sqlite
I created a table in Sqlite by using the CREATE TABLE AS syntax to create a table based on a SELECT statement. Now this table has no primary key but I would like to add one.
Executing ALTER TABLE table_name ADD PRIMARY KEY(col1, col2,...) gives a syntax error "near PRIMARY"
Is there a way to add a primary key either during table creation or afterwards in Sqlite?
By "during creation" I mean during creation with CREATE TABLE AS.
There are a few steps to see the tables in an SQLite database:
List the tables in your database:
.tables
List how the table looks:
.schema tablename
Print the entire table:
SELECT * FROM tablename;
List all of the available SQLite prompt commands:
.help
Assuming three columns in the table: ID, NAME, ROLE
BAD: This will insert or replace all columns with new values for ID=1:
INSERT OR REPLACE INTO Employee (id, name, role)
VALUES (1, 'John Foo', 'CEO');
BAD: This will insert or replace 2 of the columns... the NAME column will be set to NULL or the default value:
INSERT OR REPLACE INTO Employee (id, role)
VALUES (1, 'code monkey');
GOOD: Use SQLite On conflict clause UPSERT support in SQLite! UPSERT syntax was added to SQLite with version 3.24.0!
UPSERT is a special syntax addition to INSERT that causes the INSERT to behave as an UPDATE or a no-op if the INSERT would violate a uniqueness constraint. UPSERT is not standard SQL. UPSERT in SQLite follows the syntax established by PostgreSQL.
GOOD but tedious: This will update 2 of the columns. When ID=1 exists, the NAME will be unaffected. When ID=1 does not exist, the name will be the default (NULL).
INSERT OR REPLACE INTO Employee (id, role, name)
VALUES ( 1,
'code monkey',
(SELECT name FROM Employee WHERE id = 1)
);
This will update 2 of the columns. When ID=1 exists, the ROLE will be unaffected. When ID=1 does not exist, the role will be set to 'Benchwarmer' instead of the default value.
INSERT OR REPLACE INTO Employee (id, name, role)
VALUES ( 1,
'Susan Bar',
COALESCE((SELECT role FROM Employee WHERE id = 1), 'Benchwarmer')
);
Best Answer
You can't modify SQLite tables in any significant way after they have been created. The accepted suggested solution is to create a new table with the correct requirements and copy your data into it, then drop the old table.
here is the official documentation about this: http://sqlite.org/faq.html#q11