SQLite Wrapper Language
DBFlow's SQLite wrapper language attempts to make it as easy as possible to write queries, execute statements, and more.
We will attempt to make this doc comprehensive, but reference the SQLite language for how to formulate queries, as DBFlow follows it as much as possible.
SELECT
The way to query data, SELECT are started by:
SQLite.select().from(SomeTable.class)
Projections
By default if no parameters are specified in the select() query, we use the * wildcard qualifier,
meaning all columns are returned in the results.
To specify individual columns, you must use Property variables.
These get generated when you annotate your Model with columns, or created manually.
SQLite.select(Player_Table.name, Player_Table.position)
.from(Player.class)
To specify methods such as COUNT() or SUM() (static import on Method):
SQLite.select(count(Employee_Table.name), sum(Employee_Table.salary))
.from(Employee.class)
Translates to:
SELECT COUNT(`name`), SUM(`salary`) FROM `Employee`;
There are more handy methods in Method.
Operators
DBFlow supports many kinds of operations. They are formulated into a OperatorGroup,
which represent a set of SQLOperator subclasses combined into a SQLite conditional piece.
Property translate themselves into SQLOperator via their conditional methods such as
eq(), lessThan(), greaterThan(), between(), in(), etc.
They make it very easy to construct concise and meaningful queries:
int taxBracketCount = SQLite.select(count(Employee_Table.name))
.from(Employee.class)
.where(Employee_Table.salary.lessThan(150000))
.and(Employee_Table.salary.greaterThan(80000))
.count();
Translates to:
SELECT COUNT(`name`) FROM `Employee` WHERE `salary`<150000 AND `salary`>80000;
DBFlow supports IN/NOT IN and BETWEEN as well.
A more comprehensive list of operations DBFlow supports and what they translate to:
- is(), eq() -> =
- isNot(), notEq() -> !=
- isNull() -> IS NULL / isNotNull() -> IS NOT NULL
- like(), glob()
- greaterThan(), greaterThanOrEqual(), lessThan(), lessThanOrEqual()
- between() -> BETWEEN
- in(), notIn()
Nested Conditions
To create nested conditions (in parenthesis more often than not), just include
an OperatorGroup as a SQLOperator in a query:
SQLite.select()
.from(Location.class)
.where(Location_Table.latitude.eq(home.getLatitude()))
.and(OperatorGroup.clause()
.and(Location_Table.latitude
.minus(PropertyFactory.from(home.getLatitude())
.eq(1000L))))
Translates to:
SELECT * FROM `Location` WHERE `latitude`=45.05 AND (`latitude` - 45.05) = 1000
Nested Queries
To create a nested query simply include it as a Property via PropertyFactory.from(BaseQueriable):
.where(PropertyFactory.from(SQLite.select().from(...).where(...))
This appends a WHERE (SELECT * FROM {table} ) to the query.
JOINS
For reference, (JOIN examples).
JOIN statements are great for combining many-to-many relationships.
If your query returns non-table fields and cannot map to an existing object,
see about query models
For example we have a table named Customer and another named Reservations.
SELECT FROM `Customer` AS `C` INNER JOIN `Reservations` AS `R` ON `C`.`customerId`=`R`.`customerId`
// use the different QueryModel (instead of Table) if the result cannot be applied to existing Model classes.
List<CustomTable> customers = new Select()
.from(Customer.class).as("C")
.join(Reservations.class, JoinType.INNER).as("R")
.on(Customer_Table.customerId
.withTable(NameAlias.builder("C").build())
.eq(Reservations_Table.customerId.withTable("R"))
.queryCustomList(CustomTable.class);
The IProperty.withTable() method will prepend a NameAlias or the Table alias to the IProperty in the query, convenient for JOIN queries:
SELECT EMP_ID, NAME, DEPT FROM COMPANY LEFT OUTER JOIN DEPARTMENT
ON COMPANY.ID = DEPARTMENT.EMP_ID
in DBFlow:
SQLite.select(Company_Table.EMP_ID, Company_Table.DEPT)
.from(Company.class)
.leftOuterJoin(Department.class)
.on(Company_Table.ID.withTable().eq(Department_Table.EMP_ID.withTable()))
Order By
// true for 'ASC', false for 'DESC'
SQLite.select()
.from(table)
.where()
.orderBy(Customer_Table.customer_id, true)
SQLite.select()
.from(table)
.where()
.orderBy(Customer_Table.customer_id, true)
.orderBy(Customer_Table.name, false)
Group By
SQLite.select()
.from(table)
.groupBy(Customer_Table.customer_id, Customer_Table.customer_name)
HAVING
SQLite.select()
.from(table)
.groupBy(Customer_Table.customer_id, Customer_Table.customer_name))
.having(Customer_Table.customer_id.greaterThan(2))
LIMIT + OFFSET
SQLite.select()
.from(table)
.limit(3)
.offset(2)
UPDATE
DBFlow supports two kind of UPDATE:
Model.update()SQLite.update()
For simple UPDATE for a single or few, concrete set of Model stick with (1).
