SNOW-CAD Working with Data Practice Question
A company is importing user records from a CSV file using an import set. The transform map is configured to update existing records and insert new ones based on the email field. After running the import, they notice that some existing records were not updated even though the email matched. The email field in the target user table is correctly populated and has a unique index. The source CSV file has no obvious formatting issues. The import set runs without errors. What is the most likely cause?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The transform map's 'Coalesce' checkbox is not selected on the email field mapping.
The most likely cause is that the 'Coalesce' checkbox is not selected on the email field mapping in the transform map. Coalesce must be enabled for the system to use that field to match existing records in the target table. Without coalesce, the system treats all incoming records as new, so updates will not occur even if the email matches. Option B is incorrect because trailing spaces would affect all matching, not just some records, and the scenario states no formatting issues. Option C is incorrect because indexing affects performance, not matching. Option D is incorrect because the import set table does not need a unique index for target matching; the matching is based on the target table's email field, which has a unique index.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The transform map's 'Coalesce' checkbox is not selected on the email field mapping.
Why this is correct
Correct: Coalesce must be enabled for the system to match incoming records to existing target records based on that field.
- ✗
The source CSV has trailing spaces in the email field.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: While trailing spaces could cause mismatches, the scenario indicates that 'some' records were not updated, which suggests a systemic issue rather than a data quality one.
- ✗
The email field in the target table is not indexed.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Indexing improves performance but does not affect whether records are matched for update.
- ✗
The import set table does not have a unique index on the email field.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: A unique index on the import set table is not required for matching to target records; it only helps detect duplicates within the same import.
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