How to Optimize SQLite Performance With Indexed Views and Write-Ahead Logging

SQLite is lightweight and easy to embed, but as your data grows, performance bottlenecks can emerge. In this article, we explore two powerful techniques to supercharge SQLite performance: indexed views (via materialized views) and Write-Ahead Logging (WAL).

Understanding the Performance Bottleneck

SQLite is great for local or low-concurrency apps, but performance can suffer due to:

• Repeated complex queries
• High write contention
• Lack of appropriate indexes

Let’s solve that with indexed views and WAL.

Part 1: Materialized Views as Indexed Views

SQLite doesn't support indexed views directly, but you can simulate them using triggers and materialized tables.

Create a Materialized View

CREATE TABLE top_sellers AS
SELECT seller_id, COUNT(*) AS total_sales
FROM orders
GROUP BY seller_id;

Keep It in Sync With Triggers

CREATE TRIGGER update_top_sellers_insert
AFTER INSERT ON orders
BEGIN
  DELETE FROM top_sellers;
  INSERT INTO top_sellers
  SELECT seller_id, COUNT(*) AS total_sales
  FROM orders
  GROUP BY seller_id;
END;

This ensures your view is always up to date and instantly accessible with indexes.

Add an Index

CREATE INDEX idx_seller_sales ON top_sellers(total_sales DESC);

Now queries on top sellers will be lightning fast.

Part 2: Enable Write-Ahead Logging

WAL improves performance by separating reads and writes, enabling more concurrency and fewer file locks.

PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL;

This can be issued once after connecting to the DB or saved in your app’s initialization logic.

Advantages of WAL:

• Faster write performance
• Readers don't block writers
• More robust in multi-threaded environments

For best results, pair WAL mode with appropriate PRAGMA synchronous = NORMAL and ensure disk space is available for the log file.

Bonus: ANALYZE for Query Planning

Run ANALYZE periodically to help SQLite build better query plans using updated statistics:

ANALYZE;

This updates the internal SQLite statistics tables, improving planner efficiency.

Conclusion

With materialized views acting like indexed views, and Write-Ahead Logging turned on, SQLite can scale better than expected. These changes are minimal in effort but high in performance return—perfect for embedded apps, mobile projects, or local-first software.

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