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| Comment: | Readability improvements to the file format documentation. |
|---|---|
| Downloads: | Tarball | ZIP archive | SQL archive |
| Timelines: | family | ancestors | descendants | both | trunk |
| Files: | files | file ages | folders |
| SHA3-256: |
3b1bef87684702cbd5779c866b8da9c5 |
| User & Date: | drh 2017-08-31 00:54:35 |
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2017-09-01
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| 20:53 | Updates to the size and performance chart (check-in: 5e4cd244d1 user: drh tags: trunk) | |
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2017-08-31
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| 00:54 | Readability improvements to the file format documentation. (check-in: 3b1bef8768 user: drh tags: trunk) | |
|
2017-08-30
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| 04:50 | Update the speed-and-size spreadsheet. (check-in: 402ce78c69 user: drh tags: trunk) | |
Changes to pages/fileformat2.in.
1 1 <title>Database File Format</title> 2 2 <alt-title>On-Disk Format</alt-title> 3 3 <tcl>hd_keywords {file format} {second edition file format document}</tcl> 4 4 5 5 <table_of_contents> 6 6 7 7 <p>This document describes and defines the on-disk database file 8 -format used by SQLite.</p> 8 +format used by all releases of SQLite since 9 +version 3.0.0 ([dateof:3.0.0]).</p> 9 10 10 11 <h1>The Database File</h1> 11 12 12 13 <p>The complete state of an SQLite database is usually 13 14 contained in a single file on disk called the "main database file".</p> 14 15 15 16 <p>During a transaction, SQLite stores additional information ................................................................................ 40 41 SQLite database is a single 512-byte page. 41 42 The maximum size database would be 2147483646 pages at 65536 bytes per 42 43 page or 140,737,488,224,256 bytes (about 140 terabytes). Usually SQLite will 43 44 hit the maximum file size limit of the underlying filesystem or disk 44 45 hardware long before it hits its own internal size limit.</p> 45 46 46 47 <p>In common use, SQLite databases tend to range in size from a few kilobytes 47 -to a few gigabytes.</p> 48 +to a few gigabytes, though terabyte-size SQLite databases are known to exist 49 +in production.</p> 48 50 49 51 <p>At any point in time, every page in the main database has a single 50 52 use which is one of the following: 51 53 <ul> 52 54 <li>The lock-byte page 53 55 <li>A freelist page 54 56 <ul> ................................................................................ 151 153 (in hex): 53 51 4c 69 74 65 20 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 20 33 00. This byte sequence 152 154 corresponds to the UTF-8 string "SQLite format 3" including the nul 153 155 terminator character at the end.</p> 154 156 155 157 <h3>Page Size</h3> 156 158 157 159 <p>The two-byte value beginning at offset 16 determines the page size of 158 -the database. For SQLite versions 3.7.0.1 and earlier, this value is 160 +the database. For SQLite versions 3.7.0.1 ([dateof:3.7.0.1]) 161 +and earlier, this value is 159 162 interpreted as a big-endian integer and must be a power of two between 160 163 512 and 32768, inclusive. Beginning with SQLite [version 3.7.1] 161 164 ([dateof:3.7.1]), a page 162 165 size of 65536 bytes is supported. The value 65536 will not fit in a 163 166 two-byte integer, so to specify a 65536-byte page size, the value 164 167 at offset 16 is 0x00 0x01. 165 168 This value can be interpreted as a big-endian ................................................................................ 238 241 size if it is available but fall back to the actual file size if 239 242 the in-header database size is not valid.</p> 240 243 241 244 <p>^The in-header database size is only considered to be valid if 242 245 it is non-zero and if the 4-byte [change counter] at offset 24 243 246 exactly matches the 4-byte [version-valid-for number] at offset 92. 244 247 ^(The in-header database size is always valid 245 -when the database is only modified using recent versions of SQLite 246 -(versions 3.7.0 and later).)^ 248 +when the database is only modified using recent versions of SQLite, 249 +versions 3.7.0 ([dateof:3.7.0]) and later.)^ 247 250 If a legacy version of SQLite writes to the database, it will not 248 251 know to update the in-header database size and so the in-header 249 252 database size could be incorrect. But legacy versions of SQLite 250 253 will also leave the version-valid-for number at offset 92 unchanged 251 254 so it will not match the change-counter. Hence, invalid in-header 252 255 database sizes can be detected (and ignored) by observing when 253 256 the change-counter does not match the version-valid-for number.</p> ................................................................................ 397 400 implementations may choose to read or write bytes on the lock-byte 398 401 page according to the 399 402 needs and proclivities of the underlying system. The unix and win32 400 403 [VFS] implementations that come built into SQLite do not write to the 401 404 lock-byte page, but third-party VFS implementations for 402 405 other operating systems might.