NAME

       sqlite - A command line interface for SQLite

SYNOPSIS

       sqlite [options] filename [SQL]

   SUMMARY
       sqlite  is  a  terminal-based  front-end  to  the  SQLite  library.  It  enables  you  to type in queries
       interactively, issue them to SQLite and see the results. Alternatively, you can specify SQL code  on  the
       command-line. In addition it provides a number of meta-commands.

DESCRIPTION

       This  manual  page  documents  briefly  the  sqlite command.  This manual page was written for the Debian
       GNU/Linux distribution because the original program does not have a manual page.

   GETTING STARTED
       To start the sqlite program, just type "sqlite" followed by the name  the  file  that  holds  the  SQLite
       database.  If  the  file does not exist, a new one is created automatically. The sqlite program will then
       prompt you to enter SQL. Type in SQL statements (terminated by a semicolon), press "Enter"  and  the  SQL
       will be executed.

       For  example,  to create a new SQLite database named "ex1" with a single table named "tbl1", you might do
       this:

       $ sqlite ex1
       SQLite version 2.0.0
       Enter ".help" for instructions
       sqlite> create table tbl1(one varchar(10), two smallint);
       sqlite> insert into tbl1 values('hello!',10);
       sqlite> insert into tbl1 values('goodbye', 20);
       sqlite> select * from tbl1;
       hello!|10
       goodbye|20
       sqlite>

   SQLITE META-COMMANDS
       Most of the time, sqlite just reads lines of  input  and  passes  them  on  to  the  SQLite  library  for
       execution. But if an input line begins with a dot ("."), then that line is intercepted and interpreted by
       the  sqlite  program  itself.  These  "dot  commands"  are  typically used to change the output format of
       queries, or to execute certain prepackaged query statements.

       For a listing of the available dot commands, you can enter ".help" at any time. For example:

       sqlite> .help
       .dump ?TABLE? ...      Dump the database in an text format
       .echo ON|OFF           Turn command echo on or off
       .exit                  Exit this program
       .explain ON|OFF        Turn output mode suitable for EXPLAIN on or off.
       .if (0 > 2) .    if 0 .      an-style-warn 23 leading space(s) on input line
       .br
       .nop                        "off" will revert to the output mode that was
       .if (0 > 2) .    if 0 .      an-style-warn 23 leading space(s) on input line
       .br
       .nop                        previously in effect
       .header(s) ON|OFF      Turn display of headers on or off
       .help                  Show this message
       .indices TABLE         Show names of all indices on TABLE
       .mode MODE             Set mode to one of "line(s)", "column(s)",
       .if (0 > 2) .    if 0 .      an-style-warn 23 leading space(s) on input line
       .br
       .nop                        "insert", "list", or "html"
       .mode insert TABLE     Generate SQL insert statements for TABLE
       .nullvalue STRING      Print STRING instead of nothing for NULL data
       .output FILENAME       Send output to FILENAME
       .output stdout         Send output to the screen
       .prompt MAIN CONTINUE  Replace the standard prompts
       .if (0 > 2) .    if 0 .      an-style-warn 23 leading space(s) on input line
       .br
       .nop                        "sqlite > " and "   ...> "
       .if (0 > 2) .    if 0 .      an-style-warn 23 leading space(s) on input line
       .br
       .nop                        with the strings MAIN and CONTINUE
       .if (0 > 2) .    if 0 .      an-style-warn 23 leading space(s) on input line
       .br
       .nop                        CONTINUE is optional.
       .quit                  Exit this program
       .read FILENAME         Execute SQL in FILENAME
       .reindex ?TABLE?       Rebuild indices
       .schema ?TABLE?        Show the CREATE statements
       .separator STRING      Change separator string for "list" mode
       .show                  Show the current values for the following:
       .if (0 > 2) .    if 0 .      an-style-warn 23 leading space(s) on input line
       .br
       .nop                        .echo
       .if (0 > 2) .    if 0 .      an-style-warn 23 leading space(s) on input line
       .br
       .nop                        .explain
       .if (0 > 2) .    if 0 .      an-style-warn 23 leading space(s) on input line
       .br
       .nop                        .mode
       .if (0 > 2) .    if 0 .      an-style-warn 23 leading space(s) on input line
       .br
       .nop                        .nullvalue
       .if (0 > 2) .    if 0 .      an-style-warn 23 leading space(s) on input line
       .br
       .nop                        .output
       .if (0 > 2) .    if 0 .      an-style-warn 23 leading space(s) on input line
       .br
       .nop                        .separator
       .if (0 > 2) .    if 0 .      an-style-warn 23 leading space(s) on input line
       .br
       .nop                        .width
       .tables ?PATTERN?      List names of tables matching a pattern
       .timeout MS            Try opening locked tables for MS milliseconds
       .width NUM NUM ...     Set column widths for "column" mode
       sqlite>

OPTIONS

       The program has the following options:

       -init file
              Read in and process 'file', which contains "dot commands".  You can use this  file  to  initialize
              display settings.

       -html  Set output mode to HTML.

       -list  Set output mode to 'list'.

       -line  Set output mode to 'line'.

       -column
              Set output mode to 'column'.

       -separator separator
              Specify which output field separator for 'list' mode to use.  Default is '|'.

       -nullvalue string
              When a null is encountered, print 'string'. Default is no string.

       -[no]header
              Turn headers on or off. Default is off.

       -echo  Print commands before execution.

OUTPUT MODE

       The  SQLite  program  has  different  output  modes,  which  define  the way the output (from queries) is
       formatted.

       In 'list' mode, which is the default, one record  per  line  is  output,  each  field  separated  by  the
       separator specified with the -separator option or .separator command.

       In 'line' mode, each column is output on its own line, records are separated by blank lines.

       In HTML mode, an XHTML table is generated.

       In 'column' mode, one record per line is output, aligned neatly in colums.

INIT FILE

       sqlite  can be initialized using resource files. These can be combined with command line arguments to set
       up sqlite exactly the way you want it.  Initialization proceeds as follows:

       o The defaults of

       mode            = LIST
       separator       = "|"
       main prompt     = "sqlite> "
       continue prompt = "   ...> "

       are established.

       o If a file .sqliterc can be found in the user's home directory, it is read and processed. It should only
       contain "dot commands".  If the file is not  found  or  cannot  be  read,  processing  continues  without
       notification.

       o If a file is specified on the command line with the -init option, it is processed in the same manner as
       .sqliterc

       o All other command line options are processed

       o The database is opened and you are now ready to begin.

SEE ALSO

       http://www.hwaci.com/sw/sqlite/
       The sqlite-doc package

AUTHOR

       This  manual page was originally written by Andreas Rottmann <rotty@debian.org>, for the Debian GNU/Linux
       system (but may be used by others).

                                            Mon Apr 15 23:49:17 2002                                   SQLITE(1)