SQLite is a lightweight database that is useful for personal applications, websites under 500,000 hits per day, and data analysis. It allows users to create, insert, access, delete, and modify data in tables using SQL commands. Sample tables in a SQLite database might include a People table with fields for ID, first name, and last name, and a Skills table with fields to link people to their skills. The database can then be queried to view, add, or modify the data.

1. Databases for Beginners:
SQLite
Christopher F. Wimble

2. Uses of SQLite
● Good for
o Personal use
o Websites
o Data analysis
o Archives
o Bioinformatics
o Programming
o Applications
o Training
o USB Storage
● Not good for
o Very large databases (>140 Terabytes)
o Client-Server applications
o High volume websites (>500,000 hits/day)

3. Summary & Terms
● We will
o Create
o Insert
o Access
o Delete
o Modify
o Export/Import
ID Last First Job Real
007 Bond James Spy No
227 Fleming Ian Writer Yes
Table (Relation)
Column (Field, Attribute)
Row
(Record,Tuple)

4. Database structure
People
● PeopleID
● First
● Last
Contacts
● ContactID
● Person
● Contact
Skills
● SkillID
● Person
● Skill
ID
Has Skill
People
Primary Key = PeopleID
Contacts
Primary Key = ContactID
Foreign Key = Person -> PeopleID
Foreign Key = Friend -> PeopleID
Skills
Primary Key = SkillID
Foreign Key = Person -> PeopleID

5. Sample Database: PeopleCards.db
PeopleID First Last
1Christopher Wimble
2Margaret Henderson
3Peter Uetz
SkillsID Person Skill
1 1"Bioinformatics"
2 1"Python"
3 1"Writing"
4 2"Networking"
5 2"Presentation"
6 2"Writing"
7 3"Networking"
8 3"Bioinformatics"
9 3"Grant_Writing"
ContactsID Person Contact
1 1 2
2 1 3
PeopleID

6. Databases
MIRA
● Modify/Change
● Insert
● Remove/Delete
● Ask/Access
Data Formats in SQLite
● Text
● Integer
● (Blob)
● (Real)
● (Numeric)

7. Guidelines
• SQL Commands are CAPITALIZED
• Names have the first letter Capitalized
• All SQL commands end in a semicolon ;
• Commands specific to SQLite are in the format
.nameofcommand, for example .schema

8. Create the Database
● Open SQLite:
o Click on sqlite3.exe
● Create the database: Type the following command in the
command window
.open PeopleBook.db

9. Import information from a file
● Read in the information from the file PeopleBook.sql:
o Type the following command in the command window
.read PeopleBook.sql
o This uses the .read SQLite command to read in the file
PeopleBook.sql

10. Insert info 1
● First, try adding yourself to the PeopleBook database
● To add your name to the People table type the following
command
INSERT INTO People(First, Last) VALUES(“YourFirstName”,”YourLastName”);

11. Insert info 2
● Add one or more of your skills using the following command
INSERT INTO Skills(Person, Skill) VALUES(5,“NameOfSkill”);

12. Access info 1
● First lets take a look at the list of people in the database that
are in the People table, type the following command
● This lists all the people in the People table
SELECT * FROM People;

13. Access info 2
● Next lets take a look at all of the people and their skills from
the database
● This lists all the people in the People table and the skill they
have by performing a Join on the Skills table
SELECT First, Last,Skill FROM People,Skills
WHERE People.PeopleID = Skills.Person;

14. Access info 3
● Try looking for people in the database with the same skill you
listed
● This lists all the people from the People table that have that
skill
SELECT First, Last FROM People,Skills
WHERE People.PeopleID = Skills.Person
AND Skill = “YourListedSkill”;

15. Create Table
● Lets look at how to create a table, but first delete one of the
tables so we can rebuild it, type the following command
● Next lets rebuild the table, type the following command
DROP TABLE Contacts;
CREATE TABLE Contacts(ContactID INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
Person INTEGER, Contact INTEGER);

16. Insert info 3
● Lets finish rebuilding the Contacts table by inserting the
information, Margaret and I know eachother, type the
following command
● I also know Peter, type the following command
INSERT INTO Contacts(ContactID, Person, Contact) VALUES(1,1,2);
INSERT INTO Contacts(Person, Contact) VALUES(1,3);

17. Delete info
● Since James Bond is not an actual person, lets delete him
from the database, type the following command
DELETE FROM People WHERE PeopleID = 4;

18. Modify info
● Change my name in the database from Christopher to Chris,
type the following command
UPDATE People SET First = “Chris” WHERE PeopleID = 1;

19. Links and Resources
● SQLiteWrittenExplination, a Word document explaining the concepts in more detail
● My contact info
o Christopher Wimble: WimbleCF@VCU.edu
● Books
o The Definitive Guide to SQLite:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1430232250//ref=cm_sw_su_dp?tag=nethta-20
Also aviable for free online access through VCU libraries, see the link in the notes margin
o The Manga Guide to Databases: http://www.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Databases-Mana-
Takahashi/dp/1593271905
● Video Tutorials
o Derek Banas:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGLfVvz_LVvTsslWD1HBQEjBbmAaAF9Xy
● Websites
o SQLite main page: https://www.sqlite.org/index.html
o SQLite command line tutorial: https://www.sqlite.org/cli.html
o Tutorials Point: http://www.tutorialspoint.com/sqlite/sqlite_commands.htm
o How to diagram a database: https://www.edrawsoft.com/how-to-draw-database-model-diagram.php