How to open, view and query SQLite in VS Code

# How to open, view and query SQLite in VS Code

You can use an extension to open, view and query SQLite database files directly in Visual Studio Code.

To install the extension:

1. Click on Extensions in the left sidebar.

• You can also open the Extensions menu by pressing:
  • Ctrl + Shift + X on Windows or Linux
  • Command + Shift + X on macOS

2. Type SQLite and install the extension by alexcvzz.

3. Click on the Install button.

# Opening an SQLite (.db) file directly in VS Code

Once you install the extension, you can open an SQLite file by:

1. Right-clicking on the file in Explorer.

2. Clicking on Open Database.

3. The database will appear as a collapsed menu in the Explorer tab.

4. Click on SQLite Explorer to expand the database.

5. Once you expand the database view, you can click on a specific table and click on the arrow to view the table's data.

You can also right-click on a table to show it or run a query.

An alternative way to open the SQLite file is to:

1. Press:

• Ctrl + Shift + P on Windows and Linux.
• Command + Shift + P on macOS.

1. Type SQLite open and select SQLite: Open Database.

Make sure to expand the SQLite Explorer menu in the left sidebar after you open the database.

# Running SQLite queries directly in VS Code

To run a query, create a .sql file, for example, 001.sql and type a query.

The following code sample selects the first 10 rows from a table called albums.

Copied!
SELECT * FROM albums LIMIT 10;

To run the query:

1. Press:

• Ctrl + Shift + P on Windows and Linux.
• Command + Shift + P on macOS.

2. Type SQLite run query.

3. Click on the SQLite: Run Query option.

4. You might get prompted to select your database.

Once you run the query a new tab that contains the results will open.

There is also a shortcut for running a query:

• Ctrl + Shift + Q on Windows and Linux.
• Command + Shift + Q on macOS.

The window that contains the results enables you to:

• View the SQL code that was run to generate the result.
• Export the data as CSV, HTML or JSON.
• Toggle the visibility of the data.
• Paginate through the results.

# Closing the Database

Once you are done working with the database, you can close it by:

1. Pressing:

• Ctrl + Shift + P on Windows and Linux.
• Command + Shift + P on macOS.

2. Typing SQLite run query.

3. Clicking on the SQLite: Close Database button.

I've also written an article on how to view and edit Binary files in VS Code.

# Additional Resources

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