You are developing a data pipeline that involves loading data from multiple CSV files stored in an Amazon S3 bucket into a Snowflake table. The files have different schemas (different column names and data types), but all files contain a common column named 'record_type' that identifies the schema of the data in that file. You need to create a single Snowflake table that can store data from all the files, while ensuring data integrity and proper data typing based on the 'record_type'. Which of the following approaches is the MOST efficient and scalable method to achieve this in Snowflake?
Correct Answer: B
The most efficient and scalable method involves creating multiple Snowflake tables, one for each 'record_type'. Loading data into correctly typed tables, using a task to dynamically identify files and load them into the appropriate table, leverages Snowflake's strengths. While VARIANT can store different schemas, querying and processing data in VARIANT columns are less performant than querying and processing data with correct data types. A single wide table with all VARCHAR columns requires extensive casting in views. External tables with streams can work, but creating multiple tasks for each record type becomes complex. Choosing the correct data type at load time and having well-defined schemas will minimize transformation later.