Documentation Source Text

<title>About SQLite</title>

<h3>About SQLite</h3>

<p>SQLite is a in-process library that implements a
<a href="selfcontained.html">self-contained</a>, 
<a href="serverless.html">serverless</a>,
<a href="zeroconf.html">zero-configuration</a>,
<a href="transactional.html">transactional</a>
SQL database engine.

The code for SQLite is in the
<a href="copyright.html">public domain</a> and is thus free for
use for any purpose, commercial or private.
SQLite is currently found in more applications than we can
count, including several <a href="famous.html">high-profile projects.</a></p>

<p>SQLite is an embedded SQL database engine.





Unlike most other SQL databases, SQLite does not have a separate

server process.  SQLite reads and writes directly to ordinary disk
files.  A complete SQL database with multiple tables, indices,
triggers, and views, is contained in a single disk file.
The database file format is cross-platform - you can freely copy a database
between 32-bit and 64-bit systems or between 
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endianness">big-endian</a> and

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endianness">little-endian</a>

architectures.  These features make SQLite a popular choice as
an <a href="whentouse.html#appfileformat">Application File Format</a>.
Think of SQLite not as a replacement for 
<a href="http://www.oracle.com/database/index.html">Oracle</a> but
as a replacement for <a href="http://man.he.net/man3/fopen">fopen()</a></p>

<p>SQLite is a compact library.
With all features enabled, the library size can be less than 250KiB,
depending on compiler optimization settings.  (Some compiler optimizations
such as agressive function inlining and loop unrolling can cause the
object code to be much larger.)  If optional features are omitted, the
size of the SQLite library can be reduced below 180KiB.  SQLite can also
be made to run in minimal stack space (16KiB) and
very little heap (100KiB), making SQLite a popular database engine 
choice on memory constrained gadgets such as cellphones, PDAs, and MP3 players.
There is a tradeoff between memory usage and speed.  



SQLite generally runs faster the more memory

you give it.  Nevertheless, performance is usually quite good even
in low-memory environments.</p>

<p>SQLite has a reputation for being very reliable.


Over two-thirds of the source code is devoted purely to testing and
verification.  An automated test suite runs hundreds of thousands of
tests involving millions of individual SQL statements and achieves
over 98% test coverage.  SQLite responds gracefully to memory
allocation failures and disk I/O errors.  Transactions are
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACID">ACID</a>
even if interrupted by system crashes or power failures.  
All of this is verified by
the automated tests using special test harnesses which simulate 
system failures.
Of course, even with all this testing, there are still bugs.
But unlike some similar projects (especially commercial competitors)
SQLite is open and honest about all bugs and provides
<a href="http://www.sqlite.org/cvstrac/rptview?rn=5">bugs lists</a>
including lists of

<a href="http://www.sqlite.org/cvstrac/wiki?p=DatabaseCorruption">
critical bugs</a> and
minute-by-minute <a href="http://www.sqlite.org/cvstrac/timeline">
chronologies</a> of bug reports and code changes.</p>

<p>The SQLite code base is supported by an

<a href="crew.html">international team</a> of developers who work on
SQLite full-time.
The developers continue to expand the capabilities of SQLite
and enhance its reliability and performance while maintaining
backwards compatibility with the 
<a href="c3ref/intro.html">published interface spec</a>,
<a href="lang.html">SQL syntax</a>, and database file format.
The source code is absolutely free to anybody who wants it,
but <a href="http://www.hwaci.com/sw/sqlite/prosupport.html">
professional support services</a> are also available.</p>


<p>We the developers hope that you find SQLite useful and we
charge you to use it well: to make good and beautiful products that
are fast, reliable, and simple to use.  Seek forgiveness for yourself
as you forgive others.  And just as you have received SQLite for free,

