How to process SQLite table row cells by name instead of by number

[brett_s]

This question relates to extracting an SQLite table's row cells from a query using something like the following AutoIt syntax:

While _SQLite_FetchData($hQuery, $aRow, False, False) = $SQLITE_OK ; Read Out the next Row
        ConsoleWrite(StringFormat(" %-10s  %-10s  %-10s  %-10s ", $aRow[0], $aRow[1], $aRow[2], $aRow[3]) & @CRLF)
WEnd

I can extract individual cells by their 0 relative position in the arracy $aRow - for example $aRow[0], $aRow[2] etc. as shown above.

However I don't want to do this.  I want to be able to extract cell data by their assigned column name - for example EMPLOYEENO, EMPLOYEENAME, EMPLOYEEADDRESS etc.

Does anyone know how I can do this?

Why do I want to do this?  Because if the table structure is subsequently changed and new fields inserted, every existing Autoit script that processes rows using their position in such an array may need to be altered.  If the cells are referenced by name instead of number the scripts will not need to be altered.

[genius257]

Hi @brett_s

You need to use _SQLite_FetchNames to get column names relative to array output position.

I don't think anyone has made something to map SQLite fetch to a map object, via the _SQLite_FetchNames yet, but that should be easy to make yourself .

[jchd]

Also don't forget that _you_ specify the columns and their order to get. Using things like "select * from t..." is bad practice. Specifying explicitely the columns and hence their order in the resultset is indeed more verbose but also foolproof.

[brett_s]

Yes, really good suggestion!  Many thanks.