How to fix SQLITE_ERROR: SQL logic error in SQLite

sqlite3 your_database.db "SELECT * FROM your_table WHERE condition;"

# Check SQLite version
sqlite3 your_database.db "SELECT sqlite_version();"

# Run integrity check
sqlite3 your_database.db "PRAGMA integrity_check;"

# Check schema
sqlite3 your_database.db ".schema"

# Enable extended error codes to get more info
sqlite3 your_database.db
> .eqp on
> SELECT * FROM problematic_query;

-- WRONG: Missing ON condition
SELECT * FROM users JOIN orders;

-- CORRECT
SELECT * FROM users JOIN orders ON users.id = orders.user_id;

-- WRONG: Missing table alias
SELECT * FROM users u WHERE age > 18 AND u2.status = 'active';

-- CORRECT
SELECT * FROM users u WHERE age > 18 AND u.status = 'active';

-- WRONG: FTS tables require MATCH operator
SELECT * FROM fts_documents WHERE content = 'search term';

-- CORRECT
SELECT * FROM fts_documents WHERE content MATCH 'search term';

-- WRONG: Comparing incompatible types
SELECT * FROM products WHERE price = '100';  -- price is numeric, '100' is text

-- CORRECT
SELECT * FROM products WHERE price = 100;

-- WRONG: Non-aggregated column without GROUP BY
SELECT user_id, COUNT(*) FROM orders;

-- CORRECT
SELECT user_id, COUNT(*) FROM orders GROUP BY user_id;

const sqlite3 = require('sqlite3');
const db = new sqlite3.Database(':memory:');

const query = 'SELECT * FROM problematic_query';

try {
  db.prepare(query);
  console.log('Query syntax is valid');
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Syntax error:', error.message);
}

import sqlite3

query = 'SELECT * FROM problematic_query'

try:
  conn = sqlite3.connect(':memory:')
  cursor = conn.cursor()
  cursor.execute('EXPLAIN QUERY PLAN ' + query)
  print('Query syntax is valid')
except sqlite3.Error as e:
  print(f'Syntax error: {e}')

-- WRONG: Direct WHERE clause on FTS table
SELECT * FROM documents_fts WHERE content = 'search term';

-- CORRECT: Use MATCH operator
SELECT * FROM documents_fts WHERE documents_fts MATCH 'search term';

-- Check for corruption
INSERT INTO documents_fts(documents_fts) VALUES('integrity-check');

-- Rebuild the index if corrupted
INSERT INTO documents_fts(documents_fts) VALUES('rebuild');

-- Optimize the index
INSERT INTO documents_fts(documents_fts) VALUES('optimize');

const Database = require('better-sqlite3');
const db = new Database('database.db');

try {
  // Test FTS query
  const query = db.prepare(
    'SELECT * FROM documents_fts WHERE documents_fts MATCH ?'
  );
  const results = query.all('search term');
  console.log('FTS query successful');
} catch (error) {
  console.error('FTS error:', error.message);

  // Try to repair
  try {
    db.exec('INSERT INTO documents_fts(documents_fts) VALUES(\'rebuild\')');
    console.log('Attempted FTS rebuild');
  } catch (rebuildError) {
    console.error('Rebuild failed:', rebuildError.message);
  }
}

import sqlite3

conn = sqlite3.connect('database.db')
cursor = conn.cursor()

try:
  # Test FTS query
  cursor.execute('SELECT * FROM documents_fts WHERE documents_fts MATCH ?',
                ('search term',))
  print('FTS query successful')
except sqlite3.Error as e:
  print(f'FTS error: {e}')

