Documentation Source Text

<p>The complete state of an SQLite database is usually
contained in a single file on disk called the "main database file".</p>

<p>During a transaction, SQLite stores additional information 
in a second file called the "rollback journal", or if SQLite is in
[WAL mode], a write-ahead log file.

<tcl>hd_fragment hotjrnl {hot journal} {hot journal files}</tcl>
<h2>Hot Journals</h2>
<p>If the application or
host computer crashes before the transaction completes, then the rollback
journal or write-ahead log contains information needed 
to restore the main database file to a consistent state.  When a rollback 
journal or write-ahead log contains information necessary for recovering 
the state of the database, they are called a "hot journal" or "hot WAL file".
Hot journals and WAL files are only a factor during error recovery
scenarios and so are uncommon, but they are part of the state of an SQLite

(the <tt>*-journal</tt> file) or write-ahead log (the <tt>*-wal</tt> file)
be copied together with the database file itself.</p>

<tcl>hd_fragment delhotjrnl {deleting a hot journal}</tcl>
<h2> Deleting a hot journal</h2>

<p>SQLite normally stores all content in a single disk file.  However,
while performing a transaction, information necessary to recover the
database following a crash or power failure is stored in auxiliary
journal files.  Such journal files are described as [hot journal|"hot"].
The journal files have the same name as the
original database file with the addition
of <tt>-journal</tt> or <tt>-wal</tt> suffix.</p>

<p>SQLite must see the journal files in order to recover from a crash
or power failure.  If the [hot journal files] are moved, deleted, or renamed
after a crash or power failure, then automatic recovery will not work
and the database may go corrupt.</p>

<p>Another manifestation of this problem is
[database corruption caused by inconsistent use of 8+3 filenames].</p>

<tcl>hd_fragment roguejrnl {separating a database from its journal} </tcl>
<h2> Mispairing database files and hot journals </h2>

<p> The previous example is a specific case of a more general problem:
The state of an SQLite database is controlled by both the
database file and the journal file.  In a quiescent state, the journal
file does not exist and only the database file matters.
But if the journal file does exist, it must be
kept together with the database to avoid corruption.  The following
actions are all likely to lead to corruption:
<ul>
<li> Swapping journal files between two different databases.
<li> Overwritting a journal file with a different journal file.
<li> Moving a journal file from one database to another.
<li> Copying a database file without also copying its journal.
<li> Overwriting a database file with another without also
     deleting any hot journal associated with the original database.
</ul>

<h1> File locking problems</h1>

<p>SQLite uses file locks on the database file, and on the 
[write-ahead log] or [WAL] file, to coordinate access between concurrent
processes.  Without coordination, two threads or processes might try
to make incompatible changes to a database file at the same time,

of the master journal.
If there are no ATTACHed databases (or if none of the ATTACHed database
is participating in the current transaction) no master journal is
created and the normal rollback journal contains an empty string
in the place normally reserved for recording the name of the master
journal.</p>


<p>A rollback journal is said to be [hot journal|hot]
if it needs to be rolled back
in order to restore the integrity of its database.  
A hot journal is created when a process is in the middle of a database
update and a program or operating system crash or power failure prevents 
the update from completing.
Hot journals are an exception condition. 
Hot journals exist to recover from crashes and power failures.