Being ideal choice for individual applications, SQLite does not fit for multi-user environments with high demand for security features. Therefor many customers come to idea of migration their SQLite databases to advanced DBMS yet free and open-source just like MySQL. In general, transfer from one database management system to another is a challenging and time-consuming process. However, migrating from SQLite to MySQL is not so difficult, thanks to the simplicity of SQLite: it does not have sophisticated database objects such as stored procedures and functions, all data processing logic is implemented in external applications.
On the other hand, there are still some challenges may occur when migrating from SQLite to MySQL. For example, SQLite uses ‘t’ and ‘f’ for logical type, while MySQL uses 1 and 0. Also, these DBMS have distinguished strings representations for INSERT INTO statements. Those nuances may lead to errors, therefor it is necessary to handle all related transformations properly and carefully validate results after migration completes.
One of the easiest strategies for SQLite to MySQL database migration is based on using sqlite3 and mysql command processors. The first step of this approach is to export the SQLite database from sqlite3 command line tool as follows:
$ echo “.dump archive” | sqlite3 mydb.sdb > mydb.sql
Keep in mind that sqlite3 is a part of SQLite installation, so this software must be installed first before proceeding with the migration according to this method. If MySQL database does not exist, it must be created on the next step:
$ echo “CREATE DATABASE mydb ” | mysql -u root –p
Finally, restore the items in the file mydb.sql with necessary pre-processing of the creation script:
$ sed -e ‘/PRAGMA/d’ -e’s/BEGIN/START/’ -e ‘s/”archive”/archive/’ < mydb.sql | mysql -u root -p –database=mydb
Migrating data from SQLite to MySQL can also be achieved through different methods, including using conversion scripts or special commercial software. One popular approach is to use conversion scripts on Perl or Python that can automate the conversion of SQLite script files into MySQL format. The scripts can handle most of the vital variations between the two databases, making it easier to migrate large or complex SQLite databases.
However, the use of conversion scripts may require some level of expertise in Perl or Python, which may not be available to everyone. Alternative approach that requires the least effort is to use special commercial software for complete automation of migrating the database from SQLite to MySQL.
One of such tools is the SQLite to MySQL converter offered by Intelligent Converters. This software simplifies the migration process and provides an excellent opportunity to customize every available parameter in the conversion process. For instance, users can customize the resulting table structure by enhancing the name and type of each column or excluding some columns from conversion.
The software can also migrate SQLite databases to MySQL server automatically or export the data into local MySQL script files containing SQL statements to create tables and fill all the data. This option is particularly useful when the target MySQL server does not accept remote connections. Overall, the SQLite to MySQL converter software simplifies the migration process, making it easier and more efficient to transfer data from SQLite to MySQL databases.
In conclusion, whether you choose to use conversion scripts or commercial software, it is essential to ensure that the migration process is seamless and efficient. While conversion scripts can be helpful, they may require some level of expertise and may not be suitable for everyone. On the other hand, commercial software, such as the SQLite to MySQL converter, simplifies the process and provides users with the flexibility to customize the conversion parameters.
