ODPS (MaxCompute) Data Query

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)

Copy the credential template and fill in your values:

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

Activate your Python environment and install dependency:

# 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:

SCRIPT=mcp-odps/scripts/odps_helper.py

List tables

python $SCRIPT --list-tables

Filter by name:

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

Get table schema

python $SCRIPT --describe <table_name>

Execute SQL query

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:

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

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

See mcp-odps/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 mcp-odps/.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