SQLite

  • Article

Most database users are proud to say that they have worked on databases of large size. For business processes, laying out the table structure with the data-types is an important skill called modeling.  

In this new generation of applications (apps), developer community is looking at easy to use, no overhead to deal with small quantity of data and zero over head or administrative tasks.

Let us take a look at SQLite, which is an embedded database.

  •          SQLite does not need to be configured before it is used
  •          There is no set up required
  •          No services need to be stopped, started or configured
  •          SQLite reads data and writes back data to the file. There is no server in between like a TCP/IP
  •          A SQLite data files can be emailed or copied in a USB for sharing
  •          SQLite file is cross platform. It can be easily copied from a 32 bit machine to a 64 bit machine and vice-versa
  •          Newer versions of SQLite can read older versions of the file.
  •          It has negligible foot print. (approx. 400 KB); In comparison in the same category there is Berkeley DB from Oracle (which does not provide SQL like capabilities, but only key value pairs); CloudScape from IBM is 2        MB and firebird client alone is 350 MB.

Source code for SQLite is available on Public domain.

You can download SQLite at https://sqlite.org/download.html

Books for references can also be found at https://sqlite.org/books.html

Next time you want to play around with front end code for a POC, try using SQLite. Ofcourse SQL Server 2012 is recommended for stronger client server architecture and dealing with volumes of data. You can also use SQL Server 2012 for Data warehousing, business intelligence and as a base to deal with Parallel data warehousing, analytical and visualization capabilities

Comments

  • Anonymous
    August 05, 2013
    What about SQLCE?  Do you know if Microsoft is moving away from SQLCE in favor or SQLite? thanks!

  • Anonymous
    August 05, 2013
    Jared, No Microsoft is not moving away from SQLCE. SQL CE has features that SQLite does not have. For example SQLite does not support multiple connections. SQLite does not enforce data types which can be a pro or a con depending how you intend to use it. SQLite memory requirement increases with the size where as that is not the case with SQL CE SQLite is ahead in selects, joins with performance in comparison

  • Anonymous
    August 12, 2013
    is there is any tutorial on how to link the SQLite with cc++, I am stuck on how to include the "sqlite3.h" in my project ..