DB Browser for SQLite

How do you open the right database file?

Open the test copy of the SQLite file and check its location before you browse. DB Browser for SQLite is an open-source desktop tool for SQLite and SQLCipher files. It has a spreadsheet-like data view.

If your app uses a hosted PostgreSQL or MongoDB database, ask for the database type and choose a client for that system. A file exported as CSV can be opened in a spreadsheet.

What can you save after you find the right rows?

Export a table as CSV when the next task is reviewing rows in a spreadsheet. The tool also supports SQL dumps of a database. Keep the export in a place you control.

The window can edit and delete records. Work in a disposable copy with fictional data so an accidental edit has somewhere safe to land.

What would a first pass look like with a sample file?

Use a disposable SQLite file with fictional class bookings. A successful first pass finds the bookings and identifies which column records their status.

1. 1
   Confirm the copy

   Check the file path before choosing a table. Ask the person who made the file what the table is called if you cannot tell.
2. 2
   Check the table

   Find one fictional confirmed booking and one canceled booking. Write down which columns tell them apart.
3. 3
   Check the export

   If you export a table, open the resulting file and verify the data is fictional before sharing it.