The CREATE FILE FORMAT command creates a file format object in Snowflake that defines how data files should be interpreted when loading or unloading. Parameters in the definition include file type (for example, CSV, JSON, PARQUET), field delimiters, compression, quoting rules, and other parsing options. Once created, this file format object can be referenced by COPY INTO commands or external table definitions to ensure consistent handling of files.
Deleting a file format is performed using DROP FILE FORMAT. Modifying an existing file format is done with ALTER FILE FORMAT. Creating a new table is achieved with CREATE TABLE. Therefore, the purpose of CREATE FILE FORMAT is specifically to define how Snowflake should process data files.