What is the general result of applying flatten to a JSON array in Snowflake?

• A. Each array element becomes a separate row.
• B. The array elements are concatenated into a single string.
• C. The array is discarded.
• D. A single row with JSON array is returned.

Answer: (A)

When you apply flatten to a JSON array, Snowflake expands the array so that each element becomes its own row in the result set. This makes the contents of the array accessible in relational form, allowing you to filter, join, or drill into each element individually. Typically used with a LATERAL join, flatten returns a row for every element and provides metadata such as the element’s value and its position in the array. This is why the other options don’t fit: flatten does not concatenate elements into a string, discard the array, or return just a single row containing the whole array.