Is there a way to import table , column descriptions into unity catalog?

[prasad_vaze]

I have a spreadheet containing table & column descriptions (comments) 

Is there a way to upload this against the schema in unity catalog? 

Basically instead of running  'Alter table <> alter column <>  comment "description"  '  command for every column, is there an easy way to mass apply column comments in unity catalog schema? 

[Kaniz_Fatma · Accepted solution]

Hi @prasad_vaze , Let’s explore how you can manage column comments in the Unity Catalog within Azure Databricks.

Unity Catalog Overview:

• The Unity Catalog is a fine-grained governance solution for data and AI on the Databricks platform.
• It simplifies security and governance by providing a central place to administer and audit data access.
• The primary building blocks in Unity Catalog include metastores and catalogs1.
• Catalogs are the highest level in the data hierarchy, managed by the Unity Catalog metastore. They represent a logical grouping of schemas, often mirroring organizational units or software devel....

Adding Comments to Columns:

• While there’s no direct “ALTER VIEW” command to add comments to specific columns in an existing view, you can recreate the view with the desired comments.
• Here’s a workaround:
  • Create a new view with the same name as the existing one.
  • In the new view, include the desired comments for the columns you want to update.
  • Drop the old view and rename the new view to the original name.

Mass Applying Column Comments:

• If you have a spreadsheet with column descriptions, consider these approaches:
  • Programmatic Solution:
    • Write a script (Python, Scala, etc.) that reads the spreadsheet and dynamically generates the necessary “ALTER TABLE” or “ALTER VIEW” commands for each column.
    • Execute these commands programmatically against your tables/views.
  • AI-Generated Comments:
    • Unity Catalog supports adding AI-generated comments to tables or table columns.
    • You can use this feature to automatically populate comments based on the data2.

Tagging and Organizing:

• Unity Catalog also allows you to apply tags to different securable objects.
• Tags are useful for organizing and categorizing different objects within a metastore3.

Remember, while altering views directly might not be possible due to limitations, creativity and scripting can help you achieve your desired outcome! 🚀