Complex Types

Complex types such as structures (also known as rows) and arrays are composed of primitive types and sometimes other complex types. Complex types can be used in the following ways:

• Arrays and rows (in any combination) can be used as column data types in both native and external tables.
• Sets of primitive element types can be used as column data types in native and external tables.
• Maps can be used only in external tables using Parquet or ORC data.
• Arrays and rows, but not combinations of them, can be created as literals, for example to use in query expressions.