FROM ​

FROM supplies the rows read by a SELECT. A source can be a table, a view, a subquery or a table-valued function. Several sources can be combined with a JOIN.

A SELECT without FROM evaluates expressions once and returns one row.

Syntax ​

FROM [schema.]table [AS alias]
FROM (query) [AS alias]
FROM table_function(arguments) [AS alias]

An alias gives a source a short name and disambiguates columns shared by several sources.

Qualified names ​

The embedded engine resolves namespaces such as main, temp and an attached name. main.orders names the table in the main namespace.

A server SELECT source can use database.schema.table to select a managed database for that statement. This does not change the session's USE selection.

Examples ​

Reading a subquery ​

CREATE TABLE orders (id INTEGER, amount INTEGER);
INSERT INTO orders VALUES (1, 10), (2, 20), (3, 30);

SELECT selected.id, selected.amount
FROM (
    SELECT id, amount
    FROM orders
    WHERE amount >= 20
) AS selected
ORDER BY selected.id
FORMAT csv;

2,20
3,30

Generating rows ​

SELECT generate_series AS number
FROM generate_series(1, 3)
FORMAT csv;

1
2
3

Other table functions expand JSON documents or read confined server files. See table functions for their syntax and restrictions.