For powerful multiple Model update that can span many rows, use (2). In this
section we speak on (2). Note: if using model caching, you'll need to clear it out
post an operation from (2).
UPDATE Ant SET type = 'other' WHERE male = 1 AND type = 'worker';
Using DBFlow:
// Native SQL wrapper
SQLite.update(Ant.class)
.set(Ant_Table.type.eq("other"))
.where(Ant_Table.type.is("worker"))
.and(Ant_Table.isMale.is(true))
.async()
.execute(); // non-UI blocking
The Set part of the Update supports different kinds of values:
ContentValues-> converts to key/value as aSQLOperatorofis()/eq()SQLOperator, which are grouped together as part of theSETstatement.
DELETE
DELETE queries in DBFlow are similiar to Update in that we have two kinds:
Model.delete()SQLite.delete()
For simple DELETE for a single or few, concrete set of Model stick with (1).
For powerful multiple Model deletion that can span many rows, use (2). In this
section we speak on (2). Note: if using model caching, you'll need to clear it out
post an operation from (2).
// Delete a whole table
Delete.table(MyTable.class);
// Delete multiple instantly
Delete.tables(MyTable1.class, MyTable2.class);
// Delete using query
SQLite.delete(MyTable.class)
.where(DeviceObject_Table.carrier.is("T-MOBILE"))
.and(DeviceObject_Table.device.is("Samsung-Galaxy-S5"))
.async()
.execute();
INSERT
INSERT queries in DBFlow are also similiar to Update and Delete in that we
have two kinds:
Model.insert()SQLite.insert()
For simple INSERT for a single or few, concrete set of Model stick with (1).
For powerful multiple Model insertion that can span many rows, use (2). In this
section we speak on (2). Note: using model caching, you'll need to clear it out
post an operation from (2).
// columns + values separately
SQLite.insert(SomeTable.class)
.columns(SomeTable_Table.name, SomeTable_Table.phoneNumber)
.values("Default", "5555555")
.async()
.execute()
// or combine into Operators
SQLite.insert(SomeTable.class)
.columnValues(SomeTable_Table.name.eq("Default"),
SomeTable_Table.phoneNumber.eq("5555555"))
.async()
.execute()
INSERT supports inserting multiple rows as well.
// columns + values separately
SQLite.insert(SomeTable.class)
.columns(SomeTable_Table.name, SomeTable_Table.phoneNumber)
.values("Default1", "5555555")
.values("Default2", "6666666")
.async()
.execute()
// or combine into Operators
SQLite.insert(SomeTable.class)
.columnValues(SomeTable_Table.name.eq("Default1"),
SomeTable_Table.phoneNumber.eq("5555555"))
.columnValues(SomeTable_Table.name.eq("Default2"),
SomeTable_Table.phoneNumber.eq("6666666"))
.async()
.execute()
Trigger
Triggers enable SQLite-level listener operations that perform some operation, modification, or action to run when a specific database event occurs. See for more documentation on its usage.
Trigger.create("SomeTrigger")
.after().insert(ConditionModel.class).begin(new Update<>(TestUpdateModel.class)
.set(TestUpdateModel_Table.value.is("Fired"))).enable(); // enables the trigger if it does not exist, so subsequent calls are OK
Case
The SQLite CASE operator is very useful to evaluate a set of conditions and "map" them
to a certain value that returns in a SELECT query.
We have two kinds of case:
- Simple
- Searched
The simple CASE query in DBFlow:
SQLite.select(CaseModel_Table.customerId,
CaseModel_Table.firstName,
CaseModel_Table.lastName,
SQLite._case(CaseModel_Table.country)
.when("USA").then("Domestic")
._else("Foreign")
.end("CustomerGroup")).from(CaseModel.class)
The CASE is returned as CustomerGroup with the valyes of "Domestic" if the country is from
the 'USA' otherwise we mark the value as "Foreign". These appear alongside the results
set from the SELECT.
The search CASE is a little more complicated in that each when() statement
represents a SQLOperator, which return a boolean expression:
SQLite.select(CaseModel_Table.customerId,
CaseModel_Table.firstName,
CaseModel_Table.lastName,
SQLite.caseWhen(CaseModel_Table.country.eq("USA"))
.then("Domestic")
._else("Foreign").end("CustomerGroup")).from(CaseModel.class);