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>";
}
?>