---
layout: docu
redirect_from:
- /docs/guides/python/export_arrow
title: Export to Apache Arrow
---

All results of a query can be exported to an [Apache Arrow Table](https://arrow.apache.org/docs/python/generated/pyarrow.Table.html) using the `arrow` function. Alternatively, results can be returned as a [RecordBatchReader](https://arrow.apache.org/docs/python/generated/pyarrow.ipc.RecordBatchStreamReader.html) using the `fetch_record_batch` function and results can be read one batch at a time. In addition, relations built using DuckDB's [Relational API]({% link docs/stable/guides/python/relational_api_pandas.md %}) can also be exported.

## Export to an Arrow Table

```python
import duckdb
import pyarrow as pa

my_arrow_table = pa.Table.from_pydict({'i': [1, 2, 3, 4],
                                       'j': ["one", "two", "three", "four"]})

# query the Apache Arrow Table "my_arrow_table" and return as an Arrow Table
results = duckdb.sql("SELECT * FROM my_arrow_table").arrow()
```

## Export as a RecordBatchReader

```python
import duckdb
import pyarrow as pa

my_arrow_table = pa.Table.from_pydict({'i': [1, 2, 3, 4],
                                       'j': ["one", "two", "three", "four"]})

# query the Apache Arrow Table "my_arrow_table" and return as an Arrow RecordBatchReader
chunk_size = 1_000_000
results = duckdb.sql("SELECT * FROM my_arrow_table").fetch_record_batch(chunk_size)

# Loop through the results. A StopIteration exception is thrown when the RecordBatchReader is empty
while True:
    try:
        # Process a single chunk here (just printing as an example)
        print(results.read_next_batch().to_pandas())
    except StopIteration:
        print('Already fetched all batches')
        break
```

## Export from Relational API

Arrow objects can also be exported from the Relational API. A relation can be converted to an Arrow table using the `arrow` or `to_arrow_table` functions, or a record batch using `record_batch`.
A result can be exported to an Arrow table with `arrow` or the alias `fetch_arrow_table`, or to a RecordBatchReader using `fetch_arrow_reader`.

```python
import duckdb

# connect to an in-memory database
con = duckdb.connect()

con.execute('CREATE TABLE integers (i integer)')
con.execute('INSERT INTO integers VALUES (0), (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (NULL)')

# Create a relation from the table and export the entire relation as Arrow
rel = con.table("integers")
relation_as_arrow = rel.arrow() # or .to_arrow_table()

# Or, calculate a result using that relation and export that result to Arrow
res = rel.aggregate("sum(i)").execute()
result_as_arrow = res.arrow() # or fetch_arrow_table()
```