types, and can be customized to generate sequences of arbitrary length and complexity.

Here is an example of how to use the `GENERATOR` function to generate a sequence of numbers:

```
SELECT *
FROM GENERATOR(ROWCOUNT => 10);

```

This will generate a sequence of 10 rows, numbered from 1 to 10. You can customize the starting value, increment, and other parameters of the sequence by using the optional parameters of the `GENERATOR` function.

For example, to generate a sequence of even numbers starting from 2, you can use the following query:

```
SELECT *
FROM GENERATOR(ROWCOUNT => 5, START => 2, INCREMENT => 2);

```

This will generate a sequence of 5 rows, with values of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10.

The `GENERATOR` function can also be used to generate more complex sequences, such as dates or times. For example, to generate a sequence of dates starting from a specific date, you can use the following query:

```
SELECT *
FROM GENERATOR(ROWCOUNT => 7, START => DATEADD('day', -6, CURRENT_DATE()), STEP => INTERVAL '1 DAY');

```

This will generate a sequence of 7 rows, with dates starting from 6 days ago and incrementing by 1 day each row.

Overall, the `GENERATOR` function is a powerful tool in Snowflake that can be used to generate custom sequences of data on the fly, without the need for pre-existing tables or data sources.

Alejandro Penzini Changed status to publish July 7, 2023
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