{"id":3566,"date":"2024-05-11T20:11:56","date_gmt":"2024-05-11T13:11:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sqlitetutorial.net\/?page_id=3566"},"modified":"2024-10-25T19:58:29","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T12:58:29","slug":"connect","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.sqlitetutorial.net\/sqlite-csharp\/connect\/","title":{"rendered":"SQLite C#: Connecting to SQLite databases"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary<\/strong>: in this tutorial, you will learn how to connect to an SQLite database using ADO.NET in a C# program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating a new project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First, launch Visual Studio and create a new Console App project with a specific name for example SQLiteDemo<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, right-click the project name and select the Manage Nuget Packages...<\/code> menu item<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, search for Microsoft.Data.Sqlite<\/code> and click the Install button to download it to your project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connecting to an SQLite database<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you open a connection to an SQLite database file that does not exist, the program creates the database file automatically and opens a new connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the SQLite file already exists, the program creates a new connection to the SQLite database file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the steps for connecting to an SQLite database file using ADO.NET:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, create a new instance of the SqliteConnection<\/code> class:<\/p>\n\n\n

var<\/span> connection = new<\/span> SqliteConnection(\"Data Source=databaseFile\"<\/span>);<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Replace the databaseFile<\/code> with the actual path to the SQLite database file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Second, open a connection by calling the Open()<\/code> method of the SqliteConnection<\/code> object:<\/p>\n\n\n
connection.Open();<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Third, after completing interacting with the SQLite database, close the database connection by calling the Close()<\/code> method:<\/p>\n\n\n
connection.Close();<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The following shows the complete code:<\/p>\n\n\n
var<\/span> connection = new<\/span> SqliteConnection(\"Data Source=databaseFile\"<\/span>);\nconnection.Open();\n\n\/\/ interacting with the database <\/span>\n\/\/ ...<\/span>\n\nconnection.Close();<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
If you use the using<\/code> statement, you do not need to call the Close()<\/code> method explicitly to close the database connection:<\/p>\n\n\n
using<\/span> var<\/span> connection = new<\/span> SqliteConnection(\"Data Source=databaseFile\"<\/span>);\nconnection.Open();\n\n\/\/ interacting with the database <\/span>\n\/\/ ...<\/span>\n\n\/\/ automatically close the database connection here<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
When you connect to an SQLite database, exceptions may occur during the connection process. To handle the exceptions properly, you need to wrap the code inside a try-catch<\/a> block:<\/p>\n\n\n
try<\/span>\n{\n    using<\/span> var<\/span> connection = new<\/span> SqliteConnection(\"Data Source=databaseFile\"<\/span>);\n    connection.Open();\n\n    \/\/ Interacting with the database <\/span>\n    \/\/ ...<\/span>\n\n} catch<\/span> (SqliteException e) {\n    \/\/ Display the exception<\/span>\n    Console.WriteLine(e.Message);\n}<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The following program shows how to connect to the C:\\db\\pub.db<\/code> database file:<\/p>\n\n\n
using<\/span> Microsoft.Data.Sqlite;\n\ntry<\/span>\n{\n    using<\/span> var<\/span> connection = new<\/span> SqliteConnection(@\"Data Source=C:\\db\\pub.db\"<\/span>);\n    connection.Open();\n\n    Console.WriteLine(\"Connected to the SQLite database!\"<\/span>);\n\n} catch<\/span> (SqliteException ex) { \n    Console.WriteLine(ex.Message);\n}<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Notice that the directory C:\\db<\/code> must exist before you run the program or you’ll encounter an error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you run the program and no exception occurs, you’ll see the following message:<\/p>\n\n\n
Connected to the SQLite database!<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Create a new instance of the SqliteConnection<\/code> class to represent a connection to an SQLite database file.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Call the Open()<\/code> method of the SqliteConnection<\/code> object to open a new connection to the database.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Always call the Close()<\/code> method to close the database connection if you no longer use it. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • To properly close the database connection, create the SqliteConnection<\/code> object in a using statement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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