Axiom Sqlitedata

SQLiteData

Overview

Type-safe SQLite persistence using SQLiteData by Point-Free. A fast, lightweight replacement for SwiftData with CloudKit synchronization support, built on GRDB and StructuredQueries.

Core principle: Value types (struct) + @Table macro + database.write { } blocks for all mutations.

For advanced patterns (CTEs, views, custom aggregates, schema composition), see the axiom-sqlitedata-ref reference skill.

Requires: iOS 17+, Swift 6 strict concurrency License: MIT

When to Use SQLiteData

Choose SQLiteData when you need:

• Type-safe SQLite with compiler-checked queries
• CloudKit sync with record sharing
• Large datasets (50k+ records) with near-raw-SQLite performance
• Value types (structs) instead of classes
• Swift 6 strict concurrency support

Use SwiftData instead when:

• Simple CRUD with native Apple integration
• Prefer @Model classes over structs
• Don't need CloudKit record sharing

Use raw GRDB when:

• Complex SQL joins across 4+ tables
• Custom migration logic beyond schema changes
• Performance-critical operations needing manual SQL

Quick Reference

// MODEL
@Table nonisolated struct Item: Identifiable {
    let id: UUID                    // First let = auto primary key
    var title = ""                  // Default = non-nullable
    var notes: String?              // Optional = nullable
    @Column(as: Color.Hex.self)
    var color: Color = .blue        // Custom representation
    @Ephemeral var isSelected = false  // Not persisted
}

// SETUP
prepareDependencies { $0.defaultDatabase = try! appDatabase() }
@Dependency(\.defaultDatabase) var database

// FETCH
@FetchAll var items: [Item]
@FetchAll(Item.order(by: \.title).where(\.isInStock)) var items
@FetchOne(Item.count()) var count = 0

// FETCH (static helpers - v1.4.0+)
try Item.fetchAll(db)              // vs Item.all.fetchAll(db)
try Item.find(db, key: id)         // returns non-optional Item

// INSERT
try database.write { db in
    try Item.insert { Item.Draft(title: "New") }.execute(db)
}

// UPDATE (single)
try database.write { db in
    try Item.find(id).update { $0.title = "Updated" }.execute(db)
}

// UPDATE (bulk)
try database.write { db in
    try Item.where(\.isInStock).update { $0.notes = "" }.execute(db)
}

// DELETE
try database.write { db in
    try Item.find(id).delete().execute(db)
    try Item.where { $0.id.in(ids) }.delete().execute(db)  // bulk
}

// QUERY
Item.where(\.isActive)                     // Keypath (simple)
Item.where { $0.title.contains("phone") }  // Closure (complex)
Item.where { $0.status.eq(#bind(.done)) }  // Enum comparison
Item.order(by: \.title)                    // Sort
Item.order { $0.createdAt.desc() }         // Sort descending
Item.limit(10).offset(20)                  // Pagination

// RAW SQL (#sql macro)
#sql("SELECT * FROM items WHERE price > 100")  // Type-safe raw SQL
#sql("coalesce(date(\(dueDate)) = date(\(now)), 0)")  // Custom expressions

// CLOUDKIT (v1.2-1.4+)
prepareDependencies {
    $0.defaultSyncEngine = try SyncEngine(
        for: $0.defaultDatabase,
        tables: Item.self
    )
}
@Dependency(\.defaultSyncEngine) var syncEngine

// Manual sync control (v1.3.0+)
try await syncEngine.fetchChanges()  // Pull from CloudKit
try await syncEngine.sendChanges()   // Push to CloudKit
try await syncEngine.syncChanges()   // Bidirectional

// Sync state observation (v1.2.0+)
syncEngine.isSendingChanges    // true during upload
syncEngine.isFetchingChanges   // true during download
syncEngine.isSynchronizing     // either sending or fetching

Anti-Patterns (Common Mistakes)

❌ Using == in predicates

// WRONG — may not work in all contexts
.where { $0.status == .completed }

// CORRECT — use comparison methods
.where { $0.status.eq(#bind(.completed)) }

❌ Wrong update order

// WRONG — .update before .where
Item.update { $0.title = "X" }.where { $0.id == id }

// CORRECT — .find() for single, .where() before .update() for bulk
Item.find(id).update { $0.title = "X" }.execute(db)
Item.where(\.isOld).update { $0.archived = true }.execute(db)

