How Can I Efficiently Retrieve a List of Column Names from an SQLite3 Database?

Accessing SQLite3 Column Names Efficiently

Challenge:

When updating an iPhone app's database, confirming the presence of specific columns becomes crucial. Without access to older database versions, an efficient column name verification method is essential.

Standard Approach:

A common solution involves using this SQL query:

<code class="language-sql">SELECT sql FROM sqlite_master WHERE tbl_name = 'table_name' AND type = 'table'</code>

The query's output then needs to be parsed to extract the column names.

Improved Technique:

A more direct and efficient method uses the PRAGMA table_info(table_name) statement. This directly accesses the table's metadata, providing a list of column details, including their names and data types. The result is a table with columns like name and type, directly yielding the required column names.

The PRAGMA table_info(table_name) approach offers a streamlined solution for retrieving column names in SQLite3 databases, simplifying database maintenance and application migration processes.

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