GCP BigQuery Archives

How to Call BigQuery Stored Procedure from Cloud Composer?

Automating your data warehouse workflows in Google Cloud is critical for scaling your analytics. If you want to orchestrate complex SQL logic seamlessly, knowing how to call a BigQuery stored procedure from Cloud Composer is an essential skill for any data engineer. Here is a complete, step-by-step guide and Airflow DAG example to get your pipelines running smoothly. Page Content Introduction Step 1: Create the BigQuery Stored Procedure Step 2: Write the Cloud Composer (Airflow) DAG Best Practices for Orchestrating BigQuery Conclusion Introduction Google Cloud offers several ways to orchestrate…

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July 7, 2026

GCP BigQuery

Reuse Column Aliases in BigQuery – Lateral Column alias

BigQuery lateral Column alias are columns that are derived from the previously computed columns in same SELECT statement. Derived columns or lateral Column alias are virtual columns that are not physically stored in the table. Their values are re-calculated every time they are referenced in a query. Many PostgreSQL relational databases such as Netezza supports reuse of the column aliases within the same SELECT statement but GCP BigQuery does not support reuse of calculated derived columns. In this article, we will identify the alternate methods reuse column aliases in Google…

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April 18, 2023

GCP BigQuery

Google BigQuery GROUP BY CUBE: Native Example and Alternative

If you are looking to perform multi-dimensional data analysis, the Google BigQuery GROUP BY CUBE function is exactly what you need. While developers previously had to rely on a complex UNION ALL alternative, BigQuery now natively supports this advanced aggregation feature. In this post, we will look at how to use the new native CUBE function and also review the legacy alternative for older codebases. Google BigQuery GROUP BY CUBE Page Content Introduction SQL GROUP BY CUBE in Google BigQuery GROUP BY CUBE BigQuery Alternative Using UNION ALL Conclusion Introduction…

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September 15, 2022

GCP BigQuery

Google BigQuery GROUPING SETS: Native Example and Alternative

If you are looking to perform multi-dimensional data analysis, the Google BigQuery GROUPING SETS function is exactly what you need. While developers previously had to rely on a complex UNION ALL workaround, BigQuery now natively supports this advanced aggregation feature. In this post, we will look at how to use the new native GROUPING SETS function and also review the legacy alternative for older codebases. Google BigQuery Grouping Sets Page Content Introduction SQL GROUPING SETS in Google BigQuery GROUPING SETS BigQuery Alternative Using UNION ALL Conclusion Introduction In my other…

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September 15, 2022

GCP BigQuery

NVL and NVL2 Functions in BigQuery and Alternatives

Like many relational databases, GCP BigQuery supports many useful built-in functions. Not all the functions those are available in other relational databases are supported in BigQuery. But, BigQuery provides alternative built-in functions that you can use. In this article, we will check NVL and NVL2 functions in BigQuery database. Page Content Introduction Does BigQuery Support NVL and NVL2 Functions? Best BigQuery Alternatives to the NVL Function Using IFNULL as an NVL Alternative Using COALESCE as an NVL Alternative Best BigQuery Alternatives to the NVL2 Function Using CASE as an NVL2…

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January 13, 2022

GCP BigQuery

What is SQL Cursor Alternative in BigQuery?

SQL Cursor is a database object to retrieve data from a result set one row at a time. The cursor are useful in many scenarios such as updating records using loops, inserting only required records, etc. You can think cursor as a temporary workspace provisioned in database system memory when a SQL query is executed. SQL Cursor always returns one row at a time, you can perform your calculation on returned values. In this article, we will check what is SQL cursor alternative in Google BigQuery with an example. Cursors…

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October 28, 2020

GCP BigQuery

Google BigQuery Recursive CTE: Native Query and Alternative Example

If you need to query hierarchical data like an organizational chart, employee-manager relationships, or a bill of materials a recursive query is the standard approach. While developers previously had to rely on scripting workarounds, Google BigQuery now fully supports native recursive CTEs. In this guide, we will look at how to write a native BigQuery recursive query, as well as a legacy alternative using a WHILE loop. Page Content Introduction Native BigQuery Recursive CTE (WITH RECURSIVE) BigQuery Recursive Query Alternative Using WHILE Loop Conclusion Introduction Identifying hierarchies of data used…

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October 16, 2020

GCP BigQuery

BigQuery Control Flow Statements – IF, LOOP, WHILE

Similar to relational databases such as SQL Server, BigQuery supports scripting. BigQuery scripting allows you to send multiple statements to BigQuery in one request. You can also set variables, and use it in any supported control flow statements such as IF and WHILE. For example, you can declare a variable, assign a value to it, and then reference it in a loop statement. In this article, we will check what are BigQuery Control Flow Statements with some examples. In BigQuery, a script is a SQL statement list to be executed in sequence. A…

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October 15, 2020