sqlite-best-practices

SQLite Best Practices

Comprehensive performance optimization guide for SQLite. Contains rules across multiple categories, prioritized by impact to guide automated query optimization, schema design, and runtime configuration.

When to Apply

Reference these guidelines when:

• Configuring SQLite for production (WAL mode, timeouts)
• Designing schemas (Strict tables, data types)
• Optimizing queries and indexes
• Working with JSON or Full Text Search in SQLite
• Managing concurrency and transactions
• Designing backup and replication strategies

Rule Categories by Priority

Priority	Category	Impact	Prefix
1	Configuration & Pragmas	CRITICAL	config-
2	Query Performance	CRITICAL	query-
3	Operations & Distributed	HIGH	ops-
4	Schema Design	HIGH	schema-
5	Data Access Patterns	MEDIUM	data-
6	JSON & Advanced	LOW	json- / fts- / advanced-

How to Use

Read individual rule files for detailed explanations and SQL examples:

references/config-wal-mode.md
references/query-indexes.md
references/ops-continuous-wal.md

Each rule file contains:

• Brief explanation of why it matters
• Incorrect SQL/Config example with explanation
• Correct SQL/Config example with explanation
• Performance metrics or impacts

References

• https://www.sqlite.org/docs.html (Official Documentation)
• https://www.sqlite.org/syntaxdiagrams.html (Railroad Diagrams - Highly recommended for syntax)
• https://www.sqlite.org/pragma.html (Pragma Cheatsheet)
• https://www.sqlite.org/wal.html (Write-Ahead Logging)