odps-sql

Use this skill when the user wants to query, analyze, or explore data in Alibaba Cloud ODPS (MaxCompute / 阿里云大数据计算服务). This skill executes SQL queries, lists tables, and inspects table schemas by running the odps_helper.py command-line script. Trigger this skill for requests like: querying ODPS data, listing MaxCompute tables, running SQL on ODPS, checking table structure, analyzing business data stored in ODPS, or any data exploration tasks involving Alibaba Cloud MaxCompute / ODPS.

Setup (First-time only)

1. Copy the credential template and fill in your values:

   bash

   cd odps-sql/
   cp config.example.env .env
   # Edit .env with your Alibaba Cloud credentials
   

2. Activate your Python environment and install dependency:

   bash

   # conda users:
   conda activate <your-env>
   # venv users:
   source .venv/bin/activate
   
   pip install pyodps
   

Executing Commands

Activate your Python environment first, then run all commands from the project root with:

bash

SCRIPT=odps-sql/scripts/odps_helper.py

List tables

bash

python $SCRIPT --list-tables

Filter by name:

bash

python $SCRIPT --list-tables --pattern <keyword>

Get table schema

bash

python $SCRIPT --describe <table_name>

Execute SQL query

bash

python $SCRIPT --query "<SQL statement>" [--limit <n>]

Default limit is 100 rows.

Workflow for Data Tasks

Follow this pattern when the user asks about ODPS data:

1. Discover — If the table name is unknown, run --list-tables --pattern <keyword> to find it.
2. Inspect — Run --describe <table> to understand columns, types, and partition structure.
3. Query — Construct the SQL and run --query. Always add a partition filter (WHERE dt = '...') for partitioned tables to avoid full scans.
4. Present — Summarize the results clearly for the user.

ODPS SQL Key Differences from Standard SQL

Feature	Standard SQL	ODPS SQL
String concat	a || b	CONCAT(a, b)
Current time	NOW()	GETDATE()
Null coalesce	IFNULL(x,y)	NVL(x, y)
Regex match	REGEXP	RLIKE
Date literal	'2024-01-01'	TO_DATE('2024-01-01','yyyy-mm-dd')

Partition filter is required for partitioned tables (partition column is usually dt):

sql

SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE dt = '2024-01-01' LIMIT 100

See odps-sql/references/odps_sql_guide.md for a full SQL reference.

Error Handling

• pyodps not found → Run install command in Setup step above
• Missing credentials → Check that odps-sql/.env exists and all four fields are filled in
• Table not found → Use --list-tables --pattern to find the correct name
• SQL syntax error → Check the ODPS SQL differences table above; avoid MySQL/PostgreSQL-specific syntax