A view is a virtual table based on a SQL query.

It does not store data physically.
Every time you query a view, the database re-runs the underlying SELECT query to fetch the latest data.
Think of it as a saved query that behaves like a table.

Example: Creating a View

CREATE VIEW employee_salaries AS

SELECT emp_id, first_name, last_name, salary

FROM employees

WHERE active = 1;

A materialized view is a physical copy of the result of a SQL query.

Example : Create a Materialized View

CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW sales_summary AS

SELECT product_id, SUM(amount) AS total_sales

FROM sales

GROUP BY product_id;

Quick Memory Trick