SQLite Commands
SQLite commands are similar to SQL commands. There are three types of SQLite commands:
- DDL: Data Definition Language
- DML: Data Manipulation Language
- DQL: Data Query Language
Data Definition Language

There are three commands in this group:
CREATE: This command is used to create a table, a view of a table or other object in the database.
ALTER: It is used to modify an existing database object like a table.
DROP: The DROP command is used to delete an entire table, a view of a table or other object in the database.
Data Manipulation language

There are three commands in data manipulation language group:
INSERT: This command is used to create a record.
UPDATE: It is used to modify the records.
DELETE: It is used to delete records.
Data Query Language

SELECT: This command is used to retrieve certain records from one or more table.
SQLite dot Command
Following is a list of SQLite dot commands. These commands are not terminated by a semicolon (;).
.help command:
Check the list of dot commands by using the ".help" at anytime.
For example:
The above are the list of various important SQLite dot commands. See these commands with description in the following table:
| Commands |
Description |
| .backup ?db? file |
backup DB (default "main") to file |
| .bail on|off |
stop after hitting an error. default off |
| .databases |
list names and files of attached databases |
| .dump ?table? |
dump the database in an sql text format. if table specified, only dump tables matching like pattern table. |
| .echo on|off |
turn command echo on or off |
| .exit |
exit sqlite prompt |
| .explain on|off |
turn output mode suitable for explain on or off. with no args, it turns explain on. |
| .header(s) on|off |
turn display of headers on or off |
| .help |
show this message |
| .import file table |
import data from file into table |
| .indices ?table? |
show names of all indices. if table specified, only show indices for tables matching like pattern table. |
| .load file ?entry? |
load an extension library |
| .log file|off |
turn logging on or off. file can be stderr/stdout |
| .mode mode |
set output mode where mode is one of:<br/><div>csv:comma-separated values <br/><br>
<div><div>column: left-aligned columns.<br/><div>html: html <table> code<br/>
<div>insert: sql insert statements for table<br/><div>line: one value per line<br/>
<div>list: values delimited by .separator string<br/><div>tabs: tab-separated values<br/>
<div>tcl: tcl list elements<br/> |
| .nullvalue string |
print string in place of null values |
| .output filename |
send output to filename |
| .output stdout |
send output to the screen |
| .print string... |
print literal string |
| .prompt main continue |
replace the standard prompts |
| .quit |
exit sqlite prompt |
| .read filename |
execute sql in filename |
| .schema ?table? |
show the create statements. if table specified, only show tables matching like pattern table. |
| .separator string |
change separator used by output mode and .import |
| .show |
show the current values for various settings |
| .stats on|off |
turn stats on or off |
| .tables ?pattern? |
list names of tables matching a like pattern |
| .timeout ms |
try opening locked tables for ms milliseconds |
| .width num num |
set column widths for "column" mode |
| .timer on|off |
turn the cpu timer measurement on or off |
.show command:
You can use the .show command to see default setting of for your SQLite command prompt.
Note: Don't put space between sqlite> prompt and dot command, otherwise it will not work.
Special dot commands
There are some dot commands which are used to format your output. These commands are:
.header on
.mode column
.timer on
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