Python and SQL databases

Python module Y113

Exercises, examples and other material relating to training module Y113. This topic is presented on public courses Learning to program in Python, Python Programming

Background

Data within a Python application can be held and referenced many ways - in regular files, in XML, via a web server (such as an HTML or RSS feed) and within a relational database. This module looks at the two most commonly used databases in Python - MySQL and SQLite, which both use the structured query language, but use different internal models. In then shows how those databases are used from within a Python program, how other databases (which usually follow a similar model) may be used, and how the databases are wrapped if you're using a web framework such as Django.

Articles and tips on this subject		updated
4086	Cacheing class for Python - using a local SQLite database as a key/value store Question from Tom: What did you have for lunch yesterday? Answer: A Sandwich, a piece of cake and some fruit. Question from Dick: What did you have for lunch yesterday? Answer: A Sandwich, a piece of cake and some fruit. Question from Harry: What did you have for lunch yesterday? Answer: A Sandwich, ...	2013-05-18
4024	SQL databases from Python - an SQLite example There's a new example of relational database use in Python [here] on our site - from the Python course I ran last week. If you cut and paste the script onto your system, it should run with little fuss (and without needing a separate database engine) as it uses sqlite - the built in SQL database - as ...	2013-03-02
3139	Steering our Python courses towards wxPython, SQLite and Django With our modular courses that we write ourselves, we've well placed to move forward with technology; more often than not, what's needed is a series of gentle changes, adding in the occasional module for private courses where a particular new subject is needed, with it being introduced into public courses ...	2011-01-21
3136	A framework with python - Django - first steps What is Django and what do I need to be able to use it? Django is a framework - a tool that lets you create, customise, run and maintain web sites in which the data is stored in database tables. It uses the DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) philospohy of design - quite the opposite of early web sites, where ...	2011-01-19 (longest)
2790	Joining a MySQL table from within a Python program Python is a big subject. MySQL is a big subject. Yet the two fin so well together that they can be firmly linked, and work well together, using the tiniest drops of glue. I've provided examples here before, but in answer to a request from a recent delegate, I've just added a fresh example onto our ...	2010-06-02
2786	Factory methods and SqLite in use in a Python teaching example I've just uploaded a neat little example - [here] from last week's Python course - it's amazing what you can do in a very few lines of code. The application scenario is that we have a database of customers - some are residents at our hotel and others are delegates on our courses. Being mercenary folks, ...	2010-06-02
2746	Model - View - Controller demo, Sqlite - Python 3 - Qt4 The Model - View - Controller approach to application design keeps the Graphic User Interface (the view) separate from the database (the model), with the controller in between the two, describing how the data is displayed, and how changes to the data are saved away in the database. By separating the ...	2010-04-29
2745	Connecting Python to sqlite and MySQL databases For developing a Python application, and for light use, the SQLite database may be a good choice ... but then you may want to be able to expand the system to use a central database with a more classic server such as MySQL at a later date. Using Polymorphism in Python, and with a careful choice of which ...	2010-04-28

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Examples from our training material

databases_python	sqlite3 - connect, create, insert, select
kvcache.py	Cacheing class object / sqlite3
pyjson_kvcache	Using our JSON service from Python with key / value cache

Background information

Some modules are available for download as a sample of our material or under an Open Training Notes License for free download from http://www.training-notes.co.uk.

Topics covered in this module

A built in database - SQLite.
Connection to a database server.
Drivers for MySQL and other databases.
The basic principles of databases.
Using SQLite from Python.
Using MySQL and other databses from Python.
Checking your tables from the command line.
Databases in Django.

Complete learning

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