</p> 403 406 404 -<p>The lock-byte page arose from the need to support Win95 which had 405 -only mandatory file locking. All modern operating systems that we know of 406 -support advisory file locking, and so the lock-byte page is not really 407 -needed any more, but is retained for backwards compatibility.</p> 407 +<p>The lock-byte page arose from the need to support Win95 which was the 408 +predominant operating system when this file format was designed and which 409 +only supported mandatory file locking. All modern operating systems that 410 +we know of support advisory file locking, and so the lock-byte page is 411 +not really needed any more, but is retained for backwards compatibility.</p> 408 412 409 413 <tcl>hd_fragment {freelist} {freelist} {free-page list}</tcl> 410 414 <h2>The Freelist</h2> 411 415 412 416 <p>A database file might contain one or more pages that are not in 413 417 active use. Unused pages can come about, for example, when information 414 418 is deleted from the database. Unused pages are stored on the freelist ................................................................................ 428 432 ^(Call the second integer on a freelist trunk page L. 429 433 If L is greater than zero then integers with array indexes between 2 and 430 434 L+1 inclusive contain page numbers for freelist leaf pages.)^</p> 431 435 432 436 <p>Freelist leaf pages contain no information. ^SQLite avoids reading or 433 437 writing freelist leaf pages in order to reduce disk I/O.</p> 434 438 435 -<p>A bug in SQLite versions prior to 3.6.0 caused the database to be 439 +<p>A bug in SQLite versions prior to 3.6.0 ([dateof:3.6.0]) 440 +caused the database to be 436 441 reported as corrupt if any of the last 6 entries in the freelist trunk page 437 442 array contained non-zero values. Newer versions of SQLite do not have 438 443 this problem. ^However, newer versions of SQLite still avoid using the 439 444 last six entries in the freelist trunk page array in order that database 440 445 files created by newer versions of SQLite can be read by older versions 441 446 of SQLite.</p> 442 447 ................................................................................ 1359 1364 WITHOUT ROWID table.)^ 1360 1365 1361 1366 <tcl>hd_fragment stat2tab {sqlite_stat2}</tcl> 1362 1367 <h3>The sqlite_stat2 table</h3> 1363 1368 1364 1369 <p>The sqlite_stat2 is only created and is only used if SQLite is compiled 1365 1370 with SQLITE_ENABLE_STAT2 and if the SQLite version number is between 1366 -3.6.18 and 3.7.8. The sqlite_stat2 table is neither read nor written by any 1371 +3.6.18 ([dateof:3.6.18]) and 3.7.8 ([dateof:3.7.8]). 1372 +The sqlite_stat2 table is neither read nor written by any 1367 1373 version of SQLite before 3.6.18 nor after 3.7.8. 1368 1374 The sqlite_stat2 table contains additional information 1369 1375 about the distribution of keys within an index. 1370 1376 The schema of the sqlite_stat2 table is as follows: 1371 1377 1372 1378 <blockquote><pre> 1373 1379 CREATE TABLE sqlite_stat2(tbl,idx,sampleno,sample); ................................................................................ 1397 1403 sqlite_stat2 table, if is exists, is simply ignored. 1398 1404 1399 1405 <tcl>hd_fragment stat3tab {sqlite_stat3} SQLITE_STAT3</tcl> 1400 1406 <h3>The sqlite_stat3 table</h3> 1401 1407 1402 1408 <p>The sqlite_stat3 is only used if SQLite is compiled 1403 1409 with [SQLITE_ENABLE_STAT3] or [SQLITE_ENABLE_STAT4] 1404 -and if the SQLite version number is 3.7.9 or greater. 1410 +and if the SQLite version number is 3.7.9 ([dateof:3.7.9]) or greater. 1405 1411 The sqlite_stat3 table is neither read nor written by any 1406 1412 version of SQLite before 3.7.9. 1407 1413 If the [SQLITE_ENABLE_STAT4] compile-time option is used and the 1408 -SQLite version number is 3.8.1 or greater, then sqlite_stat3 might 1409 -be read but not written. 1414 +SQLite version number is 3.8.1 ([dateof:3.8.1]) or greater, 1415 +then sqlite_stat3 might be read but not written. 1410 1416 The sqlite_stat3 table contains additional information 1411 1417 about the distribution of keys within an index, information that the 1412 1418 query planner can use to devise better and faster query algorithms. 1413 1419 ^(The schema of the sqlite_stat3 table is as follows: 1414 1420 1415 1421 <blockquote><pre> 1416 1422 CREATE TABLE sqlite_stat3(tbl,idx,nEq,nLt,nDLt,sample); ................................................................................ 1441 1447 sample S1 must have a smaller rowid than sample S2.)^ 1442 1448 1443 1449 <tcl>hd_fragment stat4tab {sqlite_stat4} SQLITE_STAT4</tcl> 1444 1450 <h3>The sqlite_stat4 table</h3> 1445 1451 1446 1452 <p>The sqlite_stat4 is only created and is only used if SQLite is compiled 1447 1453 with [SQLITE_ENABLE_STAT4] and if the SQLite version number is 1448 -3.8.1 or greater. The sqlite_stat4 table is neither read nor written by any 1454 +3.8.1 ([dateof:3.8.1]) or greater. 1455 +The sqlite_stat4 table is neither read nor written by any 1449 1456 version of SQLite before 3.8.1. 1450 1457 The sqlite_stat4 table contains additional information 1451 1458 about the distribution of keys within an index or the distribution of 1452 1459 keys in the primary key of a [WITHOUT ROWID] table. 1453 1460 The query planner can sometimes use the additional information in 1454 1461 the sqlite_stat4 table to devise better and faster query algorithms. 1455 1462 ^(The schema of the sqlite_stat4 table is as follows:
Changes to pages/formatchng.in.