so also freely give, paying the debt forward.</p>

<h2>About SQLite</h2>

<h3>SQLite Features:</h3>

<p><ul>
<li><a href="transactional.html">Transactions</a>
    are atomic, consistent, isolated, and durable (ACID)
    even after system crashes and power failures.</li>
<li><a href="zeroconf.html">Zero-configuration</a>
     - no setup or administration needed.</li>
<li>Implements most of SQL92.
    (<a href="omitted.html">Features not supported</a>)</li>
<li>A complete database is stored in a 
    <a href="onefile.html">single cross-platform disk file</a>.</li>
<li>Supports terabyte-sized databases and gigabyte-sized strings
    and blobs.  (See <a href="limits.html">limits.html</a>.)
<li>Small code footprint: 
    <a href="http://www.sqlite.org/cvstrac/wiki?p=SizeOfSqlite">
    less than 250KiB</a> fully configured or less
    than 150KiB with optional features omitted.</li>
<li><a href="speed.html">Faster</a> than popular client/server database
    engines for most common operations.</li>
<li>Simple, easy to use <a href="c3ref/intro.html">API</a>.</li>
<li>Written in ANSI-C.  <a href="tclsqlite.html">TCL bindings</a> included.
    Bindings for dozens of other languages 
    <a href="http://www.sqlite.org/cvstrac/wiki?p=SqliteWrappers">
    available separately.</a></li>
<li>Well-commented source code with over 98% test coverage.</li>
<li>Available as a 
    <a href="amalgamation.html">single ANSI-C source-code file</a> 
    that you can easily drop into another project.
<li><a href="selfcontained.html">Self-contained</a>:
    no external dependencies.</li>
<li>Cross-platform: Linux (unix), MacOSX, OS/2, Win32 and WinCE are supported
    out of the box.  Easy to port to other systems.
<li>Sources are in the <a href="copyright.html">public domain</a>.
    Use for any purpose.</li>
<li>Comes with a standalone <a href="sqlite.html">command-line interface</a>
    (CLI) client that can be used to administer SQLite databases.</li>
</ul>
</p>

<h3>Suggested Uses For SQLite:</h3>

<p><ul>
<li><p><b>Application File Format.</b>
Rather than using fopen() to write XML or some proprietary format into
disk files used by your application, use an SQLite database instead.
You'll avoid having to write and troubleshoot a parser, your data
will be more easily accessible and cross-platform, your updates
will transactional.</p></li>

<li><p><b>Database For Gadgets.</b>
SQLite is popular choice for the database engine in cellphones,
PDAs, MP3 players, set-top boxes, and other electronic gadgets.
SQLite has a small code footprint, makes efficient use of memory,
disk space, and disk bandwidth, is highly reliable, and requires
no maintenance from a Database Adminstrator.</p></li>

<li><p><b>Website Database.</b>
Because it requires no configuration and stores information in order
disk files, SQLite is a popular choice as the database to back small
to medium-sized websites.</p></li>

<li><p><b>Stand-in For An Enterprise RDBMS.</b>
SQLite is often used as a surrogate for an enterprise RDBMS for
demonstration purposes or for testing.  SQLite is fast and requires
no setup, which takes a lot of the hassle out of testing and which
makes demos perky and easy to launch.</p></li>
</ul>

<title>SQLite Home Page</title>

<table border="0" width="100%">
<tr><td valign="top">
<h3>Welcome</h3>
This the homepage for
SQLite - a library that implements a
<a href="selfcontained.html">self-contained</a>, 
<a href="serverless.html">serverless</a>,
<a href="zeroconf.html">zero-configuration</a>,
<a href="transactional.html">transactional</a>
SQL database engine.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<a href="http://osdir.com/Article6677.phtml">
<img src="images/2005osaward.gif"></a>
</center>
</td>
<td width="20"></td><td bgcolor="#80a796" width="1"></td><td width="20"></td>

<td>
<h3>Current Status</h3>

<p><ul>
<li><a href="releaselog/3_5_2.html">Version 3.5.2</a>
of SQLite is stable and is recommended for all users.</li>
</ul></p>

<h3>Common Links</h3>

<p><ul>
<li> <a href="about.html">Features</a> </li>
<li> <a href="faq.html">Frequently Asked Questions</a> </li>
<li> <a href="famous.html">Well-known Users</a> </li>
<li> <a href="lang.html">SQL Syntax</a> </li>
<li> <a href="c3ref/intro.html">C/C++ Interface Spec</a> </li>
<li> <a href="http://www.sqlite.org/cvstrac/timeline">Timeline</a> </li>
<li> <a href="http://www.sqlite.org/cvstrac/wiki">Wiki</a> </li>
</ul></p>






