Develop Reference

Android SQLite check if table exist [duplicate]

I have an android app that needs to check if there's already a record in the database, and if not, process some things and eventually insert it, and simply read the data from the database if the data does exist. I'm using a subclass of SQLiteOpenHelper to create and get a rewritable instance of SQLiteDatabase, which I thought automatically took care of creating the table if it didn't already exist (since the code to do that is in the onCreate(...) method).
However, when the table does NOT yet exist, and the first method ran upon the SQLiteDatabase object I have is a call to query(...), my logcat shows an error of "I/Database(26434): sqlite returned: error code = 1, msg = no such table: appdata", and sure enough, the appdata table isn't being created.
Any ideas on why?
I'm looking for either a method to test if the table exists (because if it doesn't, the data's certainly not in it, and I don't need to read it until I write to it, which seems to create the table properly), or a way to make sure that it gets created, and is just empty, in time for that first call to query(...)
EDIT
This was posted after the two answers below:
I think I may have found the problem. I for some reason decided that a different SQLiteOpenHelper was supposed to be created for each table, even though both access the same database file. I think refactoring that code to only use one OpenHelper, and creating both tables inside it's onCreate may work better...

Try this one:
public boolean isTableExists(String tableName, boolean openDb) {
if(openDb) {
if(mDatabase == null || !mDatabase.isOpen()) {
mDatabase = getReadableDatabase();
}
if(!mDatabase.isReadOnly()) {
mDatabase.close();
mDatabase = getReadableDatabase();
}
}
String query = "select DISTINCT tbl_name from sqlite_master where tbl_name = '"+tableName+"'";
try (Cursor cursor = mDatabase.rawQuery(query, null)) {
if(cursor!=null) {
if(cursor.getCount()>0) {
return true;
}
}
return false;
}
}

I know nothing about the Android SQLite API, but if you're able to talk to it in SQL directly, you can do this:
create table if not exists mytable (col1 type, col2 type);
Which will ensure that the table is always created and not throw any errors if it already existed.

Although there are already a lot of good answers to this question, I came up with another solution that I think is more simple. Surround your query with a try block and the following catch:
catch (SQLiteException e){
if (e.getMessage().contains("no such table")){
Log.e(TAG, "Creating table " + TABLE_NAME + "because it doesn't exist!" );
// create table
// re-run query, etc.
}
}
It worked for me!

This is what I did:
/* open database, if doesn't exist, create it */
SQLiteDatabase mDatabase = openOrCreateDatabase("exampleDb.db", SQLiteDatabase.CREATE_IF_NECESSARY,null);
Cursor c = null;
boolean tableExists = false;
/* get cursor on it */
try
{
c = mDatabase.query("tbl_example", null,
null, null, null, null, null);
tableExists = true;
}
catch (Exception e) {
/* fail */
Log.d(TAG, tblNameIn+" doesn't exist :(((");
}
return tableExists;

Yep, turns out the theory in my edit was right: the problem that was causing the onCreate method not to run, was the fact that SQLiteOpenHelper objects should refer to databases, and not have a separate one for each table. Packing both tables into one SQLiteOpenHelper solved the problem.

// #param db, readable database from SQLiteOpenHelper
public boolean doesTableExist(SQLiteDatabase db, String tableName) {
Cursor cursor = db.rawQuery("select DISTINCT tbl_name from sqlite_master where tbl_name = '" + tableName + "'", null);
if (cursor != null) {
if (cursor.getCount() > 0) {
cursor.close();
return true;
}
cursor.close();
}
return false;
}
sqlite maintains sqlite_master table containing information of all tables and indexes in database.
So here we are simply running SELECT command on it, we'll get cursor having count 1 if table exists.