❌ Instance methods for insert

// WRONG — no instance insert method
let item = Item(id: UUID(), title: "Test")
try item.insert(db)

// CORRECT — static insert with .Draft
try Item.insert { Item.Draft(title: "Test") }.execute(db)

❌ Missing nonisolated

// WRONG — Swift 6 concurrency warning
@Table struct Item { ... }

// CORRECT
@Table nonisolated struct Item { ... }

❌ Awaiting inside write block

// WRONG — write block is synchronous
try await database.write { db in ... }

// CORRECT — no await inside the block
try database.write { db in
    try Item.insert { ... }.execute(db)
}

❌ Forgetting .execute(db)

// WRONG — builds query but doesn't run it
try database.write { db in
    Item.insert { Item.Draft(title: "X") }  // Does nothing!
}

// CORRECT
try database.write { db in
    try Item.insert { Item.Draft(title: "X") }.execute(db)
}

@Table Model Definitions

Basic Table

import SQLiteData

@Table
nonisolated struct Item: Identifiable {
    let id: UUID           // First `let` = auto primary key
    var title = ""
    var isInStock = true
    var notes = ""
}

Key patterns:

• Use struct, not class (value types)
• Add nonisolated for Swift 6 concurrency
• First let property is automatically the primary key
• Use defaults (= "", = true) for non-nullable columns
• Optional properties (String?) map to nullable SQL columns

Custom Primary Key

@Table
nonisolated struct Tag: Hashable, Identifiable {
    @Column(primaryKey: true)
    var title: String      // Custom primary key
    var id: String { title }
}

Column Customization

@Table
nonisolated struct RemindersList: Hashable, Identifiable {
    let id: UUID

    @Column(as: Color.HexRepresentation.self)  // Custom type representation
    var color: Color = .blue

    var position = 0
    var title = ""
}

Foreign Keys

@Table
nonisolated struct Reminder: Hashable, Identifiable {
    let id: UUID
    var title = ""
    var remindersListID: RemindersList.ID  // Foreign key (explicit column)
}

@Table
nonisolated struct Attendee: Hashable, Identifiable {
    let id: UUID
    var name = ""
    var syncUpID: SyncUp.ID  // References parent
}

Note: SQLiteData uses explicit foreign key columns. Relationships are expressed through joins, not @Relationship macros.

Querying Related Tables (Joins)

Don't fetch all records and filter in Swift — push filtering to the database:

// ❌ Anti-pattern: Fetch all, filter in Swift
let allReminders = try database.read { try Reminder.all.fetch($0) }
let filtered = allReminders.filter { $0.remindersListID == listID }

// ✅ Filter at database level
let filtered = try database.read {
    try Reminder.all
        .filter { $0.remindersListID.eq(listID) }
        .fetch($0)
}

// ✅ Join across tables with filtering
let remindersWithList = try database.read {
    try Reminder.all
        .join(RemindersList.all) { $0.remindersListID.eq($1.id) }
        .filter { $1.name.eq("Shopping") }
        .fetch($0)
}

// ✅ Left join (include reminders even if no list)
let allWithOptionalList = try database.read {
    try Reminder.all
        .leftJoin(RemindersList.all) { $0.remindersListID.eq($1.id) }
        .fetch($0)
}

For complex joins across 4+ tables, drop down to raw GRDB (see axiom-grdb).

@Ephemeral — Non-Persisted Properties

Mark properties that exist in Swift but not in the database:

@Table
nonisolated struct Item: Identifiable {
    let id: UUID
    var title = ""
    var price: Decimal = 0

    @Ephemeral
    var isSelected = false  // Not stored in database

    @Ephemeral
    var formattedPrice: String {  // Computed, not stored
        "$\(price)"
    }
}

Use cases:

• UI state (selection, expansion, hover)
• Computed properties derived from stored columns
• Transient flags for business logic
• Default values for properties not yet in schema

Important: @Ephemeral properties must have default values since they won't be populated from the database.

