Intro to SQLfor Organizing
Module 3 · You are here

Reading a Table: Schema, Preview, Row Counts

Inspect your table before you write a query. Read the schema, count the columns, check the row count and disk size, and skim the preview : all without spending a single byte on a query.

Time~20 minutes
BadgeSchema Reader
DeviceDesktop recommended
ArtifactTable inspection notes

By the end of Module 3, you will be able to:

  • Distinguish a dataset from a table in BigQuery.
  • Read a BigQuery table schema (field name, type, mode, description).
  • Use the Preview tab to view sample rows without spending query slots.
  • Use the Details tab to find the row count, disk size, and last-modified date.
  • Read BigQuery's syntax color coding (blue, green, dark red, orange, black).
  • Write a one-paragraph plain-language description of one table.

Subsections in Module 3

Start here: Module 3.1 · Datasets vs tables
Begin Module 3
After Module 3: Module 4 · Your First Query: SELECT, FROM, LIMIT
Next: Module 4 · Your First Query: SELECT, FROM, LIMIT