1-builddb.md

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Building a database

To get started, we're going to use the sqlite library to create the database file we will be using during this session.

In these sesssions, we've been placing files in a projects folder on our desktop. Let's create a folder for this session on databases. These commands will also create the projects folder if you don't already have it.

Open your command line and enter these commands:

mkdir -p ~/Desktop/projects/database-practice
cd ~/Desktop/projects/database-practice

This will create a new folder for this session and also move into it using the cd command.

Now that you're in the correct folder, begin creating a new Python file with this command:

code createdb.py

In your editor, type this code:

# import sqlite library
import sqlite3

# Connect to a database. 
# This command will create a new database if it doesn't already exist.

conn = sqlite3.connect("first.db")

Save the file with Control-s on Windows or ⌘-s on Mac.

Back on the command line, enter this command to run the script:

python createdb.py

Now check your directory with the ls command to see whether "firstdb.db" has been created.

Congratulations! You've successfully created and accessed your database using a Python script. This is an excellent first step toward performing data analysis on large data sets or creating your own applications!

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