The widely used relational database management system SQLite is well known for its quickness, effectiveness, and simplicity of use. It is an embedded SQL database engine that is used in a variety of applications, especially those that require small to medium-sized data storage. One question that often arises when using SQLite is whether the date is an integer or a string.
In this article, we will explore this question and discuss the various factors that determine whether a date is considered an integer or a string in SQLite.
Date in SQLite
To start with, it is important to understand what date is in SQLite. A date is a number that, generally to the level of seconds, denotes a precise moment in time. It is often used to record events, transactions, or other time-sensitive information in a database.
Is Date INTEGER or STRING in SQLite?
In SQLite, times and dates can be saved as TEXT, REAL, or INTEGER values. But there are some factors we need to consider to tell if a date is an integer or a string in a certain database.
Date Stored as Integer
The primary factor that determines whether a date is considered an integer or a string in SQLite is the way in which it is stored in the database. If a date is stored as an integer, then it is treated as such by SQLite, and all operations on that date will treat it as an integer. For example, if you wanted to add two dates together, you would use an integer operation, not a string operation.
id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
event TEXT,
date_int INTEGER
);
Now insert values in the table.
Now we retrieve values from the table.
In the above code, we create a table named date_int with three columns: id, event, and date_int. The date_int column is of type INTEGER.
To store a date as an integer, we can use the strftime(‘%s’, ‘YYYY-MM-DD’) function, which returns the Unix timestamp representing the provided date. In the example, we insert a row into the table with the current date converted to an integer. When retrieving the data, we can convert the stored integer back to a readable date format using the datetime(date_integer, ‘unixepoch’) function.
However, even if a date is stored as an integer, it can still be treated as a string in SQLite. This is because SQLite has the ability to convert between data types on the fly. So, if you try to concatenate an integer date with a string, SQLite will automatically convert the integer to a string, so that the concatenation operation can be performed.
Date Stored as String
However, if a date is stored as a string, then it is treated as such by SQLite, and all operations on that date will treat it as a string. As a result, manipulating that date would need the usage of string operations. For example, if you wanted to concatenate two dates together, you would use a string operation, not an integer operation.
id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
event TEXT,
date_string TEXT
);
Now insert values in the table.
Now we retrieve values from the table.
In the above code, we create a table named date_string with three columns: id, event, and date_string. The date_string column is of type TEXT. To store a date as a string, we simply insert the date value as a string in the desired format (e.g., ‘YYYY-MM-DD’).
When retrieving the data, the date is stored as a string and can be selected and displayed directly.
Conclusion
SQLite is a powerful and flexible database management system that offers a variety of ways to store and manipulate date data. The storage type determines how SQLite treats the date and what operations can be performed on it. By understanding the factors influencing whether a date is considered an integer or a string in SQLite, developers can make informed decisions when working with dates in their databases.