1 1 <title>File Format Changes in SQLite</title> 2 2 3 3 <h2>File Format Changes in SQLite</h2> 4 4 5 5 <p> 6 6 The [file format|underlying file format] for SQLite databases does not 7 -change in incompatible ways. There are literally tens of billions of 7 +change in incompatible ways. There are literally hundredss of billions, 8 +perhaps trillions, of 8 9 SQLite database files in circulation and the SQLite developers are 9 10 committing to supporting those files for decades into the future. 10 11 </p> 11 12 12 13 <p> 13 14 This document describes incompatibilities that have occurred in 14 15 SQLite prior to 2004. Since 2004, there have been enhancements to ................................................................................ 33 34 <tr> 34 35 <th>Version Change</th> 35 36 <th>Approx. Date</th> 36 37 <th>Description Of File Format Change</th> 37 38 </tr> 38 39 <tr> 39 40 <td valign="top">1.0.32 to 2.0.0</td> 40 - <td valign="top">2001-Sep-20</td> 41 + <td valign="top">2001-09-20</td> 41 42 <td>Version 1.0.X of SQLite used the GDBM library as its backend 42 43 interface to the disk. Beginning in version 2.0.0, GDBM was replaced 43 44 by a custom B-Tree library written especially for SQLite. The new 44 45 B-Tree backend is twice as fast as GDBM, supports atomic commits and 45 46 rollback, and stores an entire database in a single disk file instead 46 47 using a separate file for each table as GDBM does. The two 47 48 file formats are not even remotely similar.</td> 48 49 </tr> 49 50 <tr> 50 51 <td valign="top">2.0.8 to 2.1.0</td> 51 - <td valign="top">2001-Nov-12</td> 52 + <td valign="top">2001-10-12</td> 52 53 <td>The same basic B-Tree format is used but the details of the 53 54 index keys were changed in order to provide better query 54 55 optimization opportunities. Some of the headers were also changed in order 55 56 to increase the maximum size of a row from 64KB to 24MB.<p> 56 57 57 58 This change is an exception to the version number rule described above 58 59 in that it is neither forwards or backwards compatible. A complete 59 60 reload of the database is required. This is the only exception.</td> 60 61 </tr> 61 62 <tr> 62 63 <td valign="top">2.1.7 to 2.2.0</td> 63 - <td valign="top">2001-Dec-21</td> 64 + <td valign="top">2001-12-21</td> 64 65 <td>Beginning with version 2.2.0, SQLite no longer builds an index for 65 66 an INTEGER PRIMARY KEY column. Instead, it uses that column as the actual 66 67 B-Tree key for the main table.<p>Version 2.2.0 and later of the library 67 68 will automatically detect when it is reading a 2.1.x database and will 68 69 disable the new INTEGER PRIMARY KEY feature. In other words, version 69 70 2.2.x is backwards compatible to version 2.1.x. But version 2.1.x is not 70 71 forward compatible with version 2.2.x. If you try to open ................................................................................ 72 73 an INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, you will likely get a coredump. If the database 73 74 schema does not contain any INTEGER PRIMARY KEYs, then the version 2.1.x 74 75 and version 2.2.x database files will be identical and completely 75 76 interchangeable.</p> 76 77 </tr> 77 78 <tr> 78 79 <td valign="top">2.2.5 to 2.3.0</td> 79 - <td valign="top">2002-Jan-30</td> 80 + <td valign="top">2002-01-30</td> 80 81 <td>Beginning with version 2.3.0, SQLite supports some additional syntax 81 82 (the "ON CONFLICT" clause) in the CREATE TABLE and CREATE INDEX statements 82 83 that are stored in the SQLITE_MASTER table. If you create a database that 83 84 contains this new syntax, then try to read that database using version 2.2.5 84 85 or earlier, the parser will not understand the new syntax and you will get 85 86 an error. Otherwise, databases for 2.2.x and 2.3.x are interchangeable.</td> 86 87 </tr> 87 88 <tr> 88 89 <td valign="top">2.3.3 to 2.4.0</td> 89 - <td valign="top">2002-Mar-10</td> 90 + <td valign="top">2002-03-10</td> 90 91 <td>Beginning with version 2.4.0, SQLite added support for views. 