DuckDB statements

Reference documentation for DuckDB SQL statements. These statements work in both local DuckDB and MotherDuck cloud environments.

Common operations:

• Data manipulation: SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE
• Schema management: CREATE TABLE, ALTER TABLE, DROP
• Data loading: COPY, EXPORT
• Advanced queries: PIVOT, UNPIVOT

ALTER TABLE

ALTER TABLE statement for modifying table structure in DuckDB.

ATTACH/DETACH

ATTACH and DETACH statements for connecting to external databases in DuckDB.

CALL

CALL statement for executing table functions in DuckDB.

COMMENT ON

COMMENT ON statement for adding descriptions to database objects in DuckDB.

COPY

COPY statement for importing and exporting data in DuckDB.

CREATE INDEX

Use CREATE INDEX to speed up point lookups and highly selective queries in MotherDuck.

CREATE MACRO

CREATE MACRO statement for defining reusable SQL expressions in DuckDB.

CREATE TABLE

CREATE TABLE statement for defining new tables in DuckDB.

DELETE

DELETE statement for removing rows from DuckDB tables.

DROP

DROP statement for removing tables, views, and other objects in DuckDB.

EXPORT

EXPORT statement for exporting database contents to files in DuckDB.

INSERT

INSERT statement for adding rows to tables in DuckDB.

PIVOT

PIVOT statement for transforming rows to columns in DuckDB.

SELECT

SELECT statement syntax and options in DuckDB.

SET/RESET

SET and RESET statements for configuring DuckDB session options.

UNPIVOT

UNPIVOT statement for transforming columns to rows in DuckDB.

UPDATE

UPDATE statement for modifying existing rows in DuckDB tables.

USE

USE statement for changing the default database or schema in DuckDB.

VACUUM

VACUUM statement for optimizing storage in DuckDB.