Database Setup

Create Database

import Dependencies
import SQLiteData
import GRDB

func appDatabase() throws -> any DatabaseWriter {
    var configuration = Configuration()
    configuration.prepareDatabase { db in
        // Configure database behavior
        db.trace { print("SQL: \($0)") }  // Optional SQL logging
    }

    let database = try DatabaseQueue(configuration: configuration)

    var migrator = DatabaseMigrator()

    // Register migrations
    migrator.registerMigration("v1") { db in
        try #sql(
            """
            CREATE TABLE "items" (
                "id" TEXT PRIMARY KEY NOT NULL DEFAULT (uuid()),
                "title" TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
                "isInStock" INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1,
                "notes" TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT ''
            ) STRICT
            """
        )
        .execute(db)
    }

    try migrator.migrate(database)
    return database
}

Register in Dependencies

extension DependencyValues {
    var defaultDatabase: any DatabaseWriter {
        get { self[DefaultDatabaseKey.self] }
        set { self[DefaultDatabaseKey.self] = newValue }
    }
}

private enum DefaultDatabaseKey: DependencyKey {
    static let liveValue: any DatabaseWriter = {
        try! appDatabase()
    }()
}

// In app init or @main
prepareDependencies {
    $0.defaultDatabase = try! appDatabase()
}

Query Patterns

Property Wrappers (@FetchAll, @FetchOne)

The primary way to observe database changes in SwiftUI:

struct ItemsList: View {
    @FetchAll(Item.order(by: \.title)) var items

    var body: some View {
        List(items) { item in
            Text(item.title)
        }
    }
}

Key behaviors:

• Automatically subscribes to database changes
• Updates when any Item changes
• Runs on the main thread
• Cancels observation when view disappears (iOS 17+)

@FetchOne for Aggregates

struct StatsView: View {
    @FetchOne(Item.count()) var totalCount = 0
    @FetchOne(Item.where(\.isInStock).count()) var inStockCount = 0

    var body: some View {
        Text("Total: \(totalCount), In Stock: \(inStockCount)")
    }
}

Lifecycle-Aware Fetching (v1.4.0+)

Use .task to automatically cancel observation when view disappears:

struct ItemsList: View {
    @Fetch(Item.all, animation: .default)
    private var items = [Item]()

    @State var searchQuery = ""

    var body: some View {
        List(items) { item in
            Text(item.title)
        }
        .searchable(text: $searchQuery)
        .task(id: searchQuery) {
            // Automatically cancels when view disappears or searchQuery changes
            try? await $items.load(
                Item.where { $0.title.contains(searchQuery) }
                    .order(by: \.title)
            ).task  // ← .task for auto-cancellation
        }
    }
}

Before v1.4.0 (manual cleanup):

.task {
    try? await $items.load(query)
}
.onDisappear {
    Task { try await $items.load(Item.none) }
}

With v1.4.0 (automatic):

.task {
    try? await $items.load(query).task  // Auto-cancels
}

Filtering

// Simple keypath filter
let active = Item.where(\.isActive)

// Complex closure filter
let recent = Item.where { $0.createdAt > lastWeek && !$0.isArchived }

// Contains/prefix/suffix
let matches = Item.where { $0.title.contains("phone") }
let starts = Item.where { $0.title.hasPrefix("iPhone") }

Sorting

// Single column
let sorted = Item.order(by: \.title)

// Descending
let descending = Item.order { $0.createdAt.desc() }

// Multiple columns
let multiSort = Item.order { ($0.priority, $0.createdAt.desc()) }

Static Fetch Helpers (v1.4.0+)

Cleaner syntax for fetching:

// OLD (verbose)
let items = try Item.all.fetchAll(db)
let item = try Item.find(id).fetchOne(db)  // returns Optional<Item>

// NEW (concise)
let items = try Item.fetchAll(db)
let item = try Item.find(db, key: id)      // returns Item (non-optional)

// Works with where clauses too
let active = try Item.where(\.isActive).find(db, key: id)

Key improvement: .find(db, key:) returns non-optional, throwing an error if not found.

Insert / Update / Delete

Insert

try database.write { db in
    try Item.insert {
        Item.Draft(title: "New Item", isInStock: true)
    }
    .execute(db)
}

Insert with RETURNING (get generated ID)

let newId = try database.write { db in
    try Item.insert {
        Item.Draft(title: "New Item")
    }
    .returning(\.id)
    .fetchOne(db)
}

Update Single Record

try database.write { db in
    try Item.find(itemId)
        .update { $0.title = "Updated Title" }
        .execute(db)
}

Update Multiple Records

try database.write { db in
    try Item.where(\.isArchived)
        .update { $0.isDeleted = true }
        .execute(db)
}

Delete

// Delete single
try database.write { db in
    try Item.find(id).delete().execute(db)
}