91 92 Information about views is stored in the SQLITE_MASTER table. If an older 92 93 version of SQLite attempts to read a database that contains VIEW information 93 94 in the SQLITE_MASTER table, the parser will not understand the new syntax 94 95 and initialization will fail. Also, the 95 96 way SQLite keeps track of unused disk blocks in the database file 96 97 changed slightly. 97 98 If an older version of SQLite attempts to write a database that 98 99 was previously written by version 2.4.0 or later, then it may leak disk 99 100 blocks.</td> 100 101 </tr> 101 102 <tr> 102 103 <td valign="top">2.4.12 to 2.5.0</td> 103 - <td valign="top">2002-Jun-17</td> 104 + <td valign="top">2002-06-17</td> 104 105 <td>Beginning with version 2.5.0, SQLite added support for triggers. 105 106 Information about triggers is stored in the SQLITE_MASTER table. If an older 106 107 version of SQLite attempts to read a database that contains a CREATE TRIGGER 107 108 in the SQLITE_MASTER table, the parser will not understand the new syntax 108 109 and initialization will fail. 109 110 </td> 110 111 </tr> 111 112 <tr> 112 113 <td valign="top">2.5.6 to 2.6.0</td> 113 - <td valign="top">2002-July-17</td> 114 + <td valign="top">2002-07-17</td> 114 115 <td>A design flaw in the layout of indices required a file format change 115 116 to correct. This change appeared in version 2.6.0.<p> 116 117 117 118 If you use version 2.6.0 or later of the library to open a database file 118 119 that was originally created by version 2.5.6 or earlier, an attempt to 119 120 rebuild the database into the new format will occur automatically. 120 121 This can take some time for a large database. (Allow 1 or 2 seconds ................................................................................ 127 128 Version 2.6.0 or later of the library cannot open read-only database 128 129 files from version 2.5.6 or earlier, since read-only files cannot be 129 130 upgraded to the new format.</p> 130 131 </td> 131 132 </tr> 132 133 <tr> 133 134 <td valign="top">2.6.3 to 2.7.0</td> 134 - <td valign="top">2002-Aug-13</td> 135 + <td valign="top">2002-08-13</td> 135 136 <td><p>Beginning with version 2.7.0, SQLite understands two different 136 137 datatypes: text and numeric. Text data sorts in memcmp() order. 137 138 Numeric data sorts in numerical order if it looks like a number, 138 139 or in memcmp() order if it does not.</p> 139 140 140 141 <p>When SQLite version 2.7.0 or later opens a 2.6.3 or earlier database, 141 142 it assumes all columns of all tables have type "numeric". For 2.7.0 ................................................................................ 148 149 2.7.0 and later database. Hence version 2.6.3 and earlier of SQLite 149 150 will be unable to read a 2.7.0 or later database. But version 2.7.0 150 151 and later of SQLite will read earlier databases.</p> 151 152 </td> 152 153 </tr> 153 154 <tr> 154 155 <td valign="top">2.7.6 to 2.8.0</td> 155 - <td valign="top">2003-Feb-14</td> 156 + <td valign="top">2003-02-14</td> 156 157 <td><p>Version 2.8.0 introduces a change to the format of the rollback 157 158 journal file. The main database file format is unchanged. Versions 158 159 2.7.6 and earlier can read and write 2.8.0 databases and vice versa. 159 160 Version 2.8.0 can rollback a transaction that was started by version 160 161 2.7.6 and earlier. But version 2.7.6 and earlier cannot rollback a 161 162 transaction started by version 2.8.0 or later.</p> 162 163 ................................................................................ 166 167 earlier. The 2.7.6 code will not be able to read the journal file 167 168 and thus will not be able to rollback the incomplete transaction 168 169 to restore the database.</p> 169 170 </td> 170 171 </tr> 171 172 <tr> 172 173 <td valign="top">2.8.14 to 3.0.0</td> 173 - <td valign="top">2004-Jun-18</td> 174 + <td valign="top">2004-06-18</td> 174 175 <td><p>Version 3.0.0 is a major upgrade for SQLite that incorporates 175 176 support for UTF-16, BLOBs, and a more compact encoding that results 176 177 in database files that are typically 25% to 50% smaller. The new file 177 178 format is very different and is completely incompatible with the 178 179 version 2 file format.</p> 179 180 </td> 180 181 </tr> 181 182 </table> 182 183 </blockquote>