Introduction

Why SQLite?

SQLite is the most widely deployed database engine in the world. Unlike PostgreSQL or MySQL, SQLite is a library embedded directly in your application — no server, no configuration, no installation.

  • Everywhere -- iOS, Android, Firefox, Python stdlib, Bun, every major browser. An estimated one trillion SQLite databases are in active use.
  • Zero setup -- A single .db file. Open it, query it, done.
  • Standard SQL -- Most SQL you learn here — SELECT, JOIN, GROUP BY, window functions, CTEs — works identically in PostgreSQL and MySQL.
  • Serverless -- Perfect for local apps, mobile, embedded devices, testing, and prototyping.
  • Fast -- For read-heavy workloads on a single machine, SQLite often outperforms client-server databases.

The Story

SQLite was created by D. Richard Hipp in 2000, originally for the US Navy to manage guided missile destroyer software. Hipp designed it to work without a server — the entire database is a single file that the application reads and writes directly.

In 2000, a database without a server was an unusual idea. Today it is a design pattern that powers billions of applications. SQLite is public domain — no license, no restrictions.

What You Will Learn

This course contains 15 lessons organized into 5 chapters:

  1. Getting Started -- SELECT, WHERE, ORDER BY, LIMIT, and SQLite's flexible type system.
  2. Schema -- CREATE TABLE, INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, constraints, and ALTER TABLE.
  3. CRUD Operations -- INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, and conflict resolution.
  4. Querying -- JOINs, aggregations, GROUP BY, and Common Table Expressions.
  5. SQLite Features -- Window functions and JSON functions built into SQLite.

Each lesson explains a concept with examples and gives you an exercise to practice against a live SQLite database in your browser.

Let's get started.

Next →