Documentation Source Text

    stack
       {line CREATE {opt UNIQUE} INDEX {opt IF NOT EXISTS}}
       {line {optx /database-name .} /index-name
             ON /table-name ( {loop indexed-column ,} )}
       {line {optx WHERE /expr}}
  }
  indexed-column {
      line /column-name {opt COLLATE /collation-name} {or nil ASC DESC} 
  }
  create-table-stmt {
    stack
       {line CREATE {or {} TEMP TEMPORARY} TABLE {opt IF NOT EXISTS}}
       {line {optx /database-name .} /table-name}
       {or {line ( {loop column-def ,} {loop {} {, table-constraint}} )
                  {opt WITHOUT ROWID}}

  }
  create-virtual-table-stmt {
    stack
       {line CREATE VIRTUAL TABLE {opt IF NOT EXISTS}}
       {line {optx /database-name .} /table-name}
       {line USING /module-name {optx ( {loop /module-argument ,} )}}
  }
  with-clause {
    stack
      {line WITH {opt RECURSIVE}}
      {loop {line /table-name {optx ( {loop /column-name ,} )}
            AS ( /select-stmt )} ,}
  }
  delete-stmt {
    stack
      {line {opt with-clause} DELETE FROM qualified-table-name}
      {optx WHERE expr}
  }
  delete-stmt-limited {
    stack
        {line {opt with-clause} DELETE FROM qualified-table-name}
        {optx WHERE expr}
        {optx
            {stack
              {optx ORDER BY {loop ordering-term ,}}
              {line LIMIT /expr {optx {or OFFSET ,} /expr}}
            }
        }
  }

            {line {loop /digit nil} {opt /decimal-point {loop nil /digit}}}
            {line /decimal-point {loop /digit nil}}
         }
         {opt E {or nil + -} {loop /digit nil}}
  }
  insert-stmt {
    stack
       {line {opt with-clause}
          {or 
              INSERT
              REPLACE
              {line INSERT OR REPLACE}
              {line INSERT OR ROLLBACK}
              {line INSERT OR ABORT}
              {line INSERT OR FAIL}
              {line INSERT OR IGNORE}
          }
          INTO
       }

       {line {optx /database-name .} /table-name
             {optx ( {loop /column-name ,} )}}
       {or
         {line VALUES {loop {line ( {loop expr ,} )} ,}}
         select-stmt


         {line DEFAULT VALUES}
       }
  }
  pragma-stmt {
     line PRAGMA {optx /database-name .} /pragma-name
          {or
              nil
              {line = pragma-value}

             {line {optx /database-name .}
                 {tailbranch /table-name /index-name}
             }
          }
  }
  select-stmt {
    stack
       {line {opt with-clause}
             {loop simple-query-stmt {nil compound-operator nil}}}
       {optx ORDER BY {loop ordering-term ,}}
       {optx LIMIT /expr {optx {or OFFSET ,} /expr}}
  }
  simple-query-stmt {
    stack
       {line SELECT {or nil DISTINCT ALL} {loop result-column ,}}
       {optx FROM join-source}
       {optx WHERE expr}
       {optx GROUP BY {loop expr ,} {optx HAVING expr}}

  }
  result-column {
     or
        *
        {line /table-name . *}
        {line expr {optx {optx AS} /column-alias}}
  }
  join-source {
     line
        simple-join-source
        {opt {loop {line nil join-op simple-join-source join-constraint nil} {}}}
  }
  simple-join-source {
     or
       {line ( join-source )}




