Store PDF files in SQLite BLOB

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SQLite BLOB Overview

SQLite has flexible type system; BLOB type stores arbitrary binary data with no explicit size limit (limited by disk space). Ideal for lightweight PDF storage scenarios.

Step-by-Step Implementation

Method 1: Manual SQL Statements (Primary Method)

1. Create Table

CREATE TABLE pdf_storage (
    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
    pdf_name TEXT,
    pdf_data BLOB
);

2. Insert PDF Data

INSERT INTO pdf_storage (pdf_name, pdf_data)
VALUES ('sample.pdf', readfile('sample.pdf'));

Method 2: Using DBBlobEditor (Optional Visual Tool)

DBBlobEditor directly opens SQLite .db files (no server required), enables batch import of PDF files, and provides one-click backup of the entire database including BLOB data.

SQLite BLOB Issues & Solutions

  • Performance: Avoid storing thousands of large PDFs (SQLite is lightweight, not for high-volume enterprise use)
  • Backup: Simply copy the SQLite database file (includes all BLOB data)

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