{"id":3599,"date":"2023-04-12T15:39:37","date_gmt":"2023-04-12T15:39:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quebit.com\/askquebit\/get-started-with-snowflake\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T17:58:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T17:58:19","slug":"get-started-with-snowflake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quebit.com\/askquebit\/get-started-with-snowflake\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do I Get Started with Snowflake to Create a Database, Load Data, and Build Visualizations?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Snowflake<\/em><\/strong><\/a> is a cloud computing\u2013based data cloud company based in Bozeman, Montana founded in July 2012. Snowflake offers a cloud-based data storage and analytics service, generally termed “data-as-a-service”. Its key features include options for Security, Governance, and Data Protection, Standard and Extended SQL Support,\u00a0 Various built-in Tools and Interfaces, easy Connectivity, Data Import and Export, Data Sharing and Database Replication and Failover. <\/em>\u00a0Snowflake competes directly with products such as Redshift<\/strong>, MS SQL Server<\/strong> and Postgres<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In this article, I want to show just how easy it is to create a simple database, build a table, load some data, and then use that data. So, let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n

Log In<\/strong><\/p>\n

You use your web browser to log in to Snowflake (if you do not already have access to a Snowflake account, you can create a temporary account here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Once you have logged in to Snowflake, you will find a Worksheet<\/a> page where you can write and run SQL commands (if you are familiar with the SQL language, good<\/em> because the Snowflake query syntax used is pretty-close to standard SQL). Snowflake Worksheets\u00a0also provide a powerful and versatile method for performing other Snowflake tasks such as data loading, definition, and manipulation.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Create a Database<\/strong><\/p>\n

As part of Snowflake, Snowflake provides a system-defined, read-only shared database named \u201cSNOWFLAKE\u201d<\/strong> that contains metadata, as well as historical usage data, about the objects in your organization and accounts. \u00a0Snowflake also gives you a \u201csample\u201d database to explore and experiment, named \u201cSNOWFLAKE_SAMPLE_DATA<\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\n

Rather than use the provided sample database, below are the SQL statements I used to create a new database using the standard SQL create command (with a data retention period of 1 day) and then list the databases starting with ‘mil'(just a note – I always include a drop command with any create and it is commented-out here):<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

To run the commands, find the query space on the worksheet, and enter the SQL commands and then click the Run<\/strong> button:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Once you run the commands, the results will be displayed below in the Query results space:<\/span><\/pre>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
Adding a Table<\/strong><\/p>\n
Now that I have my own database (millers_motorcycles_db), we can build a table<\/em> (in that database), again entering and running the following standard SQL statements:<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
Worksheet Navigation Pane<\/strong><\/p>\n
To verify that the new table was created, I always run a select command against it, but you can also use the left-hand worksheet navigation pane<\/strong>. In that pane, you should see all of the databases you have access to, including our millers_motorcycles_db database. If you click the database name and expand Tables<\/strong>, you should see the newly created table listed there.<\/p>\n
No-Programming Data Load<\/strong><\/p>\n
Okay, now its data-load time. Like most tasks, Snowflake offers a \u201cno-programming\u201d approach to loading data into a table. To load data from a comma separated values or \u201cCSV\u201d file into our\u00a0 motorcycle_sales table I performed the following steps:<\/p>\n
First, find and click the Databases<\/strong> icon on the Snowflake worksheet:<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
Next, click Load Table<\/strong>:<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
On the Load Data<\/strong> dialog, select what Snowflake refers to as a virtual warehouse<\/em><\/strong> (the default COMPUTE_WH):<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
Snowflake utilizes virtual warehouses<\/strong> which are clusters of computing resources (including memory, temporary storage and CPUs) to perform tasks such as data manipulation and SQL execution.<\/p>\n
Once you have designated a virtual warehouse, you can employ the Load Data<\/strong> dialog and click on the Select Files\u2026<\/strong> button and navigate to a source file (of data) to load:<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
Once you click Next<\/strong>, on the File Format<\/strong> tab, you can click the +<\/strong> button to define the format of your file.<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
File formats you define can be saved and re-used so you want to be sure to provide an explicit Name<\/strong> and correctly set or select each of the following attributes:<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
After the load task completes, if you run a select against the motorcycle_sales table, the results space (in the worksheet) now shows some data:<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
Snowsight<\/strong><\/p>\n
Now that we have a database and a table with data in it, I want to use that data to create a chart. Snowflake provides an effective tool to extend the functionality found in Snowflake worksheets, called Snowsight<\/a> \u00a0and Snowsight supports the creation of the following types of charts: Bar charts<\/em>, Line charts<\/em> and Scatterplots<\/em>.<\/p>\n
To access Snowsight from the Snowflake worksheet, you click on the far right Snowsight icon:<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
Use Snowsight\u00a0Charting<\/strong><\/p>\n
Once you have accessed Snowsight, you will notice that the layout is similar to a Snowflake worksheet: a left navigation pane,<\/strong> a task or query area<\/strong> and a results<\/strong> pane. \u00a0Here, in the query area, I enter and run the following SQL commands:<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
Once the output of the select statement is displayed in the results pane, you can click on the Chart<\/strong> button to have Snowsight automatically convert the rows of data output to a chart. In the lower right area of Snowsight you can view and edit the chart properties:<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
Going Dark<\/strong><\/p>\n
Dark mode<\/em><\/strong> is a display setting for user interfaces that presents light-colored text, icons or other UI elements on black or dark grey backgrounds or dark surfaces (the opposite of the commonly used light theme design). Dark mode is a popular option offered in most of today\u2019s mainstream interfaces (and my personal preference). Unfortunately, Snowflake hasn\u2019t implemented this option just yet, but if you are using Chrome<\/strong>, you can achieve the same look and feel by downloading an enabling a 3rd party extension named Dark Reader<\/a>. Below is a view of Snowflake after Dark Reader has been enabled:<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
Interested in Learning More?<\/strong><\/p>\n
Are you interested in learning more about using Snowflake? Then Contact QueBIT<\/a> today and a technical expert we\u2019ll be happy to help. Like this post? Feel free to connect with me on:\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Snowflake is a cloud computing\u2013based data cloud company based in Bozeman, Montana founded in July 2012. Snowflake offers a cloud-based data storage and analytics service, generally termed “data-as-a-service”. 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After you click Finish<\/strong>, Snowflake will load the data from the file and show the completion status of the load. Snowflake works on the concept of \u201cEND-TO-END ENCRYPTION<\/a>\u201d where only end-users can view the data, as all data is encrypted during transit (loading).<\/p>\n