Error in creating an SQLite database using the Python subprocess module

Question

The following Python code tries to create an SQLite database and a table, using the command line in Linux:

#!/usr/bin/python2.6
import subprocess

args = ["sqlite3", "db.sqlite", "'CREATE TABLE my_table(my_column TEXT)'"]
print(" ".join(args))

subprocess.call(args)

When I ran the code, it created a database with zero bytes and the following output:

sqlite3 db.sqlite 'CREATE TABLE my_table(my_column TEXT)'
Error: near "'CREATE TABLE my_table(my_column TEXT)'": syntax error

But when I copied the command printed by the code (just above the error message), and pasted the command onto the command line, the command created a database with a table.

What is wrong with the code?

We should also say: Python has a built in module to handle sqlite: docs.python.org/library/sqlite3.html That's likely to be much cleaner than calling a separate process to do it. — Thomas K
– Thomas K, Commented Feb 10, 2011 at 17:57

PabloG · Accepted Answer · 2011-02-10 18:06:22Z

3

Besides the extra quoting that @Dirk mentions before, you can also create the database without spawning a subprocess:

import sqlite3

cnx = sqlite3.connect("e:/temp/db.sqlite")
cnx.execute("CREATE TABLE my_table(my_column TEXT)")
cnx.commit()
cnx.close()

answered Feb 10, 2011 at 18:06

PabloG

26.8k10 gold badges49 silver badges60 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

1 Comment

Michael Dillon Over a year ago

You might want to note that SQLite creates a database if you attempt to connect to one that does not exist.

Dirk · Accepted Answer · 2011-02-10 17:55:48Z

2

Drop the ' in the second argument to sqlite (third element of the args list). The subprocess module does the quoting on its own and ensures, that the arguments gets passed to the executable as one string. It works on the command line, because there, the ' are necessary to tell the shell, that it should treat the enclosed string as single entity.

args = ["sqlite3", "db.sqlite", "CREATE TABLE my_table(my_column TEXT)"]

should work.

answered Feb 10, 2011 at 17:55

Dirk

31.1k8 gold badges86 silver badges103 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Error in creating an SQLite database using the Python subprocess module

2 Answers 2

1 Comment

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

1 Comment

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related