What is Presto?

Presto is an open source SQL query engine that is renowned for its speed and reliability. It is designed to be efficient at scale, making it capable of handling interactive and ad-hoc queries across a diverse range of data sources. Presto operates effectively whether querying data lakes, lakehouses, relational databases, NoSQL databases, or data warehouses. As a neutrally governed project under The Linux Foundation, it supports a wide array of workloads, from interactive to batch, and can run on-premises or in any cloud environment.

Part of the open lakehouse architecture, Presto is utilized by numerous companies for its superior performance compared to other compute engines. It can efficiently scale to support from a handful to thousands of users, thanks to its in-memory distributed SQL engine capabilities. Presto stands out as an independent open source project that queries data where it lives, thereby eliminating the need for data movement.

When it comes to handling data, Presto is equipped with a set of built-in data types, which can be expanded through plugins. Not all connectors have to support every type, which provides flexibility depending on the use case. Presto includes basic types like BOOLEAN to capture true and false values, as well as complex network address types such as IPADDRESS and IPPREFIX, which handle various formats of IP addresses and routing prefixes. With additional support for structural types, numerical types, and unique identifiers like UUID, as well as data sketches like HyperLogLog, SetDigest, and T-Digest for approximate analytics, Presto stands as a comprehensive and versatile SQL query engine.

Exporting Data from Presto to a CSV File

Using the Presto Command Line Interface

To export data to a CSV file using the Presto command line interface, the --output-format flag is used with the value of CSV to specify the desired output format. The output can be redirected to a file using the > operator, which should be followed by the desired file name. For example, the command presto --execute "select * from foo" --output-format CSV > foo.csv will execute the query and write the output to foo.csv in CSV format.

Specifying Output Format with --output-format Flag

The --output-format flag accepts several values, including CSV, TSV, CSV_HEADER, TSV_HEADER, ALIGNED, and VERTICAL. To export data with the first row containing column headers, one can use CSV_HEADER as the value for --output-format. The > operator is then used to redirect the command's output to a file, as shown in the example: presto --execute "select * from foo" --output-format CSV_HEADER > foo.csv.

Running a Query from a File

In addition to executing a query directly from the command line, it is also possible to run a query from a file using the -f option. This method allows for the execution of more complex queries that are stored in a file. For example, running presto -f query.sql --output-format CSV > output.csv would execute the query contained within query.sql and export the results to output.csv in CSV format.

Streamline Your Data with Sourcetable

Instead of the traditional method of exporting Presto data to a CSV file and then importing it into a spreadsheet program, consider the cutting-edge approach of using Sourcetable. Sourcetable offers the unique capability to sync your live data directly from Presto, eliminating the need for cumbersome export-import cycles. This seamless integration not only saves time but also ensures that your data is always up-to-date.

With Sourcetable, you can automatically pull in data from multiple sources, including Presto, into one intuitive spreadsheet interface. This process significantly simplifies your workflow, making it easier to manage and query your data without switching between different platforms. Sourcetable is ideal for those looking to enhance automation and strengthen their business intelligence strategies. Embrace the efficiency and enjoy the real-time data synchronization that Sourcetable provides.

Common Use Cases

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  Sharing data with an external entity
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  Feeding report dashboards
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  Training machine learning models

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I export results from Presto to a CSV file?

Use the Presto CLI with the --execute flag to run your query and the --output-format flag set to CSV. Then direct the output to a file using > output.csv.

What command do I use to include headers in my CSV export from Presto?

Use the --output-format CSV_HEADER option in the Presto CLI to include headers in the CSV file.

Can I export Presto query results in formats other than CSV?

Yes, Presto supports exporting in multiple formats including ALIGNED, VERTICAL, TSV, and CSV_HEADER, in addition to CSV.

How can I set the format of my Presto export to CSV using the CLI?

Set the --output-format option to 'CSV' in the Presto CLI to format the export as CSV.

What is the correct syntax to save the output of a Presto query to a CSV file?

After running your query with the Presto CLI, append '> output.csv' to the command to save the output to a CSV file.