spark-instrumented-optimizer/docs/sql-ref-syntax-qry-select-setops.md

---
layout: global
title: Set Operators
displayTitle: Set Operators
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  contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file distributed with
  this work for additional information regarding copyright ownership.
  The ASF licenses this file to You under the Apache License, Version 2.0
  (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
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---

### Description

Set operators are used to combine two input relations into a single one. Spark SQL supports three types of set operators:

 - `EXCEPT` or `MINUS`
 - `INTERSECT`
 - `UNION`

Note that input relations must have the same number of columns and compatible data types for the respective columns.

### EXCEPT

`EXCEPT` and `EXCEPT ALL` return the rows that are found in one relation but not the other. `EXCEPT` (alternatively, `EXCEPT DISTINCT`) takes only distinct rows while `EXCEPT ALL` does not remove duplicates from the result rows. Note that `MINUS` is an alias for `EXCEPT`.

#### Syntax

```sql
[ ( ] relation [ ) ] EXCEPT | MINUS [ ALL | DISTINCT ] [ ( ] relation [ ) ]
```

#### Examples

```sql
-- Use number1 and number2 tables to demonstrate set operators in this page.
SELECT * FROM number1;
+---+
|  c|
+---+
|  3|
|  1|
|  2|
|  2|
|  3|
|  4|
+---+
  
SELECT * FROM number2;
+---+
|  c|
+---+
|  5|
|  1|
|  2|
|  2|
+---+

SELECT c FROM number1 EXCEPT SELECT c FROM number2;
+---+
|  c|
+---+
|  3|
|  4|
+---+

SELECT c FROM number1 MINUS SELECT c FROM number2;
+---+
|  c|
+---+
|  3|
|  4|
+---+

SELECT c FROM number1 EXCEPT ALL (SELECT c FROM number2);
+---+
|  c|
+---+
|  3|
|  3|
|  4|
+---+

SELECT c FROM number1 MINUS ALL (SELECT c FROM number2);
+---+
|  c|
+---+
|  3|
|  3|
|  4|
+---+
```

### INTERSECT

`INTERSECT` and `INTERSECT ALL` return the rows that are found in both relations. `INTERSECT` (alternatively, `INTERSECT DISTINCT`) takes only distinct rows while `INTERSECT ALL` does not remove duplicates from the result rows.

#### Syntax

```sql
[ ( ] relation [ ) ] INTERSECT [ ALL | DISTINCT ] [ ( ] relation [ ) ]
```

#### Examples

```sql
(SELECT c FROM number1) INTERSECT (SELECT c FROM number2);
+---+
|  c|
+---+
|  1|
|  2|
+---+

(SELECT c FROM number1) INTERSECT DISTINCT (SELECT c FROM number2);
+---+
|  c|
+---+
|  1|
|  2|
+---+

(SELECT c FROM number1) INTERSECT ALL (SELECT c FROM number2);
+---+
|  c|
+---+
|  1|
|  2|
|  2|
+---+
```

### UNION

`UNION` and `UNION ALL` return the rows that are found in either relation. `UNION` (alternatively, `UNION DISTINCT`) takes only distinct rows while `UNION ALL` does not remove duplicates from the result rows.

#### Syntax

```sql
[ ( ] relation [ ) ] UNION [ ALL | DISTINCT ] [ ( ] relation [ ) ]
```

### Examples

```sql
(SELECT c FROM number1) UNION (SELECT c FROM number2);
+---+
|  c|
+---+
|  1|
|  3|
|  5|
|  4|
|  2|
+---+

(SELECT c FROM number1) UNION DISTINCT (SELECT c FROM number2);
+---+
|  c|
+---+
|  1|
|  3|
|  5|
|  4|
|  2|
+---+

SELECT c FROM number1 UNION ALL (SELECT c FROM number2);
+---+
|  c|
+---+
|  3|
|  1|
|  2|
|  2|
|  3|
|  4|
|  5|
|  1|
|  2|
|  2|
+---+
```

### Related Statements

* [SELECT Statement](sql-ref-syntax-qry-select.html)