Snowflake SnowPro Certification Practice Test

What is Snowflake's semi-structured data type?

1. OBJECT

2. JSON

3. VARIANT

4. ARRAY

The correct answer is: VARIANT

The semi-structured data type in Snowflake is aptly represented by VARIANT. This data type is specifically designed to handle semi-structured data formats like JSON, Avro, XML, and Parquet. VARIANT allows for the storage of heterogeneous data without requiring a fixed schema, enabling dynamic and flexible querying of the data. For instance, when you use VARIANT, you can easily query and manipulate nested and complex data structures that might be present in a JSON document. This flexibility is crucial for scenarios where the data structure may evolve over time or differ from one record to another. In contrast, OBJECT and ARRAY are specific structures that can be used within VARIANT. OBJECT represents key-value pairs, similar to a JSON object, and ARRAY represents ordered lists of values. However, these types are not standalone semi-structured data types. JSON, while a format that is often used with semi-structured data, is essentially an example of data that can be stored in VARIANT, not a type itself in Snowflake's data types. Therefore, VARIANT is the most appropriate answer, reflecting Snowflake's capability to manage various forms of semi-structured data seamlessly.