You mentioned that you've created an class that extends SQLiteOpenHelper and implemented the onCreate method. Are you making sure that you're performing all your database acquire calls with that class? You should only be getting SQLiteDatabase objects via the SQLiteOpenHelper#getWritableDatabase and getReadableDatabase otherwise the onCreate method will not be called when necessary. If you are doing that already check and see if th SQLiteOpenHelper#onUpgrade method is being called instead. If so, then the database version number was changed at some point in time but the table was never created properly when that happened.
As an aside, you can force the recreation of the database by making sure all connections to it are closed and calling Context#deleteDatabase and then using the SQLiteOpenHelper to give you a new db object.

Kotlin solution, based on what others wrote here:
fun isTableExists(database: SQLiteDatabase, tableName: String): Boolean {
database.rawQuery("select DISTINCT tbl_name from sqlite_master where tbl_name = '$tableName'", null)?.use {
return it.count > 0
} ?: return false
}

public boolean isTableExists(String tableName) {
boolean isExist = false;
Cursor cursor = db.rawQuery("select DISTINCT tbl_name from sqlite_master where tbl_name = '" + tableName + "'", null);
if (cursor != null) {
if (cursor.getCount() > 0) {
isExist = true;
}
cursor.close();
}
return isExist;
}

no such table exists: error is coming because once you create database with one table after that whenever you create table in same database it gives this error.
To solve this error you must have to create new database and inside the onCreate() method you can create multiple table in same database.

Important condition is IF NOT EXISTS to check table is already exist or not in database
like...
String query = "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS " + TABLE_PLAYER_PHOTO + "("
+ KEY_PLAYER_ID + " TEXT,"
+ KEY_PLAYER_IMAGE + " TEXT)";
db.execSQL(query);

i faced that and deal with it by try catch as simple as that i do what i want in table if it not exist will cause error so catch it by exceptions and create it :)
SQLiteDatabase db=this.getWritableDatabase();
try{
db.execSQL("INSERT INTO o_vacations SELECT * FROM vacations");
db.execSQL("DELETE FROM vacations");
}catch (SQLiteException e){
db.execSQL("create table o_vacations (id integer primary key ,name text ,vacation text,date text,MONTH text)");
db.execSQL("INSERT INTO o_vacations SELECT * FROM vacations");
db.execSQL("DELETE FROM vacations");
}

.....
Toast t = Toast.makeText(context, "try... " , Toast.LENGTH_SHORT);
t.show();
Cursor callInitCheck = db.rawQuery("select count(*) from call", null);
Toast t2a = Toast.makeText(context, "count rows " + callInitCheck.getCount() , Toast.LENGTH_SHORT);
t2a.show();
callInitCheck.moveToNext();
if( Integer.parseInt( callInitCheck.getString(0)) == 0) // if no rows then do
{
// if empty then insert into call
.....

Upgrading Android application data with multiple tables (without destroying unaffected tables)

In my Android application; I have a single database with multiple tables.
Each table is more-or-less separate from each other, but figured (for best practice?) to just have one DB file.
When it comes to Upgrades, it's currently an all or nothing affair. On upgrade, it "DROP"'s all the tables and re-creates them. However, this is rather harsh if only one of the tables has changed as all the other tables' data is also lost.
Is there a built-in way to auto-upgrade just the tables that have changed?
(e.g. using a version number per/table?)
If not, I guess I can see two options:
Use separate databases/files for each table, to use built-in version upgrade functionality.
Use the database version number to know when the "schema" has changed, but have a separate table to store the current TABLE_VERSIONS and manage my own upgrade by checking the version number of each table against the current build and DROP/CREATE Tables where needed.
(I'd rather not re-invent the wheel here, so I'm hoping I'm missing something simple...)

