# Lenses SQL **URL:** https://ask.lenses.io/c/lenses-sql/7.md [Latest](https://ask.lenses.io/latest.md) · [Categories](https://ask.lenses.io/categories.md) · [Tags](https://ask.lenses.io/tags.md) --- ## [About the Lenses SQL category](https://ask.lenses.io/t/about-the-lenses-sql-category/17)
**Author:** [@guillaume.ayme](https://ask.lenses.io/u/guillaume.ayme)\ **Replies:** 0
For all questions and answers related to the Lenses SQL engine - for data observability & for data processing (SQL processors) --- ## [SQL Processor - "SQL Invalid" error when using FORMAT\_DATE(\_meta.timestamp)](https://ask.lenses.io/t/sql-processor-sql-invalid-error-when-using-format-date-meta-timestamp/362)
**Author:** [@wkolbenschlag](https://ask.lenses.io/u/wkolbenschlag)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [July 6, 2026, 7:48pm UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/sql-processor-sql-invalid-error-when-using-format-date-meta-timestamp/362 "2026-07-06T19:48:21Z")
Getting errors while attempting to create an SQL Processor in Lenses: SQL Processor statement: INSERT INTO my\_topic STORE VALUE AS AVRO SELECT STREAM field\_a as \_key, field\_b, FORMAT\_DATE(\_meta.timestamp,… --- ## [Example SQL Snapshot command to create Kafka topic with sales orders JSON events](https://ask.lenses.io/t/example-sql-snapshot-command-to-create-kafka-topic-with-sales-orders-json-events/446)
**Author:** [@james1985](https://ask.lenses.io/u/james1985)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [October 20, 2025, 11:42am UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/example-sql-snapshot-command-to-create-kafka-topic-with-sales-orders-json-events/446 "2025-10-20T11:42:01Z")
Here’s an SQL Snapshot example of creating Sales Order JSON topic and schema in Lenses: CREATE TABLE VBAK\_VBAP\_JSON ( \_key STRING , OrderID STRING , OrderDate STRING , Customer.CustomerID STRING … --- ## [How to Handle Complex JSON Structures in Lenses SQL Queries](https://ask.lenses.io/t/how-to-handle-complex-json-structures-in-lenses-sql-queries/423)
**Author:** [@lawotid](https://ask.lenses.io/u/lawotid)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 30, 2025, 6:53pm UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/how-to-handle-complex-json-structures-in-lenses-sql-queries/423 "2025-08-30T18:53:23Z")
Hello I have been working with Kafka topics that contain deeply nested JSON structures, and while Lenses SQL has been great for querying; I am running into challenges when trying to extract and flatten specific fields f… --- ## [Why can't I use the FIRST and LAST SQL commands in SQL Processor?](https://ask.lenses.io/t/why-cant-i-use-the-first-and-last-sql-commands-in-sql-processor/400)
**Author:** [@kafkaesque](https://ask.lenses.io/u/kafkaesque)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2025, 3:53pm UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/why-cant-i-use-the-first-and-last-sql-commands-in-sql-processor/400 "2025-07-23T15:53:16Z")
I often use SQL FIRST and LAST command in SQL Studio, but I can’t use them in SQL Processor? Why not?? --- ## [Access to primitive value from streaming SQL](https://ask.lenses.io/t/access-to-primitive-value-from-streaming-sql/254)
**Author:** [@tomlloydcf](https://ask.lenses.io/u/tomlloydcf)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [June 19, 2024, 8:33am UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/access-to-primitive-value-from-streaming-sql/254 "2024-06-19T08:33:09Z")
I have a topic which has a value type of String which I am trying to use in a Lenses SQL processor, but I don’t seem to have access to the \_value property like I do in SQL studio. Is the value available by some other mea… --- ## [Possibility to change image for init-lenses-sql-runner](https://ask.lenses.io/t/possibility-to-change-image-for-init-lenses-sql-runner/213)
**Author:** [@Edward\_k](https://ask.lenses.io/u/Edward_k)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [April 17, 2024, 12:25pm UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/possibility-to-change-image-for-init-lenses-sql-runner/213 "2024-04-17T12:25:35Z")
I managed to update the image for lenses-sql-runner, but I couldn’t do the same for init-lenses-sql-runner, which continues to start from lensesio/lenses-cli:5.4. How can I change the image for init-lenses-sql-runner? --- ## [SQL WHERE clause on arrays](https://ask.lenses.io/t/sql-where-clause-on-arrays/198)
**Author:** [@Simon\_Duchene\_lenses](https://ask.lenses.io/u/Simon_Duchene_lenses)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2024, 3:12pm UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/sql-where-clause-on-arrays/198 "2024-03-14T15:12:38Z")
Hi There, i’m copy/pasting a question from Anand on our Community slack that is valuable for others : I have a challenge to run SQL query with “Where” clause. The Kafka topic is a list of arrays. { "value": \[ { … --- ## [“max size reached” message in Lenses SQL Studio](https://ask.lenses.io/t/max-size-reached-message-in-lenses-sql-studio/148)
**Author:** [@ejhon\_s](https://ask.lenses.io/u/ejhon_s)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [December 20, 2023, 1:48am UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/max-size-reached-message-in-lenses-sql-studio/148 "2023-12-20T01:48:10Z")
Using the SQL Studio, my query is displaying the following message: “Query is finished, max size reached (27 records in 21.37 seconds)” Here is my query: select \* from user-events-apps where \_meta.timestamp \> now()-'… --- ## [Windowing Joins with Lenses SQL Processors](https://ask.lenses.io/t/windowing-joins-with-lenses-sql-processors/95)
**Author:** [@wkolbenschlag](https://ask.lenses.io/u/wkolbenschlag)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2023, 2:56pm UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/windowing-joins-with-lenses-sql-processors/95 "2023-07-26T14:56:29Z")
I have use case where a single processor monitors 2 two separate topics, combines the results into one single output topic. Both source topics having the same key field. If both source topics receive data within a wind… --- ## [User friendly names for the custom Deserializer](https://ask.lenses.io/t/user-friendly-names-for-the-custom-deserializer/77)
**Author:** [@rahul.ks](https://ask.lenses.io/u/rahul.ks)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [June 12, 2023, 10:00am UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/user-friendly-names-for-the-custom-deserializer/77 "2023-06-12T10:00:42Z")
I have written a custom deserialier by implementing com.landoop.lenses.lsql.serde.Serde interface. When this Deserializer is deployed, I go to explore–\> topic–\>Action–\>Schema&metadata–\> change types. I can see its class… --- ## [Populate a sample event with an array into a Kafka topic](https://ask.lenses.io/t/populate-a-sample-event-with-an-array-into-a-kafka-topic/67)
**Author:** [@wkolbenschlag](https://ask.lenses.io/u/wkolbenschlag)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [May 23, 2023, 2:45pm UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/populate-a-sample-event-with-an-array-into-a-kafka-topic/67 "2023-05-23T14:45:05Z")
Are there any examples or tutorials on having a streaming processor create a populate a topic containing an array? --- ## [Duplicate events outputted in Lenses SQL Processor](https://ask.lenses.io/t/duplicate-events-outputted-in-lenses-sql-processor/65)
**Author:** [@wkolbenschlag](https://ask.lenses.io/u/wkolbenschlag)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2023, 4:17pm UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/duplicate-events-outputted-in-lenses-sql-processor/65 "2023-05-12T16:17:17Z")
I’m having an issue where one of my sql processors ‘seems’ to be reprocessing or re-sending events to one of my topics approximately once every two minutes or so. Duplicate events are identical, including timestamp. All…