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I am building a Java app that uses an SQLite database to hold most of its data. For the end-user, the database would be almost entirely read-only, with very occasional edits. I'll (theoretically) be displaying/distributing it through my GitHub page, so my question is:

What's the best way to load the database into GitHub? (I'm using IntelliJ with DataGrip.)

I'd prefer to be able to update the database when I commit/push, instead of having to overwrite the whole file. The closest question I can find is How to include MySQL database schema on GitHub? but there could potentially be hundreds or thousands of entries, so I can't just rebuild the tables when the user installs the app.

I'm applying for entry-level developer jobs, and this project is going to be my main portfolio piece during job-hunting. I'm trying to make sure it is not only functional but also makes a good impression. Any help is (very) greatly appreciated.

EDIT:
After moving my .db file into the folder connected to GitHub (same level as my src folder) apparently I can now commit/push it with the rest of my files. How do I make sure that the connection from my Java code to the database stays valid once it is loaded onto another user's system? Can I just stick with
connection = DriverManager.getConnection("jdbc:sqlite:mydatabase.db");
or do I need to rework the path?

Riz-waan
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cypherfunc
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1 Answers1

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Upon starting, if your application can't find a corresponding sqlite database file, have it create one. Then do initial load of your tables from either CSV, JSON or XML files.

You can upload these files to Git, as they are text formats.

Xavier J
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  • After a bit of research, it looks like I should avoid CSV. It seems like JSON would be best/easiest learning curve, but I should probably get familiar with XML, given its capabilities and wide-spread usage. Do you have a recommendation of which to use? (Again, it's not really about whats best for this particular project, I'm trying to teach myself/demonstrate knowledge for employers.) – cypherfunc Apr 21 '16 at 06:12