Command for creating an empty database

[simonw]

I sometimes find the need to create an empty SQLite database file - for example if I want to enable WAL on it before using it with another script. I currently do that like this:

sqlite3 my.db vacuum
sqlite-utils enable-wal my.db

It would be nice if sqlite-utils had a convenience command for doing this.

[simonw]

Maybe this:

sqlite-utils create-database my.db

With options that include --enable-wal (actually that's the only option I can think of).

This is consistent with the existing create-table and create-view commands.

[simonw]

Potential other options could include:

• --page-size https://www.sqlite.org/pragma.html#pragma_page_size

[eyeseast]

I'd use this. Right now, I tend to do touch my.db and then enable-wal or whatever else, but I'm never sure if that's a bad idea.

[simonw]

I'm not going to implement --page-size unless someone specifically requests it - I don't like having features that I've never needed to use myself.

[simonw]

Documentation: https://sqlite-utils.datasette.io/en/latest/cli.html#creating-an-empty-database

[simonw]

Wrote a lot more about this feature here: https://simonwillison.net/2022/Jan/12/how-i-build-a-feature/