</td></tr>




</table>

<title>SQLite Site Map</title>

<h2>Site Map</h2>

<ul>
<li> <a href="index.html">Home Page</a> </li>
<li> <a href="about.html">About</a>
     <ul>
     <li> <a href="features.html">Feature List</a> </li>
     <li> <a href="famous.html">Well-known Users</a> </li>
     <li> <a href="lang.html">SQL Syntax</a> </li>
     <li> <a href="c3ref/intro.html">C/C++ Interface Spec</a> </li>
     <li> <a href="crew.html">Developer Vitas</a> </li>
     </ul></li>
<li> <a href="docs.html">Documentation</a> (dozens of links...)
     <ul>
     <li> <a href="faq.html">Frequently Asked Questions</a></li>
     <li> <a href="quickstart.html">SQLite In 5 Minutes Or Less</a></li>
     <li> <a href="c3ref/intro.html">C/C++ Interface Spec</a></li>
     <li> <a href="lang.html">SQL Syntax</a></li>
     <li> <a href="whentouse.html">Appropriate Uses For SQLite</a></li>
     <li> <a href="different.html">Distinctive Features</a></li>
     </ul></li>
<li> <a href="download.html">Download</a> </li>
<li> <a href="copyright.html">License</a>
     <ul>
     <li> <a href="copyright-release.html">Copyright release form</a> </li>
     <li> <a href="http://www.hwaci.com/cgi-bin/license-step1">
          Purchase a license</a> </li>
     </ul></li>
<li> <a href="news.html">News</a>
     <ul>
     <li> <a href="oldnews.html">Older news</a> </li>
     </ul></li>
<li> <a href="http://www.sqlite.org/cvstrac/index">Developers</a> 
     <ul>
     <li> <a href="http://www.sqlite.org/cvstrac/timeline">Timeline</a></li>
     <li><a href="http://www.sqlite.org/cvstrac/wiki">Wiki</a></li>
     <li><a href="http://www.sqlite.org/cvstrac/tktnew">Report a bug</a></li>
     <li><a href="http://www.sqlite.org/cvstrac/rptview?rn=5">Browse
            bug beports</a></li>
     <li><a href="http://www.sqlite.org/cvstrac/dir?d=sqlite">Browse historical
          source files</a></li>
     </ul>
     </li>
<li> <a href="support.html">Support</a>
     <ul>
     <li> <a href="http://www.mail-archive.com/sqlite-users%40sqlite.org">
         Mailing list archive</a>
     <a href="http://marc.info/?l=sqlite-users&r=1&w=2">(alternate)</a>
     <a href="http://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.db.sqlite.general">
        (alternate 2)</a> </li>
     <li> <a href="http://www.hwaci.com/sw/sqlite/prosupport.html">
           Professional Support options</a>
          <ul>
          <li> <a href="http://www.hwaci.com/sw/sqlite/ams.html">
               Annual Maintenance Subscription</a></li>
          <li> <a href="http://www.hwaci.com/sw/sqlite/tech.html">
               Technical Support Agreements</a></li>
          <li> <a href="http://www.hwaci.com/sw/sqlite/member.html">
               SQLite Consortium Membership</a></li>
          </ul></li>

     </ul></li>
</ul>

body {
    margin: auto;
    font-family: "Verdana" "sans-serif";
    padding: 8px;
}

.sqlite_header {
    margin: auto;
}

a { color: #45735f }
a:visited { color: #734559 }

.logo { position:absolute; margin:3px; }
.tagline {
  float:right;
  text-align:right;
  font-style:italic;
  width:240px;

  putsin4 {<style type="text/css">
    body {
        margin: auto;
        font-family: "Verdana" "sans-serif";
        padding: 8px 1%;
    }
    
    a { color: #45735f }
    a:visited { color: #734559 }
    
    .logo { position:absolute; margin:3px; }
    .tagline {
      float:right;
      text-align:right;
      font-style:italic;
      width:240px;

  putsin4 {<body>
    <div><!-- container div to satisfy validator -->
    
    <a href="${path}index.html">
    <img class="logo" src="${path}images/SQLite.gif" alt="SQLite Logo"
     border="0"></a>
    <div><!-- IE hack to prevent disappearing logo--></div>
    <div class="tagline">Small, Fast, Reliable.<br>Choose any three.</div>
    
    <table width=100% style="clear:both"><tr><td>
      <div class="se"><div class="sw"><div class="ne"><div class="nw">
      <div class="toolbar">
        <a href="${path}about.html">About</a>
        <a href="${path}sitemap.html">Sitemap</a>
        <a href="${path}docs.html">Documentation</a>
        <a href="${path}download.html">Download</a>
        <a href="${path}copyright.html">License</a>
        <a href="${path}news.html">News</a>
        <a href="http://www.sqlite.org/cvstrac/index">Developers</a>
        <a href="${path}support.html">Support</a>