Spark SQL Guide

UNPIVOT Clause

Description

The UNPIVOT clause transforms multiple columns into multiple rows used in SELECT clause. The UNPIVOT clause can be specified after the table name or subquery.

Syntax

UNPIVOT [ { INCLUDE | EXCLUDE } NULLS ] (
    { single_value_column_unpivot | multi_value_column_unpivot }
) [[AS] alias]

single_value_column_unpivot:
    values_column
    FOR name_column
    IN (unpivot_column [[AS] alias] [, ...])

multi_value_column_unpivot:
    (values_column [, ...])
    FOR name_column
    IN ((unpivot_column [, ...]) [[AS] alias] [, ...])

Parameters

Examples

CREATE TABLE sales_quarterly (year INT, q1 INT, q2 INT, q3 INT, q4 INT);
INSERT INTO sales_quarterly VALUES
    (2020, null, 1000, 2000, 2500),
    (2021, 2250, 3200, 4200, 5900),
    (2022, 4200, 3100, null, null);

-- column names are used as unpivot columns
SELECT * FROM sales_quarterly
    UNPIVOT (
        sales FOR quarter IN (q1, q2, q3, q4)
    );
+------+---------+-------+
| year | quarter | sales |
+------+---------+-------+
| 2020 | q2      | 1000  |
| 2020 | q3      | 2000  |
| 2020 | q4      | 2500  |
| 2021 | q1      | 2250  |
| 2021 | q2      | 3200  |
| 2021 | q3      | 4200  |
| 2021 | q4      | 5900  |
| 2022 | q1      | 4200  |
| 2022 | q2      | 3100  |
+------+---------+-------+

-- NULL values are excluded by default, they can be included
-- unpivot columns can be alias
-- unpivot result can be referenced via its alias
SELECT up.* FROM sales_quarterly
    UNPIVOT INCLUDE NULLS (
        sales FOR quarter IN (q1 AS Q1, q2 AS Q2, q3 AS Q3, q4 AS Q4)
    ) AS up;
+------+---------+-------+
| year | quarter | sales |
+------+---------+-------+
| 2020 | Q1      | NULL  |
| 2020 | Q2      | 1000  |
| 2020 | Q3      | 2000  |
| 2020 | Q4      | 2500  |
| 2021 | Q1      | 2250  |
| 2021 | Q2      | 3200  |
| 2021 | Q3      | 4200  |
| 2021 | Q4      | 5900  |
| 2022 | Q1      | 4200  |
| 2022 | Q2      | 3100  |
| 2022 | Q3      | NULL  |
| 2022 | Q4      | NULL  |
+------+---------+-------+

-- multiple value columns can be unpivoted per row
SELECT * FROM sales_quarterly
    UNPIVOT EXCLUDE NULLS (
        (first_quarter, second_quarter)
        FOR half_of_the_year IN (
            (q1, q2) AS H1,
            (q3, q4) AS H2
        )
    );
+------+------------------+---------------+----------------+
|  id  | half_of_the_year | first_quarter | second_quarter |
+------+------------------+---------------+----------------+
| 2020 | H1               | NULL          | 1000           |
| 2020 | H2               | 2000          | 2500           |
| 2021 | H1               | 2250          | 3200           |
| 2021 | H2               | 4200          | 5900           |
| 2022 | H1               | 4200          | 3100           |
+------+------------------+---------------+----------------+