Is there an SQLite equivalent to MySQL's DESCRIBE [table]?

PRAGMA table_info([tablename]); 

Are you looking for the SQL used to generate a table? For that, you can query the sqlite_schema table:

sqlite> CREATE TABLE foo (bar INT, quux TEXT); sqlite> SELECT * FROM sqlite_schema; table|foo|foo|2|CREATE TABLE foo (bar INT, quux TEXT) sqlite> SELECT sql FROM sqlite_schema WHERE name = 'foo'; CREATE TABLE foo (bar INT, quux TEXT) 

Alternative Names

The schema table can always be referenced using the name sqlite_schema, especially if qualifed by the schema name like main.sqlite_schema or temp.sqlite_schema. But for historical compatibility, some alternative names are also recognized, including:

1. sqlite_master
2. sqlite_temp_schema
3. sqlite_temp_master

Alternatives (2) and (3) only work for the TEMP database associated with each database connection, but alternative (1) works anywhere.

To see all tables:

.tables 

To see a particular table:

.schema [tablename] 

To prevent that people are mislead by some of the comments to the other answers:

1. If .schema or query from sqlite_master not gives any output, it indicates a non-existent tablename, e.g. this may also be caused by a ; semicolon at the end for .schema, .tables, ... Or just because the table really not exists. That .schema just doesn't work is very unlikely and then a bug report should be filed at the sqlite project.

... .schema can only be used from a command line; the above commands > can be run as a query through a library (Python, C#, etc.). – Mark Rushakoff Jul 25 '10 at 21:09

2. 'can only be used from a command line' may mislead people. Almost any (likely every?) programming language can call other programs/commands. Therefore the quoted comment is unlucky as calling another program, in this case sqlite, is more likely to be supported than that the language provides a wrapper/library for every program (which not only is prone to incompleteness by the very nature of the masses of programs out there, but also is counter acting single-source principle, complicating maintenance, furthering the chaos of data in the world).

".schema" can show more details of tables including Table Constraints than "PRAGMA".

This command below shows the details of all tables:

.schema 

This command below shows the details of all tables in a well-formatted way:

.schema --indent 

This command below shows the details of one table:

.schema <table_name> 

These commands below show the details of one table in a well-formatted way:

.schema --indent <table_name> 

Or:

.schema <table_name> --indent 

In addition, these commands below show the details about ".schema":

.help .schema 

Or:

.help schema 

Then, this is how it looks like below:

sqlite> .help .schema .schema ?PATTERN? Show the CREATE statements matching PATTERN Options: --indent Try to pretty-print the schema --nosys Omit objects whose names start with "sqlite_" 

If you're using a graphical tool. It shows you the schema right next to the table name. In case of DB Browser For Sqlite, click to open the database(top right corner), navigate and open your database, you'll see the information populated in the table as below.

right click on the record/table_name, click on copy create statement and there you have it.

Hope it helped some beginner who failed to work with the commandline.

.schema user_meta didn't work for me. but .schema did show me all the tables.

I was able to see user_meta table using this command:

sqlite> SELECT * FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table' AND name='user_meta'; table|user_meta|user_meta|7|CREATE TABLE user_meta ( id INTEGER NOT NULL, user_id INTEGER NOT NULL, first_name VARCHAR(10), last_name VARCHAR(10), PRIMARY KEY (id), CONSTRAINT fk_user_id FOREIGN KEY(user_id) REFERENCES user (id), UNIQUE (user_id) ) 

For example, I have these tables in my Django SQLite database:

sqlite3 db.sqlite3 

Then

.tables 

In order to describe and see the SQL statements for shop_product table, you can run the following command:

.schema shop_product 

Illustration