// Delete multiple
try database.write { db in
    try Item.where { $0.createdAt < cutoffDate }
        .delete()
        .execute(db)
}

Upsert (Insert or Update)

SQLite's UPSERT (INSERT ... ON CONFLICT ... DO UPDATE) expresses "insert if missing, otherwise update" in one statement.

try database.write { db in
    try Item.insert {
        item
    } onConflict: { cols in
        (cols.libraryID, cols.remoteID)   // Conflict target columns
    } doUpdate: { row, excluded in
        row.name = excluded.name           // Merge semantics
        row.notes = excluded.notes
    }
    .execute(db)
}

Parameters:

• onConflict: — Columns defining "same row" (must match UNIQUE constraint/index)
• doUpdate: — What to update on conflict
  • row = existing database row
  • excluded = proposed insert values (SQLite's excluded table)

With Partial Unique Index

When your UNIQUE index has a WHERE clause, add a conflict filter:

try Item.insert {
    item
} onConflict: { cols in
    (cols.libraryID, cols.remoteID)
} where: { cols in
    cols.remoteID.isNot(nil)          // Match partial index condition
} doUpdate: { row, excluded in
    row.name = excluded.name
}
.execute(db)

Schema requirement:

CREATE UNIQUE INDEX idx_items_sync_identity
ON items (libraryID, remoteID)
WHERE remoteID IS NOT NULL

Merge Strategies

Replace all mutable fields (sync mirror):

doUpdate: { row, excluded in
    row.name = excluded.name
    row.notes = excluded.notes
    row.updatedAt = excluded.updatedAt
}

Merge without clobbering (keep existing if new is NULL):

doUpdate: { row, excluded in
    row.name = excluded.name.ifnull(row.name)
    row.notes = excluded.notes.ifnull(row.notes)
}

Last-write-wins (only update if newer) — use raw SQL:

try db.execute(sql: """
    INSERT INTO items (id, name, updatedAt) VALUES (?, ?, ?)
    ON CONFLICT(id) DO UPDATE SET
        name = excluded.name,
        updatedAt = excluded.updatedAt
    WHERE excluded.updatedAt >= items.updatedAt
    """, arguments: [item.id, item.name, item.updatedAt])
// Use >= to handle timestamp ties (last arrival wins)

❌ Common Upsert Mistakes

Missing UNIQUE constraint:

// WRONG — no index to conflict against
onConflict: { ($0.libraryID, $0.remoteID) }
// but table has no UNIQUE(libraryID, remoteID)

Using INSERT OR REPLACE:

// WRONG — REPLACE deletes then inserts, breaking FK relationships
try db.execute(sql: "INSERT OR REPLACE INTO items ...")

// CORRECT — use ON CONFLICT for true upsert
try Item.insert { ... } onConflict: { ... } doUpdate: { ... }

Batch Operations

Batch Insert

try database.write { db in
    try Item.insert {
        ($0.title, $0.isInStock)
    } values: {
        items.map { ($0.title, $0.isInStock) }
    }
    .execute(db)
}

Transaction Safety

All mutations inside database.write { } are wrapped in a transaction:

try database.write { db in
    // These all succeed or all fail together
    try Item.insert { ... }.execute(db)
    try Item.find(id).update { ... }.execute(db)
    try OtherTable.find(otherId).delete().execute(db)
}

If any operation throws, the entire transaction rolls back.

Raw SQL with #sql Macro

When you need custom SQL expressions beyond the type-safe query builder, use the #sql macro from StructuredQueries:

Custom Query Expressions

nonisolated extension Item.TableColumns {
    var isPastDue: some QueryExpression<Bool> {
        @Dependency(\.date.now) var now
        return !isCompleted && #sql("coalesce(date(\(dueDate)) < date(\(now)), 0)")
    }
}

// Use in queries
let overdue = try Item.where { $0.isPastDue }.fetchAll(db)

Raw SQL Queries

// Direct SQL with parameter interpolation
try #sql("SELECT * FROM items WHERE price > \(minPrice)").execute(db)

// Using \(raw:) for literal values
let tableName = "items"
try #sql("SELECT * FROM \(raw: tableName)").execute(db)

Why #sql?

• Type-safe parameter binding (prevents SQL injection)
• Compile-time syntax checking
• Seamless integration with query builder
• Parameter interpolation automatically escapes values

For schema creation (CREATE TABLE, migrations), see the axiom-sqlitedata-ref reference skill for complete examples.

