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bun-sqlite skill

/plugins/bun/skills/bun-sqlite

This skill provides fast Bun SQLite operations with prepared statements, transactions, and querying guidance for reliable, production-ready data access.

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SKILL.md
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---
name: Bun SQLite
description: Use for bun:sqlite, SQLite operations, prepared statements, transactions, and queries.
version: 1.0.0
---

# Bun SQLite

Bun has a built-in, high-performance SQLite driver via `bun:sqlite`.

## Quick Start

```typescript
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";

// Create/open database
const db = new Database("mydb.sqlite");

// Create table
db.run(`
  CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS users (
    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
    name TEXT NOT NULL,
    email TEXT UNIQUE
  )
`);

// Insert data
db.run("INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES (?, ?)", ["Alice", "[email protected]"]);

// Query data
const users = db.query("SELECT * FROM users").all();
console.log(users);

// Close
db.close();
```

## Opening Databases

```typescript
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";

// File-based database
const db = new Database("data.sqlite");

// In-memory database
const memDb = new Database(":memory:");

// Read-only mode
const readDb = new Database("data.sqlite", { readonly: true });

// Create if not exists (default)
const createDb = new Database("new.sqlite", { create: true });

// Strict mode (recommended)
const strictDb = new Database("strict.sqlite", { strict: true });
```

## Running Queries

### Direct Execution

```typescript
// Run (for INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, DDL)
db.run("CREATE TABLE items (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, name TEXT)");
db.run("INSERT INTO items (name) VALUES (?)", ["Item 1"]);
db.run("DELETE FROM items WHERE id = ?", [1]);

// Get changes info
const result = db.run("DELETE FROM items WHERE id > ?", [10]);
console.log(result.changes); // Rows affected
console.log(result.lastInsertRowid); // Last inserted ID
```

### Prepared Statements (Recommended)

```typescript
// Create prepared statement
const stmt = db.prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ?");

// Get single row
const user = stmt.get(1);

// Get all rows
const allUsers = db.prepare("SELECT * FROM users").all();

// Get values as array
const values = db.prepare("SELECT name, email FROM users").values();
// [[name1, email1], [name2, email2], ...]

// Iterate with for...of
const iter = db.prepare("SELECT * FROM users");
for (const user of iter.iterate()) {
  console.log(user);
}
```

## Parameters

### Positional Parameters

```typescript
const stmt = db.prepare("INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES (?, ?)");
stmt.run("Bob", "[email protected]");

// Or as array
stmt.run(["Charlie", "[email protected]"]);
```

### Named Parameters

```typescript
const stmt = db.prepare("INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES ($name, $email)");
stmt.run({ $name: "Dave", $email: "[email protected]" });

// Also works with : and @
const stmt2 = db.prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE name = :name");
stmt2.get({ name: "Dave" }); // Note: no colon in object key
```

## Query Methods

```typescript
const stmt = db.prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE active = ?");

// .get() - First row or null
const first = stmt.get(true);

// .all() - All rows as array
const all = stmt.all(true);

// .values() - Rows as arrays (not objects)
const values = stmt.values(true);
// [[1, "Alice", true], [2, "Bob", true]]

// .iterate() - Iterator for memory efficiency
for (const row of stmt.iterate(true)) {
  processRow(row);
}

// .run() - Execute without returning data
db.prepare("DELETE FROM cache WHERE expires < ?").run(Date.now());
```

## Transactions

```typescript
// Simple transaction
const insertMany = db.transaction((users: { name: string; email: string }[]) => {
  const insert = db.prepare("INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES ($name, $email)");
  for (const user of users) {
    insert.run(user);
  }
  return users.length;
});

const count = insertMany([
  { name: "User1", email: "[email protected]" },
  { name: "User2", email: "[email protected]" },
]);

// Transaction modes
const tx = db.transaction(() => {
  db.run('INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES (?, ?)', ['Alice', '[email protected]']);
  db.run('UPDATE accounts SET balance = balance - 100 WHERE user_id = ?', [1]);
});

tx.deferred();   // Default: defer lock until first write
tx.immediate();  // Lock immediately on transaction start
tx.exclusive();  // Exclusive lock, blocks all other connections
```

## Batch Operations

```typescript
// WAL mode for better concurrent performance
db.run("PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL");

// Bulk insert with transaction
const insertBulk = db.transaction((items: string[]) => {
  const stmt = db.prepare("INSERT INTO items (name) VALUES (?)");
  for (const item of items) {
    stmt.run(item);
  }
});

insertBulk(["A", "B", "C", "D", "E"]);
```

## Column Types

```typescript
// SQLite types map to JavaScript
/*
  SQLite      JavaScript
  ------      ----------
  INTEGER     number | bigint
  REAL        number
  TEXT        string
  BLOB        Uint8Array
  NULL        null
*/

// Handle BigInt for large integers
const bigStmt = db.prepare("SELECT COUNT(*) as count FROM users");
const result = bigStmt.get();
// result.count may be bigint if > Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER

// Store/retrieve Uint8Array
db.run("INSERT INTO files (data) VALUES (?)", [new Uint8Array([1, 2, 3])]);
const file = db.prepare("SELECT data FROM files WHERE id = ?").get(1);
// file.data is Uint8Array
```