You need an abstract class that implements the upgrade process described here. Then you extend this abstract class for each of your tables. In your abstract class you must store you tables in a way(list, hardcoded) so when the onUpgrade fires you iterate over the table items and for each table item you do the described steps. They will be self upgraded, keeping all their existing details. Please note that the onUpgrade event fires only once per database, that's why you need to iterate over all your tables to do the upgrade of all of them. You maintain only 1 version number over all the database.
beginTransaction
run a table creation with if not exists (we are doing an upgrade, so the table might not exists yet, it will fail alter and drop)
put in a list the existing columns List<String> columns = DBUtils.GetColumns(db, TableName);
backup table (ALTER table " + TableName + " RENAME TO 'temp_" + TableName)
create new table (the newest table creation schema)
get the intersection with the new columns, this time columns taken from the upgraded table (columns.retainAll(DBUtils.GetColumns(db, TableName));)
restore data (String cols = StringUtils.join(columns, ",");
db.execSQL(String.format(
"INSERT INTO %s (%s) SELECT %s from temp_%s",
TableName, cols, cols, TableName));
)
remove backup table (DROP table 'temp_" + TableName)
setTransactionSuccessful
(This doesn't handle table downgrade, if you rename a column, you don't get the existing data transfered as the column names do not match).
.
public static List<String> GetColumns(SQLiteDatabase db, String tableName) {
List<String> ar = null;
Cursor c = null;
try {
c = db.rawQuery("select * from " + tableName + " limit 1", null);
if (c != null) {
ar = new ArrayList<String>(Arrays.asList(c.getColumnNames()));
}
} catch (Exception e) {
Log.v(tableName, e.getMessage(), e);
e.printStackTrace();
} finally {
if (c != null)
c.close();
}
return ar;
}
public static String join(List<String> list, String delim) {
StringBuilder buf = new StringBuilder();
int num = list.size();
for (int i = 0; i < num; i++) {
if (i != 0)
buf.append(delim);
buf.append((String) list.get(i));
}
return buf.toString();
}

If you're using the Android SQLite helper classes (i.e. SQLiteOpenHelper) then you only have one version number representing the database schema. Personally, I put all the schema creation code in my instance of SQLiteOpenHelper and keep the upgrade logic simple:
#Override
public void onUpgrade (SQLiteDatabase db, int oldVersion, int newVersion) {
// Alter all the tables so the schema is brought up-to-date.
if (oldVersion < newVersion) {
db.execSQL("ALTER TABLE foo ADD COLUMN new_column INTEGER NOT NULL");
}
}

Android database strangeness listing columns

I am getting inconsistent results between two methods of reading the columns in an Android SQLite database.
First, this is part of a database upgrade routine as per the accepted answer here: Upgrade SQLite database from one version to another?
The technique involves moving the current table away with a temporary name, creating a new table with the new schema, and then copying relevant data from the old table into the new one before deleting the old temporary table.
The particular problem I have is when I remove a column from the schema. So, a particular column exists in the old version of the table, but not the new one.
That answer suggests using a method like this to list the columns in the table:
/**
* Returns a list of the table's column names.
*/
private List<String> getColumns(SQLiteDatabase db, final String tableName) {
List<String> ar = null;
Cursor c = null;
try {
c = db.rawQuery("SELECT * FROM " + tableName + " LIMIT 1", null);
if (c != null) {
ar = new ArrayList<String>(Arrays.asList(c.getColumnNames()));
}
} finally {
if (c != null)
c.close();
}
return ar;
}
That works fine on the old table, before I move it away with a temporary name and replace it. When I run the same query again later, on the newly-created empty table, it still lists the old table schema with the name of the column which no longer exists. It looks as if it's reusing stale cached results for that query.
If I read the columns a different way, using this instead, then it returns the new column list as expected:
private void listColumns(SQLiteDatabase db, final String tableName) {
final String query = "PRAGMA table_info(" + tableName + ");";
Cursor c = db.rawQuery(query, null);
while (c.moveToNext()) {
Log.v("MyApp", "Column: " + c.getString(1));
}
c.close();
}
The complete sequence is:
final String tempTableName = "temp_" + tableName;
table.addToDb(db); // ensure it exists to start with
// get column names of existing table
final List<String> columns = getColumns(db, tableName);
// backup table
db.execSQL("ALTER TABLE " + tableName + " RENAME TO " + tempTableName);
// create new table
table.addToDb(db);
// delete old columns which aren't in the new schema
columns.retainAll(getColumns(db, tableName));
// restore data from old into new table
String columnList = TextUtils.join(",", columns);
db.execSQL(String.format("INSERT INTO %s (%s) SELECT %s from %s", tableName, columnList, columnList,
tempTableName));
// remove backup
db.execSQL(DROP_TABLE + tempTableName);
What's the reason for the different results?