  # Try to repair
  try:
    cursor.execute("INSERT INTO documents_fts(documents_fts) VALUES('rebuild')")
    conn.commit()
    print('Attempted FTS rebuild')
  except sqlite3.Error as rebuild_error:
    print(f'Rebuild failed: {rebuild_error}')

sqlite3 your_database.db "PRAGMA integrity_check;"

ok

# Possible outputs:
# row ... has invalid page_number
# database corruption
# table ... has ...errors

# If you have backups, restore from before corruption
cp database.backup.db database.db

# Dump to SQL
sqlite3 database.db ".dump" > dump.sql

# Create new database from dump
sqlite3 database_new.db < dump.sql

# Verify
sqlite3 database_new.db "PRAGMA integrity_check;"

# Replace original
mv database_new.db database.db

# Vacuum can sometimes help with minor corruption
sqlite3 database.db "VACUUM;"

# Or analyze query plans
sqlite3 database.db "PRAGMA optimize;"

// Node.js - check integrity
const Database = require('better-sqlite3');
const db = new Database('database.db');

try {
  const result = db.prepare('PRAGMA integrity_check;').all();

  if (result[0].integrity_check === 'ok') {
    console.log('Database is healthy');
  } else {
    console.error('Database corruption detected:', result);
  }
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Cannot check integrity:', error.message);
}

// Start with simple queries and add complexity
const db = require('better-sqlite3')('database.db');

const tests = [
  { name: 'basic select', sql: 'SELECT 1;' },
  { name: 'table exists', sql: 'SELECT COUNT(*) FROM your_table;' },
  { name: 'with where clause', sql: 'SELECT * FROM your_table LIMIT 1;' },
  { name: 'with condition', sql: 'SELECT * FROM your_table WHERE id = 1;' },
  { name: 'full query', sql: 'YOUR FULL PROBLEMATIC QUERY' },
];

tests.forEach(test => {
  try {
    const stmt = db.prepare(test.sql);
    const result = stmt.all();
    console.log(`✓ ${test.name}: OK (${result.length} rows)`);
  } catch (error) {
    console.log(`✗ ${test.name}: ${error.message}`);
  }
});

db.close();

-- If this fails:
SELECT * FROM table1
JOIN table2 ON table1.id = table2.table1_id
WHERE table2.status = 'active'
ORDER BY table1.created_at DESC;

-- Test each part:

-- 1. Source table
SELECT * FROM table1 LIMIT 10;

-- 2. Add first join
SELECT * FROM table1
JOIN table2 ON table1.id = table2.table1_id
LIMIT 10;

-- 3. Add WHERE
SELECT * FROM table1
JOIN table2 ON table1.id = table2.table1_id
WHERE table2.status = 'active'
LIMIT 10;

-- 4. Add ORDER BY
SELECT * FROM table1
JOIN table2 ON table1.id = table2.table1_id
WHERE table2.status = 'active'
ORDER BY table1.created_at DESC;

import sqlite3

conn = sqlite3.connect('database.db')
cursor = conn.cursor()

queries = [
    ('basic select', 'SELECT 1;'),
    ('table exists', 'SELECT COUNT(*) FROM your_table;'),
    ('full query', 'YOUR PROBLEMATIC QUERY'),
]

for name, sql in queries:
  try:
    cursor.execute(sql)
    result = cursor.fetchall()
    print(f'✓ {name}: OK ({len(result)} rows)')
  except sqlite3.Error as e:
    print(f'✗ {name}: {e}')

conn.close()

sqlite3 --version

# Or in your app
sqlite3 database.db "SELECT sqlite_version();"

# Using Homebrew
brew upgrade sqlite

# Or download from official site
curl https://www.sqlite.org/2025/sqlite-tools-linux-x64-3450000.zip -o sqlite.zip

# Using package manager
sudo apt-get install -y sqlite3

# Or compile from source
wget https://www.sqlite.org/2025/sqlite-amalgamation-3450000.zip
unzip sqlite-amalgamation-3450000.zip
cd sqlite-amalgamation-3450000
./configure && make && sudo make install

npm install better-sqlite3@latest

# Or for sqlite3:
npm install sqlite3@latest

# May require rebuild
npm install --build-from-source

# Update Python SQLite (comes with Python)
python -m pip install --upgrade python-sqlite3

# Or use apsw for newer SQLite
pip install apsw --upgrade

# If the query now works, the issue was a known SQLite bug that's been fixed
sqlite3 database.db "YOUR QUERY"