CQL quick reference

A consolidated syntax list of Cassandra Query Language (CQL) commands for quick reference.

Cassandra Query Language (CQL) commands are divided into four categories:

Data Definition Language (DDL): Commands that define or modify database objects such as keyspaces, tables, indexes, and types.
Data Manipulation Language (DML): Commands that manipulate data within the database, such as inserting, updating, deleting, and querying data.
Data Control Language (DCL): Commands that manage access and security such as creating roles, granting permissions, and restricting access.
Session/Utility commands: Commands that manage the session context, such as selecting a keyspace.

This quick reference provides a consolidated list of Cassandra Query Language (CQL) commands along with their syntax for easy reference.

Data Definition Language (DDL)

Don’t execute multiple DDL commands at the same time. Concurrent schema changes can result in nodes having different schemas. These inconsistencies cannot be resolved by normal repair operations.

ALTER TABLE

ALTER TABLE [<keyspace_name>.]<table_name>
  [ ADD ( <column_definition> | <column_definition_list> ) [ , ... ] ]
  [ DROP <column_name> [ , ... ] ]
  [ [ RENAME <column_name> TO <column_name> ] |
    [ RENAME ( VERTEX LABEL | EDGE LABEL ) TO <new_name> ] ]
  [ WITH <table_properties> [ , ... ] ]
  [ WITH ( VERTEX LABEL | EDGE LABEL ) <current_name> ]
  [ WITHOUT ( VERTEX LABEL | EDGE LABEL ) <current_name> ];

ALTER TYPE

ALTER TYPE <field_name>
  ( ADD <field_name> <cql_datatype>
  | RENAME <field_name> TO <<<new_field_name> [ AND <field_name> TO <new_field_name> ...] ) ;

CREATE INDEX

CREATE [CUSTOM] INDEX [ IF NOT EXISTS ] [ <index_name> ]
  ON [<keyspace_name>.]<table_name>
  ([ KEYS | VALUES | ENTRIES | FULL] <column_name>)
    USING <index_type>
  [ WITH OPTIONS = { <option_map> } ] ;

CREATE TABLE

CREATE TABLE [ IF NOT EXISTS ] [<keyspace_name>.]<table_name>
  ( <column_definition> [ , ... ] | [ PRIMARY KEY (partition_key_column_name, clustering_column_name) ] )
  [ AND <table_options> ]
  [ CLUSTERING ORDER BY [ <clustering_column_name> [ ASC | DESC ] ][ , ... ] ]
  [ AND ( VERTEX LABEL <vl_name> | EDGE LABEL ) <el_name> FROM <vl_name> TO <vl_name>]
  [ [ AND ] ID = '<table_hash_tag>' ] ] ;

The CLUSTERING ORDER BY clause is optional. If not specified, the default is ASC.

The ID clause is not configurable for Astra DB, and it is ignored if specified.

CREATE TYPE

CREATE TYPE [ IF NOT EXISTS ] [<keyspace_name>].<type_name>
  (<field_name> <cql_datatype> [ , <field_name> <cql_datatype> ... ]) ;

DROP INDEX

DROP INDEX [ IF EXISTS ] [<keyspace_name>.]<index_name> ;

DROP TABLE

DROP TABLE [ IF EXISTS ] [<keyspace_name>.]<table_name> ;

DROP TYPE

DROP TYPE [ IF EXISTS ] [<keyspace_name>.]<type_name> ;

REBUILD SEARCH INDEX

REBUILD SEARCH INDEX ON <keyspace_name>.]<table_name>
  [ WITH OPTIONS { deleteAll : ( true | false ) } ] ;

RELOAD SEARCH INDEX

RELOAD SEARCH INDEX ON [<keyspace_name>.]<table_name> ;

TRUNCATE

TRUNCATE [ TABLE ] [<keyspace_name>.]<table_name> ;

Data Manipulation Language (DML)

BATCH

BEGIN [ ( UNLOGGED | LOGGED ) ] BATCH
  [ USING TIMESTAMP [ <epoch_microseconds> ] ]
  <dml_statement> [ USING TIMESTAMP [ <epoch_microseconds> ] ] ;
  [ <dml_statement> [ USING TIMESTAMP [ <epoch_microseconds> ] ] [ ; ... ] ] ;
  APPLY BATCH ;

DELETE

DELETE [ <column_name> [ <term> ] [ , ... ] ]
  FROM [<keyspace_name>.]<table_name>
  [ USING TIMESTAMP <timestamp_value> ]
  WHERE <PK_column_conditions>
  [ ( IF EXISTS | IF <static_column_conditions> ) ] ;

INSERT

INSERT [ JSON ] INTO [<keyspace_name>.]<table_name>
  [ <column_list> VALUES <column_values> ]
  [ IF NOT EXISTS ]
  [ USING [ TTL <seconds> ] [ [ AND ] TIMESTAMP <epoch_in_microseconds> ] ] ;

SELECT

SELECT [ JSON | DISTINCT ] <selectors>
  FROM [<keyspace_name>.]<table_name>
  [ WHERE [ <primary_key_conditions> | <non_primary_key_conditions> IN (<column_name> [, ...]) ALLOW FILTERING ] [ AND ] [ <index_conditions> ]
  [ GROUP BY <column_name> [ , ... ] ]
  [ ORDER BY <column_name> ( ASC | DESC ) [ , ... ] ] |
  [ ORDER BY <vector_column_name> ANN OF [n,n,n,...] [ LIMIT N ] ]
  [ ( LIMIT <N> [ OFFSET <N> ]  | PER PARTITION LIMIT <N> ) ]
  [ ALLOW FILTERING ] ;

UPDATE

UPDATE [<keyspace_name>.]<table_name>
  [ USING TTL <time_value> ]
  [ [ AND ] USING TIMESTAMP <timestamp_value> ]
  SET <assignment> [ , <assignment> ... ]
  WHERE <row_specification>
  [ IF EXISTS | IF <condition> [ AND <condition> ] ] ;

Data Control Language (DCL)

Astra DB does not suport CQL DCL commands. Use the Astra Portal to manage database users and roles.

Session/Utility commands

USE

USE <keyspace_name> ;

CQL quick reference

Data Definition Language (DDL)

Data Manipulation Language (DML)

Data Control Language (DCL)

Session/Utility commands

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