I assume you have done something similar to this:
ALTER TABLE "main"."mytable" RENAME TO "newtable";
CREATE TABLE "main"."mytable" ("key1" text PRIMARY KEY,"key2" text,"key3" text);
INSERT INTO "main"."mytable" SELECT "key1","key2","key3" FROM "main"."newtable";
DROP TABLE "main"."newtable";
If you have, please share the equivalent code, just to rule out any errors with this part.

I never got to the bottom of this. I just ended up using the second method I mentioned, which doesn't exhibit the problem.

Using python in android to interface to sql

I know you can use python and other scripting languages in android. But I haven't seen weather or not it was possible to use python as an interface to sqlite in android. Is this possible? This is the first android app where I've needed sqlite, and using the java api's is retarded.
If this isn't possible, can someone point me to a good tutorial on sqlite in android? I've found a bunch, but all of them are entirely different and I'm totally lost on which is the best way to do it.
It's just hard to picture how google expects you to use the sqlite database. It seems like you need like 10 different classes just to query a database.

Actually you just need 3 classes:
A ContentProvider, as found here: http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/providers/content-providers.html
Second you need is a SQLiteOpenHelper and last but not least a Cursor
Edit: Just noticed it's not obvious from the snippets what the db variable is. It's the SQLiteOpenHelper or better my extension of it (where I've only overridden the onCreate, onUpgrade and constructor. See below ^^
The ContentProvider is the one which will be communicating with the database and do the inserts, updates, deletes. The content provider will also allow other parts of your code (even other Apps, if you allow it) to access the data stored in the sqlite.
You can then override the insert/delete/query/update functions and add your functionality to it, for example perform different actions depending on the URI of the intent.
public int delete(Uri uri, String whereClause, String[] whereArgs) {
int count = 0;
switch(URI_MATCHER.match(uri)){
case ITEMS:
// uri = content://com.yourname.yourapp.Items/item
// delete all rows
count = db.delete(TABLE_ITEMS, whereClause, whereArgs);
break;
case ITEMS_ID:
// uri = content://com.yourname.yourapp.Items/item/2
// delete the row with the id 2
String segment = uri.getPathSegments().get(1);
count = db.delete(TABLE_ITEMS,
Item.KEY_ITEM_ID +"="+segment
+(!TextUtils.isEmpty(whereClause)?" AND ("+whereClause+")":""),
whereArgs);
break;
default:
throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unknown Uri: "+uri);
}
return count;
}
The UriMatcher is defined as
private static final int ITEMS = 1;
private static final int ITEMS_ID = 2;
private static final String AUTHORITY_ITEMS ="com.yourname.yourapp.Items";
private static final UriMatcher URI_MATCHER;
static {
URI_MATCHER = new UriMatcher(UriMatcher.NO_MATCH);
URI_MATCHER.addURI(AUTHORITY_ITEMS, "item", ITEMS);
URI_MATCHER.addURI(AUTHORITY_ITEMS, "item/#", ITEMS_ID);
}
This way you can decide if only 1 result shall be returned or updated or if all should be queried or not.
The SQLiteOpenHelper will actually perform the insert and also take care of upgrades if the structure of your SQLite database changes, you can perform it there by overriding
class ItemDatabaseHelper extends SQLiteOpenHelper {
public ItemDatabaseHelper(Context context){
super(context, "myDatabase.db", null, ITEMDATABASE_VERSION);
}
#Override
public void onCreate(SQLiteDatabase db) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
String createItemsTable = "create table " + TABLE_ITEMS + " (" +
...
");";
// Begin Transaction
db.beginTransaction();
try{
// Create Items table
db.execSQL(createItemsTable);
// Transaction was successful
db.setTransactionSuccessful();
} catch(Exception ex) {
Log.e(this.getClass().getName(), ex.getMessage(), ex);
} finally {
// End transaction
db.endTransaction();
}
}
#Override
public void onUpgrade(SQLiteDatabase db, int oldVersion, int newVersion) {
String dropItemsTable = "DROP TABLE IF EXISTS " + TABLE_ITEMS;
// Begin transaction
db.beginTransaction();
try {
if(oldVersion<2){
// Upgrade from version 1 to version 2: DROP the whole table
db.execSQL(dropItemsTable);
onCreate(db);
Log.i(this.getClass().toString(),"Successfully upgraded to Version 2");
}
if(oldVersion<3) {
// minor change, perform an ALTER query
db.execSQL("ALTER ...");
}
db.setTransactionSuccessful();
} catch(Exception ex){
Log.e(this.getClass().getName(), ex.getMessage(), ex);
} finally {
// Ends transaction
// If there was an error, the database won't be altered
db.endTransaction();
}
}
}
and then the easiest part of all: Perform a query:
String[] rows = new String[] {"_ID", "_name", "_email" };
Uri uri = Uri.parse("content://com.yourname.yourapp.Items/item/2";
// Alternatively you can also use getContentResolver().insert/update/query/delete methods
Cursor c = managedQuery(uri, rows, "someRow=1", null, null);
That's basically all and the most elegant way to do it as far as I know.

