Databricks Certified Data Engineer - Associate

Explanation

Correct Answer: A

Why Option A is correct:

• INSERT INTO table_name VALUES (...) is the standard SQL syntax for inserting new records into a table.
• The syntax correctly specifies the table name (my_table) and provides the values in the correct order matching the table's column structure.
• This command will append the new record to the existing Delta table.

Why other options are incorrect:

Option B: my_table UNION VALUES ('a1', 6, 9.4)

• This is not valid SQL syntax for inserting data. UNION is used to combine results of SELECT statements, not for inserting data.
• Even if used with SELECT, it would create a new result set but not modify the table.

Option C: INSERT VALUES ('a1', 6, 9.4) INTO my_table

• This has incorrect syntax. The correct order is INSERT INTO table_name VALUES (...).
• Some database systems might support this syntax, but it's not standard SQL and not guaranteed to work in Databricks/Spark SQL.

Option D: UPDATE my_table VALUES ('a1', 6, 9.4)

• UPDATE is used to modify existing records, not to insert new ones.
• The syntax is incorrect for UPDATE statements, which require SET clause to specify column updates.

Option E: UPDATE VALUES ('a1', 6, 9.4) my_table

• This is completely invalid SQL syntax for any operation.
• UPDATE statements require a SET clause and typically a WHERE clause to identify which rows to update.

Key Learning Points:

1. Use INSERT INTO table_name VALUES (...) to append new records to a table.
2. Ensure the values are provided in the correct order matching the table's column definitions.
3. UPDATE is for modifying existing records, not for inserting new ones.
4. Always use standard SQL syntax for compatibility across different SQL implementations.