====== INSERT DIRECTORY Statement ======

INSERT DIRECTORY statement allows you to write the query results to a local or HDFS-compatible file system.

**Syntax**:

<code language=sql>
INSERT OVERWRITE [LOCAL] DIRECTORY directory select_statement
</code>

Notes:
  * //directory// specifies the target directory (path, variable or expression)
  * //select_statement// specifies the query (you can also use dynamic SQL string)

**Examples:**

Export sales data:

<code language=sql>
insert overwrite directory '/data/sales_daily' select * from sales_daily;
</code>

Export sales data from the specified table and put to the directory for the current date:

<code language=sql>
declare tabname string = 'sales_daily';

insert overwrite directory '/data/sales_' || current_date 
  'select * from ' || tabname;
</code>

**Compatibility:** Hive

**Version**: HPL/SQL 0.3.17

See also:
  * [[copy|COPY]]
  * [[copy-from-local|COPY FROM LOCAL]]