Retaining persistent information on different versions of the software

I am planning to write a free version and a full version of a software. I want the information stored by the free version of the software to be accessible by the full version also (I don't want to use Content Providers). And I also want to make sure this data is not lost when the software is updated. How do I achieve this?

You need to implement an intelligent way of onUpgrade for your sqlite helpers.
You should always have the new table creation query at hand, and use that for upgrade and transfer any existing data. Note: that the onUpgrade methods runs once for your sqlite helper object and you need to handle all the tables in it.
So what is recommended onUpgrade:
beginTransaction
run a table creation with if not exists (we are doing an upgrade, so the table might not exists yet, it will fail alter and drop)
put in a list the existing columns List<String> columns = DBUtils.GetColumns(db, TableName);
backup table (ALTER table " + TableName + " RENAME TO 'temp_" + TableName)
create new table (the newest table creation schema)
get the intersection with the new columns, this time columns taken from the upgraded table (columns.retainAll(DBUtils.GetColumns(db, TableName));)
restore data (String cols = StringUtils.join(columns, ",");
db.execSQL(String.format(
"INSERT INTO %s (%s) SELECT %s from temp_%s",
TableName, cols, cols, TableName));
)
remove backup table (DROP table 'temp_" + TableName)
setTransactionSuccessful
(This doesn't handle table downgrade, if you rename a column, you don't get the existing data transfered as the column names do not match).
.
public static List<String> GetColumns(SQLiteDatabase db, String tableName) {
List<String> ar = null;
Cursor c = null;
try {
c = db.rawQuery("select * from " + tableName + " limit 1", null);
if (c != null) {
ar = new ArrayList<String>(Arrays.asList(c.getColumnNames()));
}
} catch (Exception e) {
Log.v(tableName, e.getMessage(), e);
e.printStackTrace();
} finally {
if (c != null)
c.close();
}
return ar;
}
public static String join(List<String> list, String delim) {
StringBuilder buf = new StringBuilder();
int num = list.size();
for (int i = 0; i < num; i++) {
if (i != 0)
buf.append(delim);
buf.append((String) list.get(i));
}
return buf.toString();
}