SQLite CLI and Shell Cheatsheet

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sqlite3 shell commands for opening databases, inspecting schema, formatting output, importing CSV, and scripting common interactive workflows.

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## Open and inspect databases

Open a database file

↗#

sqlite3 app.db

# Start the sqlite3 shell with a file-backed database.

Open an in-memory database

↗#

sqlite3 :memory:

# Start a temporary database that lives only for the session.

List attached databases

↗#

.databases

# Show the main database and any attached files.

List tables

↗#

.tables

# Show table names in the current database.

Show full schema

↗#

.schema

# Print CREATE statements for the whole database.

Show schema for one table

↗#

.schema users

# Print the CREATE statement for a specific object.

Show schema plus sqlite_stat tables

↗#

.fullschema

# Include internal objects useful for advanced debugging.

List shell commands

↗#

.help

# Display available dot-commands.

## Output, import, and export

Show column headers

↗#

.headers on

# Enable headers in tabular output.

Use aligned column output

↗#

.mode column

# Render query results in a readable table.

Export rows as CSV

↗#

.mode csv

# Switch output mode to CSV.

Import a CSV file into a table

↗#

.import ./users.csv users

# Load rows from CSV using the shell importer.

Execute SQL from a file

↗#

.read ./schema.sql

# Run a script inside the shell.

Dump the full database as SQL

↗#

.dump

# Export schema and data as executable SQL.

Write the next query result to a file

↗#

.once users.csv

# Send one result set to a file without changing subsequent output.

Attempt recovery from a damaged database

↗#

.recover

# Use the shell recovery command.

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