Everything you need to know about SQLite

SQLite is a powerful and popular database for many reasons. It is free, portable, and easy to use. SQLite is the most widely used database in the world, with an estimated 50 million installations.

SQLite is a relational database management system (RDBMS). It stores data in tables and uses SQL (Structured Query Language) for database access. SQLite is simple to use, has a small footprint, and is fast and reliable. SQLite is a great choice for many applications, including websites, mobile apps, and embedded systems. SQLite is also popular with developers who want a fast, lightweight database for prototyping or testing.

If you consider other databases like MySQL or other DBs, they are not client-server-based but embedded into the program. SQLite follows the ACID properties (Atomicity, Concurrency, Integrity, and Durability). The syntax is similar to the PostgreSQL Command Line Interface (CLI).

SQLite is good for web browsers with embedded database software for local storage. This database is related to C programming and other programming languages. Hence, its library has bindings to various languages.

Why use SQLite?

Self – Contained

The database does not require it’s a dependency on any other database; it’s isolated and hence, independent from the other databases. It is stand-alone and can run on any Operating System.

Serverless

The database is serverless; hence, it does not require loading requests and responses from the server’s database. Thus, it’s much faster. In other words, if a process accesses the database for reading or writing operations from the database files on the disc, then it does not require the intermediate server to do the procedure.

But this also comes with a disadvantage. Being serverless can result in bugs from client-side applications or corrupt memory if not handled properly. But the main advantage you can get from this is that you don’t need a separate server process to set up, manage, and configure all the operations.

Transactional

Every transaction or query executed is somewhat unique and isolated from the others. Hence, the concurrent query can be performed easily on the SQLite database. SQLite consists of serializable transactions that follow the ACID property, so you can process the request without any system crash or power loss.

Distinctive Feature

SQLite has the distinctive feature of using a single ordinary disc file found in the system. If reading the disk file is possible, numerous other operations are also possible. This file can easily be shared or copied to other locations.

Zero Configuration

There are many reasons to use SQLite. First, it is very easy to use. There is no need to install or configure anything. SQLite is very fast and lightweight. It can be used in embedded systems or in applications where a database is not needed.

SQLite does not require installation and can be used directly. It does not need the help of the server to configure the database operations like start, stop, etc. Also, it can work without the use of an administrator to create a new database instance to grant or revoke permission.

SQLite works; there is no need for troubleshooting or analysing system power failures or system crashes. In other SQL, some might require complex installation procedures and permission from the system.

If you want to know more information and installation about SQLite, you can go through the Official SQLite link.

Also Read: Beginner’s Guide to Jupyter Notebook and Anaconda

Is SQLite secure?

SQLite is a relational database management system (RDBMS), similar to MySQL, PostgreSQL, or Oracle. It’s used by millions of applications, including many high-profile projects. SQLite is also the most widely deployed database in the world, with more deployments than all other databases combined.

However, SQLite is also unique in several ways. One of these is that SQLite is a self-contained, serverless database. This means that it doesn’t need a separate server process or system to operate.

This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. On the one hand, it makes SQLite very easy to set up and use. On the other hand, it also means that SQLite is often embedded into applications where it may not be the best choice from a security perspective. In general, SQLite is secure. However, there are some caveats to keep in mind.

First, SQLite does not support any form of authentication. Anyone with access to the database file can read and write data. If the database file is world-readable (or world-writable), then anyone on the same system can access (and potentially modify) the data. Second, SQLite uses weak permissions by default. On most systems, the database file is world-readable. This means that anyone on the same system can access the data.

Third, SQLite is vulnerable to SQL injection attacks. This attack is where malicious input is injected into an SQL query. The attacker can then use this to gain access to sensitive data or take control of the database.

Fourth, SQLite does not support encryption. If an attacker gains access to the database file, they can read the data. Fifth, SQLite is not designed for high-security environments. It is possible to configure SQLite to use stronger permissions and encrypt the database file. However, this is not the default configuration and requires significant effort to set up correctly.

In summary, SQLite is secure, but there are some caveats to keep in mind. If you are using SQLite in a high-security environment, you should take care to configure it correctly and use encryption.

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