## Column Definitions

```typescript
// Get column info
const stmt = db.prepare("SELECT * FROM users");
const columns = stmt.columnNames;
// ["id", "name", "email"]

// Type annotations (Bun extension)
const typedStmt = db.prepare<{ id: number; name: string }, [number]>(
  "SELECT id, name FROM users WHERE id = ?"
);
const user = typedStmt.get(1);
// user is typed as { id: number; name: string } | null
```

## Error Handling

```typescript
import { Database, SQLiteError } from "bun:sqlite";

try {
  db.run("INSERT INTO users (email) VALUES (?)", ["[email protected]"]);
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof SQLiteError) {
    console.error("SQLite error:", error.code, error.message);
    // error.code: "SQLITE_CONSTRAINT_UNIQUE"
  }
  throw error;
}
```

## Database Management

```typescript
// Close database
db.close();

// Check if open
console.log(db.inTransaction); // Is in transaction

// Serialize to buffer
const buffer = db.serialize();
await Bun.write("backup.sqlite", buffer);

// Load from buffer
const data = await Bun.file("backup.sqlite").arrayBuffer();
const restored = Database.deserialize(data);

// Filename
console.log(db.filename); // Path or ":memory:"
```

## Common Patterns

### Repository Pattern

```typescript
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";

interface User {
  id: number;
  name: string;
  email: string;
}

class UserRepository {
  private db: Database;
  private stmts: {
    findById: ReturnType<Database["prepare"]>;
    findAll: ReturnType<Database["prepare"]>;
    create: ReturnType<Database["prepare"]>;
    update: ReturnType<Database["prepare"]>;
    delete: ReturnType<Database["prepare"]>;
  };

  constructor(db: Database) {
    this.db = db;
    this.stmts = {
      findById: db.prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ?"),
      findAll: db.prepare("SELECT * FROM users"),
      create: db.prepare("INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES ($name, $email)"),
      update: db.prepare("UPDATE users SET name = $name, email = $email WHERE id = $id"),
      delete: db.prepare("DELETE FROM users WHERE id = ?"),
    };
  }

  findById(id: number): User | null {
    return this.stmts.findById.get(id) as User | null;
  }

  findAll(): User[] {
    return this.stmts.findAll.all() as User[];
  }

  create(user: Omit<User, "id">): number {
    const result = this.stmts.create.run(user);
    return Number(result.lastInsertRowid);
  }
}
```

## Common Errors

| Error | Cause | Fix |
|-------|-------|-----|
| `SQLITE_CONSTRAINT` | Constraint violation | Check UNIQUE/FK constraints |
| `SQLITE_BUSY` | Database locked | Use WAL mode, add retry logic |
| `no such table` | Table doesn't exist | Run CREATE TABLE first |
| `database is locked` | Concurrent access | Enable WAL mode |

## Performance Tips

```sql
-- Enable WAL mode (better concurrency)
PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL;

-- Faster writes (less durable)
PRAGMA synchronous = NORMAL;

-- Increase cache size
PRAGMA cache_size = 10000;

-- Enable foreign keys
PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON;
```

## When to Load References

Load `references/pragmas.md` when:
- Performance tuning
- Journal modes
- Memory configuration

Load `references/fts.md` when:
- Full-text search
- FTS5 configuration

Overview

This skill provides a practical, production-ready wrapper for bun:sqlite operations in TypeScript. It focuses on creating/opening databases, prepared statements, transactions, batch operations, and safe query patterns. Use it to build fast, memory-efficient SQLite-backed services with Bun's native driver.

How this skill works

The skill uses Bun's built-in Database API to open file-based or in-memory SQLite databases, run SQL, and create prepared statements for repeated queries. It exposes helpers for positional and named parameters, result accessors (.get, .all, .values, .iterate), and transaction builders that support deferred, immediate, and exclusive modes. It also covers serialization, error handling, and performance tuning via PRAGMA settings.

When to use it

  • Embedding a lightweight SQL store in a Bun-based service or CLI
  • High-performance local databases where low-latency queries matter
  • Batch inserts and bulk operations that benefit from transactions
  • When you need typed prepared statements and safe parameter binding
  • Prototyping or production apps that require snapshot/restore via serialize

Best practices

  • Prefer prepared statements for repeated queries to improve performance and safety
  • Wrap multi-row writes in transactions to ensure atomicity and speed
  • Enable WAL mode and tune PRAGMA settings for concurrent access and performance
  • Use named parameters for clarity in complex statements and to avoid ordering mistakes
  • Catch SQLiteError specifically to inspect error.code and handle constraint or locking issues

Example use cases

  • User repository pattern: typed prepared statements for CRUD operations in a web API
  • Bulk importing CSV data using a transaction and a single prepared INSERT
  • In-memory testing database for unit tests via Database(':memory:')
  • Local cache with periodic serialize() backups and restore via Database.deserialize()
  • Implementing efficient streaming queries with stmt.iterate() to limit memory usage

FAQ

How do I handle large integer counts that exceed Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER?

Bun may return bigint for large INTEGER columns; check the value type and handle BigInt in your code or convert explicitly when safe.

What should I do if I hit SQLITE_BUSY or database is locked?

Enable PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL to reduce contention and add retry/backoff logic for transient locks.