# SQL Intro and Installation

## Overview

We'll get started with SQL by installing and trying out SQLite.

## Objectives

1. Check to see if SQLite is installed on your computer via a terminal command
2. Install SQLite on your computer
3. Create and open a database file and table
4. End all SQL commands using proper semicolon notation
5. Exit out of SQLite using the .quit command

## Installing SQL

**If you are using the Learn IDE, you don't need to install anything. We've already done this for you :)**

### Macs Make It Easy

If you are on OSX version 10.4 or greater, you probably already have SQLite installed. Find out by opening up the terminal and pasting in:

if you get back

`/usr/bin/sqlite3`

Then you have a working version of sqlite3 already installed on your system. Thanks Apple! Skip ahead to the 'Trying it out' section below!

If not, then there are a couple of ways you can install SQLite.

### Manual Installation Options

#### Install With Homebrew:

Via a package manager for your operating system. If you are on Mac, Homebrew is the way to go. You can install it by following the [brew installation instructions](https://brew.sh/)

After installing Homebrew, install sqlite with:

```
brew install sqlite
Install From Binary
```

If Homebrew isn't working out for you, you can download one of the pre-compiled binary packages available at the [downloads page](http://www.sqlite.org/download.html). Look for your operating system, download and install the appropriate binary.

## Trying it out

Okay, let's make sure everything is up and running. In your terminal, type:

This will open a new database file called test\_sqlite.db and open it in the sqlite prompt. You should see something like:

```
SQLite version 3.7.12 2013-03-19 12:42:02
Enter ".help" for instructions
Enter SQL statements terminated with a ";"
sqlite>
```

You are now looking at the sqlite prompt.

Let's create a database table called "Test Table":

```
sqlite> create table test_table(id);
sqlite> .quit
```

You should have created a test\_sqlite.db file. Either open up the directory you are working from in finder or type `open .` into your terminal. You should see that, inside whatever directory you've been working in, you have your `test_sqlite.db` file.

**Top-Tip:** All SQL statements that you write in your terminal, inside the sqlite prompt, `sqlite3>`, *must be terminated with a semi-colon `;`*. If you hit `enter` without adding a semi-colon to the end of your line, you will be trapped! Don't worry though, just add that `;` on the new line and hit `enter` again. The only command that *doesn't* require, and in fact doesn't even work with, a `;` is the `.quit` command.

## Resources

* [SQLite Documentation](http://www.sqlite.org/docs.html)
* [Homebrew](http://mxcl.github.com/homebrew/)
* [ZetCode sqlite3](http://zetcode.com/db/sqlite/)

[View this lesson on Learn.co](https://learn.co/lessons/sql-intro-and-installation-readme)

View [SQL Intro and Installation](https://learn.co/lessons/sql-intro-and-installation-readme) on Learn.co and start learning to code for free.