The GET_PRESIGNED_URL file function in Snowflake provides a URL with access to a file on a stage without requiring authentication and authorization. This is particularly useful for sharing data files stored in Snowflake stages with external parties securely and conveniently. The presigned URL generated by this function gives temporary access to the file, which expires after a specified duration.
Example usage of GET_PRESIGNED_URL:
SELECT GET_PRESIGNED_URL('<stage_name>', '<file_path>');
This function generates a URL that can be used to directly access a file in the stage, making it easier to share data without compromising security.
Reference: Snowflake Documentation on File and Table Functions, specifically the section on GET_PRESIGNED_URL: https://docs.snowflake.com/en/sql-reference/functions/get_presigned_url.html Top of Form

* The VOLATILE clause is used to define functions that may return different values for different rows, even when provided with the same inputs.
* This clause is suitable for non-deterministic functions like those that involve random numbers or session-specific data.
References:
* Snowflake Documentation: User-Defined Functions
* Snowflake SQL Functions

When dealing with semi-structured data in Snowflake, and the specific types of operations to be performed on the data are not yet determined, Snowflake recommends using the VARIANT data type. The VARIANT type is highly flexible and capable of storing data in multiple formats, including JSON, AVRO, BSON, and more, within a single column. This flexibility allows users to perform various operations on the data, including querying and manipulation of nested data structures without predefined schemas.
References:
* Snowflake Documentation: Semi-structured Data Types

An outer join, specifically a left outer join, will list all rows from the left table and match them with rows from the right table. If there is no match, the result will still include the row from the left table, with NULLs for columns from the right table. Reference: Based on general SQL knowledge as of 2021.