SQLite is a lightweight, serverless, and self-contained database engine that supports various data types for storing and manipulating data. Understanding the different data types SQLite offers is crucial for designing efficient and accurate databases. In this article, we will explore the common data types supported by SQLite.

Textual Data Types

1. TEXT: The TEXT data type in SQLite is used to store alphanumeric characters, strings, or textual data. It can store up to 2^32-1 characters.
   • Example: CREATE TABLE users (name TEXT, email TEXT);
2. CHAR(n): The CHAR data type is used to store fixed-length strings of length ‘n’. If the provided string is shorter than the defined length, it will be padded with spaces.
   • Example: CREATE TABLE clients (client_id CHAR(10), name TEXT);
3. VARCHAR(n): The VARCHAR data type is used to store variable-length strings of length up to ‘n’ characters.
   • Example: CREATE TABLE products (product_id INT, name VARCHAR(50), description TEXT);

Numeric Data Types

1. INTEGER: The INTEGER data type is used to store whole numbers. It can be signed or unsigned, depending on the range you need to cover.
   • Example: CREATE TABLE orders (order_id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, total_amount INTEGER);
2. REAL: The REAL data type is used to store floating-point numbers, including decimal values.
   • Example: CREATE TABLE prices (product_id INT, price REAL);
3. NUMERIC: The NUMERIC data type is a versatile data type that can store large integers and decimal values with high precision.
   • Example: CREATE TABLE transactions (transaction_id NUMERIC, amount NUMERIC);
4. BOOLEAN: SQLite does not have a dedicated BOOLEAN data type. However, you can use INTEGER with values 0 (false) and 1 (true) to represent boolean values.

Date and Time Data Types

1. DATE: The DATE data type is used to store dates in the format ‘YYYY-MM-DD’.
   • Example: CREATE TABLE events (event_id INT, event_date DATE);
2. TIME: The TIME data type is used to store time values in the format ‘HH:MM:SS’.
   • Example: CREATE TABLE appointments (appointment_id INT, appointment_time TIME);
3. DATETIME: The DATETIME data type is used to store both date and time values in the format ‘YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS’.
   • Example: CREATE TABLE logs (log_id INT, log_timestamp DATETIME);

Binary Data Types

1. BLOB: The BLOB data type is used to store binary data, such as images, audio files, or any other raw binary information.
   • Example: CREATE TABLE images (image_id INT, image_data BLOB);

Conclusion

SQLite provides a range of data types to handle different types of data efficiently. By choosing the appropriate data types, you can ensure accurate storage and retrieval of data. Understanding these data types is essential when designing database schemas and manipulating data. Hopefully, this article has given you a better understanding of the various data types supported by SQLite.

Feel free to explore the official SQLite documentation for more detailed information: SQLite Data Types

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