Databricks Certified Data Analyst Associate Exam - Topic 1 Question 34 Discussion

Actual exam question for Databricks's Databricks Certified Data Analyst Associate exam

Question #: 34
Topic #: 1

[All Databricks Certified Data Analyst Associate Questions]

A data analyst is attempting to drop a table my_table. The analyst wants to delete all table metadata and data.

They run the following command:

DROP TABLE IF EXISTS my_table;

While the object no longer appears when they run SHOW TABLES, the data files still exist.

Which of the following describes why the data files still exist and the metadata files were deleted?

AThe table's data was larger than 10 GB

BThe table did not have a location

CThe table was external

DThe table's data was smaller than 10 GB

EThe table was managed
An external table is a table that is defined in the metastore, but its data is stored outside of the Databricks environment, such as in S3, ADLS, or GCS. When an external table is dropped, only the metadata is deleted from the metastore, but the data files are not affected. This is different from a managed table, which is a table whose data is stored in the Databricks environment, and whose data files are deleted when the table is dropped. To delete the data files of an external table, the analyst needs to specify the PURGE option in the DROP TABLE command, or manually delete the files from the storage system.Reference:DROP TABLE,Drop Delta table features,Best practices for dropping a managed Delta Lake table

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: E

A user-defined function (UDF) is a function defined by a user, allowing custom logic to be reused in the user environment1.To apply a UDF to a table, the syntax isSELECT udf_name(column_name) AS alias FROM table_name2. Therefore, option E is the correct way to use the UDFpriceto create a new columncustomer_pricebased on the existing columnscustomer_spendandcustomer_unitsfrom the tablecustomer_summary.Reference:

What are user-defined functions (UDFs)?

User-defined scalar functions - SQL

by Heike at Mar 05, 2025, 01:32 PM

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Christiane

2 months ago

I thought dropping a table would delete everything.

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Martina

3 months ago

Wait, so the data files just sit there? That’s surprising!

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Phung

3 months ago

Managed tables delete data files, but externals don’t.

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Daniel

3 months ago

Totally agree, that's how external tables work!

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Deeanna

3 months ago

The table was external, so the data files stay.

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Truman

4 months ago

I thought the DROP TABLE command would always delete everything, but now I'm confused about the metadata and data files. I need to review that part again.

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Jose

4 months ago

I practiced a similar question where the distinction between managed and external tables was key. I think this is about the table being external.

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Lenna

4 months ago

I'm not entirely sure, but I feel like the size of the data doesn't really matter here. It could be related to whether the table is managed or external.

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Mariko

4 months ago

I remember something about external tables not deleting data files when dropped. I think that might be the answer.

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Emmett

4 months ago

Got it, this makes sense now. The data files still exist because the table was external, not managed. The DROP TABLE command only deleted the metadata, not the actual data files. I'll make sure to remember this distinction for the exam.

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Caren

5 months ago

Okay, I think I've got it. The data files still exist because this was an external table, not a managed table. The DROP TABLE command only removes the metadata, not the actual data. Good to know for the exam!

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Lynda

5 months ago

Ah, I see now. The key is that this was an external table, not a managed table. For external tables, the DROP TABLE command only removes the metadata, not the actual data files. To fully delete the data, I'll need to use the PURGE option or manually delete the files.

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Arlene

5 months ago

Hmm, I'm a bit confused here. I thought DROP TABLE was supposed to delete everything, both the metadata and the data files. I'll need to double-check the documentation on how DROP TABLE works for external tables.

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Solange

5 months ago

I'm pretty sure the data files still exist because the table was external, so the DROP TABLE command only deleted the metadata and not the actual data files.

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Salome

5 months ago

Hmm, I'm not entirely sure about this. I know the difference between managed and external tables, but I'm not sure how that applies to this specific scenario. I'll need to think it through step-by-step.

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Pete

5 months ago

Ah, I think I've got it! The key is that the table was external, so only the metadata was deleted, not the actual data files. I'm feeling confident about this one.

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Marquetta

5 months ago

I'm a bit confused here. If the table was external, wouldn't the metadata have been deleted too? I'll need to review the documentation on how DROP TABLE works for external tables.

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Carissa

5 months ago

Okay, let's see. The question says the data files still exist, so it must be an external table. I'm pretty sure that's the answer, but I'll double-check the options just to be sure.

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Elbert

5 months ago

Hmm, this seems like a tricky one. I'll need to think carefully about the differences between managed and external tables.

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Lauryn

9 months ago

Ah, the old 'data files still exist' trick. That's like the Bermuda Triangle of database management - mysterious, yet intriguing!

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Shawna

8 months ago

This is different from a managed table, which is a table whose data is stored in the Databricks environment, and whose data files are deleted when the table is dropped.

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Elza

8 months ago

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Alba

8 months ago

An external table is a table that is defined in the metastore, but its data is stored outside of the Databricks environment, such as in S3, ADLS, or GCS. When an external table is dropped, only the metadata is deleted from the metastore, but the data files are not affected.

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Tamra

8 months ago

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Veronika

9 months ago

Looks like the data analyst needs to brush up on their Databricks knowledge. External tables, who knew? At least they learned something new today.

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Alesia

10 months ago

Haha, I bet the analyst was scratching their head, wondering where the data went. Should've read the fine print on external tables!

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Mila

9 months ago

Mila: Analyst should have used the PURGE option or manually deleted the files.

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My

9 months ago

My: The table was external, so only the metadata was deleted, not the data files.

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Luisa

9 months ago

Analyst: Why are the data files still there after dropping the table?

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Trevor

10 months ago

Hmm, I thought dropping a table would remove everything. This external table thing is new to me, good thing I learned about it from this question.

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Marion

9 months ago

C: To delete the data files of an external table, you need to use the PURGE option in the DROP TABLE command.

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Teresita

9 months ago

B: Yeah, external tables store data outside of the Databricks environment.

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Odette

9 months ago

A: External tables are different from managed tables, that's why the data files still exist.

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Telma

11 months ago

So to delete the data files, we would need to use the PURGE option or manually delete them.

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Brice

11 months ago

Ah, I see, the data files are still there because this is an external table. Makes sense, good to know that the metadata is what gets deleted, not the actual data files.

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