Connecting to SQLite using PHP

SQLite is a lightweight, serverless database engine that integrates seamlessly with PHP. On ruachost.com, you can connect to SQLite databases using PHP’s built‑in PDO (PHP Data Objects) extension.

Why Use PHP with SQLite?

• No external server required — databases are stored in a single file.

• Perfect for lightweight applications, prototyping, and local development.

• PDO provides a consistent interface across multiple database systems.

• Easy to deploy and portable across environments.

Steps to Connect to SQLite Using PHP

Step 1: Ensure SQLite Support in PHP

• Verify that the pdo_sqlite extension is enabled in your PHP configuration.

• You can check by running:

  <?php phpinfo(); ?>
  

Step 2: Connect to SQLite Database

Use PDO to connect to an existing SQLite database file (or create one if it doesn’t exist).

<?php
try {
    // Connect to SQLite database file
    $pdo = new PDO('sqlite:/home/username/path/example.db');

    // Set error mode to exceptions
    $pdo->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);

    echo "Connected to SQLite successfully!";
} catch (PDOException $e) {
    echo "Connection failed: " . $e->getMessage();
}
?>

• Replace /home/username/path/example.db with the actual path to your database file.

• If the file does not exist, SQLite will create it automatically.

Step 3: Run Queries

<?php
$result = $pdo->query("SELECT lastname FROM employees");

foreach ($result as $row) {
    echo $row['lastname'] . "<br>";
}
?>