CloudKit Sync

Basic Setup

import CloudKit

extension DependencyValues {
    var defaultSyncEngine: SyncEngine {
        get { self[DefaultSyncEngineKey.self] }
        set { self[DefaultSyncEngineKey.self] = newValue }
    }
}

private enum DefaultSyncEngineKey: DependencyKey {
    static let liveValue = {
        @Dependency(\.defaultDatabase) var database
        return try! SyncEngine(
            for: database,
            tables: Item.self,
            privateTables: SensitiveItem.self,  // Private database
            startImmediately: true
        )
    }()
}

// In app init
prepareDependencies {
    $0.defaultDatabase = try! appDatabase()
    $0.defaultSyncEngine = try! SyncEngine(
        for: $0.defaultDatabase,
        tables: Item.self
    )
}

Manual Sync Control (v1.3.0+)

Control when sync happens instead of automatic background sync:

@Dependency(\.defaultSyncEngine) var syncEngine

// Pull changes from CloudKit
try await syncEngine.fetchChanges()

// Push local changes to CloudKit
try await syncEngine.sendChanges()

// Bidirectional sync
try await syncEngine.syncChanges()

Use cases:

• User-triggered "Refresh" button
• Sync after critical operations
• Custom sync scheduling
• Testing sync behavior

Sync State Observation (v1.2.0+)

Show UI feedback during sync:

struct SyncStatusView: View {
    @Dependency(\.defaultSyncEngine) var syncEngine

    var body: some View {
        HStack {
            if syncEngine.isSynchronizing {
                ProgressView()
                if syncEngine.isSendingChanges {
                    Text("Uploading...")
                } else if syncEngine.isFetchingChanges {
                    Text("Downloading...")
                }
            } else {
                Image(systemName: "checkmark.circle")
                Text("Synced")
            }
        }
    }
}

Observable properties:

• isSendingChanges: Bool — True during CloudKit upload
• isFetchingChanges: Bool — True during CloudKit download
• isSynchronizing: Bool — True if either sending or fetching
• isRunning: Bool — True if sync engine is active

Query Sync Metadata (v1.3.0+)

Access CloudKit sync information for records:

import CloudKit

// Get sync metadata for a record
let metadata = try SyncMetadata.find(item.syncMetadataID).fetchOne(db)

// Join items with their sync metadata
let itemsWithSync = try Item.all
    .leftJoin(SyncMetadata.all) { $0.syncMetadataID.eq($1.id) }
    .select { (item: $0, metadata: $1) }
    .fetchAll(db)

// Check if record is shared
let sharedItems = try Item.all
    .join(SyncMetadata.all) { $0.syncMetadataID.eq($1.id) }
    .where { $1.isShared }
    .fetchAll(db)

Migration Helpers

Migrate primary keys when switching sync strategies:

try await syncEngine.migratePrimaryKeys(
    from: OldItem.self,
    to: NewItem.self
)

When to Drop to GRDB

SQLiteData is built on GRDB. Use raw GRDB when you need:

Complex joins:

let sql = try database.read { db in
    try Row.fetchAll(db, sql:
        """
        SELECT items.*, categories.name as categoryName
        FROM items
        JOIN categories ON items.categoryID = categories.id
        JOIN tags ON items.id = tags.itemID
        WHERE tags.name IN (?, ?)
        """,
        arguments: ["electronics", "sale"]
    )
}

Window functions:

let ranked = try database.read { db in
    try Row.fetchAll(db, sql:
        """
        SELECT *,
               ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY category ORDER BY price DESC) as rank
        FROM items
        """
    )
}

Performance-critical paths: When you've profiled and confirmed SQLiteData's query builder is the bottleneck, drop to raw SQL.

tvOS

SQLiteData with CloudKit SyncEngine is the recommended tvOS data solution. tvOS has no persistent local storage — the system deletes Caches (including Application Support) under storage pressure. With SyncEngine, iCloud is your persistent store and the local database is just a cache that rebuilds automatically after deletion. See axiom-tvos for full tvOS storage constraints.

Resources

GitHub: pointfreeco/sqlite-data, pointfreeco/swift-structured-queries, groue/GRDB.swift

Skills: axiom-sqlitedata-ref, axiom-sqlitedata-migration, axiom-database-migration, axiom-grdb

Targets: iOS 17+, Swift 6 Framework: SQLiteData 1.4+ History: See git log for changes