       {line
          ( select-stmt ) {optx {optx AS} /table-alias}
       }
       {stack
          {line
             {optx /database-name .} /table-name
             {optx {optx AS} /table-alias}
          }
          {or nil {line INDEXED BY /index-name} {line NOT INDEXED}}
       }
  }
  join-op {
     or
        {line ,}
        {line
            {opt NATURAL}
            {or  nil {line LEFT {or OUTER nil}} INNER CROSS}

      line expr {opt COLLATE /collation-name} {or nil ASC DESC} 
  }
  compound-operator {
     or {line UNION {optx ALL}} INTERSECT EXCEPT
  }
  update-stmt {
     stack
        {line {opt with-clause} UPDATE {or {} {line OR ROLLBACK}
                                     {line OR ABORT}
                                     {line OR REPLACE}
                                     {line OR FAIL}
                                     {line OR IGNORE}}
              qualified-table-name}
        {line SET {loop {line /column-name = expr} ,} {optx WHERE expr}}
  }
  update-stmt-limited {
     stack
        {line {opt with-clause} UPDATE {or {} {line OR ROLLBACK}
                                     {line OR ABORT}
                                     {line OR REPLACE}
                                     {line OR FAIL}
                                     {line OR IGNORE}}
              qualified-table-name}
        {line SET {loop {line /column-name = expr} ,} {optx WHERE expr}}
        {optx
            {stack
              {optx ORDER BY {loop ordering-term ,}}
              {line LIMIT /expr {optx {or OFFSET ,} /expr}}
            }

set syntax_linkage(compound-operator) {{} select-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(conflict-clause) {{} {column-constraint table-constraint}}
set syntax_linkage(create-index-stmt) {indexed-column sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(create-table-stmt) {{column-def select-stmt table-constraint} sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(create-trigger-stmt) {{delete-stmt expr insert-stmt select-stmt update-stmt} sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(create-view-stmt) {select-stmt sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(create-virtual-table-stmt) {{} sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(delete-stmt) {{expr qualified-table-name with-clause} {create-trigger-stmt sql-stmt}}
set syntax_linkage(delete-stmt-limited) {{expr ordering-term qualified-table-name with-clause} sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(detach-stmt) {{} sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(drop-index-stmt) {{} sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(drop-table-stmt) {{} sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(drop-trigger-stmt) {{} sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(drop-view-stmt) {{} sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(expr) {{literal-value raise-function select-stmt type-name} {attach-stmt column-constraint create-trigger-stmt delete-stmt delete-stmt-limited insert-stmt join-constraint ordering-term result-column simple-query-stmt table-constraint update-stmt update-stmt-limited}}
set syntax_linkage(foreign-key-clause) {{} {column-constraint table-constraint}}
set syntax_linkage(indexed-column) {{} {create-index-stmt table-constraint}}
set syntax_linkage(insert-stmt) {{expr select-stmt with-clause} {create-trigger-stmt sql-stmt}}
set syntax_linkage(join-constraint) {expr join-source}
set syntax_linkage(join-op) {{} join-source}
set syntax_linkage(join-source) {{join-constraint join-op simple-join-source} {simple-join-source simple-query-stmt}}
set syntax_linkage(literal-value) {{} {column-constraint expr}}
set syntax_linkage(numeric-literal) {{} {}}
set syntax_linkage(ordering-term) {expr {delete-stmt-limited select-stmt update-stmt-limited}}
set syntax_linkage(pragma-stmt) {pragma-value sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(pragma-value) {signed-number pragma-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(qualified-table-name) {{} {delete-stmt delete-stmt-limited update-stmt update-stmt-limited}}
set syntax_linkage(raise-function) {{} expr}
set syntax_linkage(reindex-stmt) {{} sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(release-stmt) {{} sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(result-column) {expr simple-query-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(rollback-stmt) {{} sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(savepoint-stmt) {{} sql-stmt}

