Welcome to this SQLite tutorial. Although I’m still adding content to the site, you can already browse around. This page is the starting point of the SQLite tutorial. It will teach you what SQLite is, why it’s awesome and worth looking into, and how to pronounce it!
Table of Contents
What is SQLite?
SQLite is a library that implements a SQL database engine. It has a number of properties that make it attractive to use:
- Written in C: it’s extremely fast
- It’s small: SQLite runs on small devices (like phones and microwaves)
- Proven reliability: the library is used daily by billions of people since almost every phone app uses SQLite in one way or another
- It’s full-featured: despite its name, SQLite comes with an impressive number of features.
If you’re looking to learn more about SQLite, you’ve come to the right place.
If you are looking for the official website, including source code and binary downloads, head over the sqlite.org.
It’s a library
Unlike other databases, like MySQL or Postgress, SQLite is serverless. After all, it’s a library! SQLite can be shipped with your code, and it stores its data in files on the filesystem. SQLite is often included in other languages. Python, for example, offers SQLite out of the box.
How to pronounce SQLite
Nothing is more confusing and sometimes even embarrassing than pronouncing stuff wrongly. There are two ways to pronounce SQLite, and both are considered OK.
SQL is short for Structured Query Language and is often pronounced as either “ess queue ell” or “sequel”. Hence, SQLite can be pronounced as either:
- ess queue ell light
- sequel light
Pick whichever style you like!
How to read this SQLite tutorial
There is a menu at the right or at the top on small screens that guides you through the tutorial in the proper order. If you came here to properly learn about SQLite, I suggest you follow the pages in order. But obviously, you’re free to browse around and I’ll interlink between pages where appropriate. A good place to continue reading is the page about downloading and installing SQLite.