sqlite3

SQLite is a public domain zero-configuration, transactional SQL database engine. Used by macOS, Firefox web browser, WIndows 10, Dropbox, Skype and many other client programs.

Syntax
      sqlite3 [OPTIONS] FILENAME [SQL_Command] 

      Create a new database called demo64:
      sqlite3 demo64

      Display help/syntax:
      sqlite3 --help

      Interactive mode:
      sqlite3

      List the .dot commands available:
      sqlite> .help

Key
   FILENAME       The name of an SQLite database.
                  A new database is created if the file does not previously exist.

   -ascii               set output mode to 'ascii'
   -bail                stop after hitting an error
   -batch               force batch I/O  
   -column              set output mode to 'column'  
   -cmd COMMAND         run "COMMAND" before reading stdin  
   -csv                 set output mode to 'csv'
   -echo                print commands before execution
   -init FILENAME       read/process named file
   -[no]header          turn headers on or off
   -help                show this message
   -html                set output mode to HTML
   -interactive         force interactive I/O
   -line                set output mode to 'line'
   -list                set output mode to 'list'
   -lookaside SIZE N    use N entries of SZ bytes for lookaside memory
   -mmap N              default mmap size set to N
   -newline SEP         set output row separator. Default: '\n'
   -nullvalue TEXT      set text string for NULL values. Default ''
   -pagecache SIZE N    use N slots of SZ bytes each for page cache memory
   -scratch SIZE N      use N slots of SZ bytes each for scratch memory
   -separator SEP       set output column separator. Default: '|'
   -stats               print memory stats before each finalize
   -version             show SQLite version
   -vfs NAME            use NAME as the default VFS

Examples

Run a select command against database demo64:

$ sqlite3 demo64.db "SELECT * FROM Sales;"

On macOS list the full download history from all applications:

$ sqlite3 ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.LaunchServices.QuarantineEventsV* 'select LSQuarantineAgentName, LSQuarantineDataURLString, date(LSQuarantineTimeStamp + 978307200, "unixepoch") as downloadedDate from LSQuarantineEvent order by LSQuarantineTimeStamp' | sort | grep '|' --color

Delete the macOS download history from all applications:

$ sqlite3 ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.LaunchServices.QuarantineEventsV* 'delete from LSQuarantineEvent'

Then rebuild the DB to confirm full deletion (via zoharbabin.com):

$ sqlite3 ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.LaunchServices.QuarantineEventsV* 'vacuum'

“Effective management always means asking the right question” ~ Robert Heller

Related macOS commands

Command Line shell for SQLite - sqlite.org
SQL as understood by SQLite - sqlite.org