set syntax_linkage(select-stmt) {{compound-operator ordering-term simple-query-stmt with-clause} {create-table-stmt create-trigger-stmt create-view-stmt expr insert-stmt simple-join-source sql-stmt}}
set syntax_linkage(signed-number) {{} {column-constraint pragma-value type-name}}
set syntax_linkage(simple-join-source) {{join-source select-stmt} join-source}
set syntax_linkage(simple-query-stmt) {{expr join-source result-column} select-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(sql-stmt) {{alter-table-stmt analyze-stmt attach-stmt begin-stmt commit-stmt create-index-stmt create-table-stmt create-trigger-stmt create-view-stmt create-virtual-table-stmt delete-stmt delete-stmt-limited detach-stmt drop-index-stmt drop-table-stmt drop-trigger-stmt drop-view-stmt insert-stmt pragma-stmt reindex-stmt release-stmt rollback-stmt savepoint-stmt select-stmt update-stmt update-stmt-limited vacuum-stmt} sql-stmt-list}
set syntax_linkage(sql-stmt-list) {sql-stmt {}}
set syntax_linkage(table-constraint) {{conflict-clause expr foreign-key-clause indexed-column} create-table-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(type-name) {signed-number {column-def expr}}
set syntax_linkage(update-stmt) {{expr qualified-table-name with-clause} {create-trigger-stmt sql-stmt}}
set syntax_linkage(update-stmt-limited) {{expr ordering-term qualified-table-name with-clause} sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(vacuum-stmt) {{} sql-stmt}
set syntax_linkage(with-clause) {{} {delete-stmt delete-stmt-limited insert-stmt select-stmt update-stmt update-stmt-limited}}
set syntax_order {sql-stmt-list sql-stmt alter-table-stmt analyze-stmt attach-stmt begin-stmt commit-stmt rollback-stmt savepoint-stmt release-stmt create-index-stmt indexed-column create-table-stmt column-def type-name column-constraint signed-number table-constraint foreign-key-clause conflict-clause create-trigger-stmt create-view-stmt create-virtual-table-stmt with-clause delete-stmt delete-stmt-limited detach-stmt drop-index-stmt drop-table-stmt drop-trigger-stmt drop-view-stmt expr raise-function literal-value numeric-literal insert-stmt pragma-stmt pragma-value reindex-stmt select-stmt simple-query-stmt result-column join-source simple-join-source join-op join-constraint ordering-term compound-operator update-stmt update-stmt-limited qualified-table-name vacuum-stmt comment-syntax}

set nChng 0
proc chng {date desc {options {}}} {
  global nChng aChng
  set aChng($nChng) [list $date $desc $options]
  incr nChng
}

chng {2014-02-11 (3.8.3)} {
<li>Added support for [common table expressions] and the [WITH clause].
<li>Added the [printf()] SQL function.
<li>Added [SQLITE_DETERMINISTIC] as an optional bit in the 4th argument to the
    [sqlite3_create_function()] and related interfaces, providing applications with
    the ability to create new functions that can be factored out of inner loops when
    they have constant arguments.
<li>Add [SQLITE_READONLY_DBMOVED] error code, returned at the beginning of a
    transaction, to indicate that the underlying database file has been renamed

[INSERT] command documentation for additional information.</p>  

<tcl>
###############################################################################
Section SELECT select {SELECT query}

BubbleDiagram select-stmt 1
BubbleDiagram simple-query-stmt
BubbleDiagram result-column
BubbleDiagram join-source
BubbleDiagram simple-join-source
BubbleDiagram join-op
BubbleDiagram join-constraint
BubbleDiagram ordering-term
BubbleDiagram compound-operator
</tcl>

steps. It is important to keep in mind that this is purely illustrative -
in practice neither SQLite nor any other SQL engine is required to follow 
this or any other specific process.

<h3>Simple Select Processing</h3>

<p>The syntax for a simple SELECT statement is depicted in the 
[simple-query-stmt syntax diagram]. Generating the results of a simple SELECT
statement is presented as a four step process in the description below:

<ol>
  <li> <p>[FROM clause] processing: The input data for the simple SELECT is
       determined. The input data is either implicitly a single row with 0
       columns (if there is no FROM clause) or is determined by analyzing the
       [join-source syntax diagram|join-source] specification that follows 

The INDEXED BY phrase is an extension that is particular to SQLite and
is not portable to other SQL database engines.
The INDEXED BY phrase can be seen in the following syntax
diagrams:</p>

<tcl>
BubbleDiagram qualified-table-name
BubbleDiagram simple-join-source
</tcl>

<p>^The "INDEXED BY index-name" phrase specifies that the named index
must be used in order to look up values on the preceding table.
^If index-name does not exist or cannot be used for the query, then
the preparation of the SQL statement fails.
^(The "NOT INDEXED" clause specifies that no index shall be used when