SQLite to MySQL: 2 Easy Methods for Migrating Data

Both MySQL and SQLite use the Structured Query Language (SQL) to define, update, and query data in databases. Depending on the use case, one might want to move data from SQLite to MySQL for further analysis. SQLite is best suited for smaller databases and does not have any specific user management functionality, making it difficult for users to collaborate.

SQLite is not easily scalable and lacks customizability. On the other hand, MySQL supports multiple users and can store a huge amount of data in the form of MySQL tables. Hence, as your business scales, your database grows, and SQLite might not be very effective for your data. Therefore, it is highly recommended to migrate SQLite to MySQL if you’re dealing with large volumes of data.

This article will help you quickly migrate SQLite to MySQL database. Let’s get started.

What is SQLite?

SQLite is a transactional SQL database engine that is embedded in a C programming library. Available freely in the public domain, this open-source relational database management system is different than the client-server model-based relational databases. 

Instead of running it on your system, it typically runs on the server. Acting as an embedded database, SQLite works within the software that accesses the data. You can access the database directly without the need for mediation from the host server. Check out how connecting SQLite to SQL Server can help you interact with databases.

What is MySQL?

MySQL is considered to be one of the most popular open-source relational database management systems (RDBMS). MySQL implements a simple client-server model that helps its users manage relational databases, i.e., data stored in the form of rows and columns across tables. It uses the well-known query language, Structured Query Language (SQL), that allows users to perform all required CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations.

SQLite to MySQL – 2 Easy Methods

Depending on the requirements, one might want to migrate SQLite to MySQL. It is not as easy as moving data from a file to a table in MySQL. This section will guide you on how to move data from SQLite to a MySQL database. Below are the two SQLite to MySQL converter methods.

• Method 1: Converting SQLite to MySQL with .dump Command
• Method 2: Converting SQLite to MySQL with Python

Method 1: Converting SQLite to MySQL with .dump Command

The quickest and easiest way to convert is by exporting an SQL database to a dump file and then importing the SQLite dump into a MySQL Database.

• You can export an SQLite database to a dump file using the .dump command.

sqlite3 sample.db .dump > dump.sql

• Now, import this dump file into MySQL using the command shown below.

mysql -p -u root -h 127.0.0.1 test < dump.sql

That’s it; you can now use this SQLite database in MySQL. But this method usually doesn’t work because there are differences in grammar between SQLite and MySQL syntax. Hence, you can’t convert data between heterogeneous databases by simply exporting and importing the dump file.

SQLite	MySQL
BEGIN; … COMMIT;	BEGIN TRANSACTION; … COMMIT;
AUTOINCREMENT TEXT double quotes (” “)	AUTO_INCREMENT varchars backticks (` ` )

Hence, you will be stuck with errors if you go ahead with this method. You’d spend a lot of time resolving data issues.

Method 2: Converting SQLite to MySQL with Python

You can also convert SQLite3 to MySQL online by writing a free Perl or Python script. But again, this is not so easy and will require experience working with Python.

Here’s a sample Python code for converting SQLite to MySQL.

objects = ModelObject.objects.using(‘sqlite’).all()

for obj in objects:
obj.save(using=’mysql’)

However, this is just a basic code, and it is most likely not enough. SQLite to MySQL is a more complex job, and it may require a third-party solution to accomplish the migration.

Conclusion

This article introduced you to SQLite and MySQL and provided you with a step-by-step guide on how to convert SQLite to MySQL. Connecting to a MySQL database through the dump file method will create many errors and data issues. Connecting to a MySQL database is a tedious and time-consuming process, but a third-party data integration tool like Hevo can do wonders for you.

However, if you’re looking to move complex sets of data in and out of MySQL, you can check out Hevo and its salient features. See how connecting SQLite to MariaDB can streamline your data management and improve performance.

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FAQ on SQLite to MySQL