● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportLow impact1 neutral
Queryable Executables: Storing Application State within a SQLite Executable
Key points
- SELF format makes executables SQLite databases.
- Programs can store state transactionally in their own executable file.
- A proof-of-concept web server, self-httpd, demonstrates this capability.
- This consolidates program, data, and logs into one file.
The SELF Concept
The SELF format proposes that an executable program itself is a SQLite database. This allows for a unified structure where the program's code and data are contained within a single file. The operating system can use binfmt_misc to interpret the database rows as program segments and execute the entry point.
Storing Application State
A key extension of the SELF concept is using the executable database to store the running program's state. This eliminates the need for separate file system locations like /var/, /tmp/, or /home/ for application data. The program can update its own state transactionally within the same SQLite file it is executing from.
Proof-of-Concept: self-httpd
A proof-of-concept web server, self-httpd, demonstrates this capability. This single-file program is a SQLite database that contains the web server's code, website content, routes, and visitor logs. All state changes, such as button presses or visit records, are updated directly within this single SQLite file.
Implications for Deployment and Management
This approach simplifies application distribution and state management by collapsing a complete application distribution and all its state into a single file. The self-httpd example shows how a server, its website, and all its operational data can exist as one portable SQLite database file.
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Reporting from
A new concept called SELF allows executables to be SQLite databases, enabling programs to store their own state transactionally within the same file they run from. This approach consolidates application data and program logic into a single file, potentially simplifying deployment and state management.