Web SQL Database was a

web browser A web browser, often shortened to browser, is an application for accessing websites. When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the browser retrieves its files from a web server and then displays the page on the user's scr ...

API An application programming interface (API) is a connection between computers or between computer programs. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standard that describes how to build ...

specification for storing data in

database In computing, a database is an organized collection of data or a type of data store based on the use of a database management system (DBMS), the software that interacts with end users, applications, and the database itself to capture and a ...

s that can be queried using

SQL Structured Query Language (SQL) (pronounced ''S-Q-L''; or alternatively as "sequel") is a domain-specific language used to manage data, especially in a relational database management system (RDBMS). It is particularly useful in handling s ...

variant. Introduced in 2011 and quickly deprecated in favor of Web Storage API and IndexedDB, WebSQL was removed from browsers by April 2024. The technology was only ever implemented in Blink-based browsers like

Google Chrome Google Chrome is a web browser developed by Google. It was first released in 2008 for Microsoft Windows, built with free software components from Apple WebKit and Mozilla Firefox. Versions were later released for Linux, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, an ...

and the new

Microsoft Edge Microsoft Edge is a Proprietary Software, proprietary cross-platform software, cross-platform web browser created by Microsoft and based on the Chromium (web browser), Chromium open-source project, superseding Edge Legacy. In Windows 11, Edge ...

, and WebKit-based browsers like

Safari A safari (; originally ) is an overland journey to observe wildlife, wild animals, especially in East Africa. The so-called big five game, "Big Five" game animals of Africa – lion, African leopard, leopard, rhinoceros, African elephant, elep ...

Support

The API is supported by

, Opera,

, and the

Android Browser This is a list of features in the Android (operating system), Android operating system. General ; Messaging: SMS and Multimedia Messaging Service, MMS are available forms of messaging, including threaded text messaging and Android Cloud To Device ...

, albeit support is slowly being phased out. Web SQL was deprecated and removed for third-party contexts in Chromium 97. Web SQL access in insecure contexts is deprecated as of Chrome/Chromium 105 at which time a warning message was shown in the Chrome DevTools Issue panel. The API will be entirely removed from Chrome 124.

Timeline

In January 2010, Google announced availability of WebSQL Database API in Google Chrome.

Mozilla Corporation The Mozilla Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mozilla Foundation that coordinates and integrates the development of Internet-related applications such as the Firefox web browser, by a global community of open-source developers, s ...

developers publicly opposed the technology and at the same were the main proponents behind an 'alternative storage' standard, IndexedDB. Mozilla argued that ratification of WebSQL as a standard would codify the quirks of

SQLite SQLite ( "S-Q-L-ite", "sequel-ite") is a free and open-source relational database engine written in the C programming language. It is not a standalone app; rather, it is a library that software developers embed in their apps. As such, it ...

implementation. In November 2010, the

W3C The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web. Founded in 1994 by Tim Berners-Lee, the consortium is made up of member organizations that maintain full-time staff working together in ...

Web Applications Working Group ceased working on the specification, citing a lack of independent implementations (i.e. using database system other than

as the backend) as the reason the specification could not move forward to become a W3C Recommendation. In September 2019,

Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

released

13 which removed WebSQL entirely. In November 2021, Chrome 97 removed WebSQL support in third-party contexts. In February 2023, Chrome 110 removed WebSQL support in insecure contexts but allowed exceptions set with an enterprise policy. In October 2023, Chrome 119 was shipped with WebSQL disabled in all contexts by default, with an ability to re-enable it until Chrome 123 via a deprecation trial in some contexts. In April 2024, Chromium-based browsers, including Chrome 124 and Edge 124 have removed support WebSQL completely.

References

External links

W3C Web SQL Database Working Draft

Web SQL database
at Info-Q
SQL storage
at Can-I-Use Database APIs World Wide Web Consortium standards {{Web-stub

Support

Timeline

See also

References

External links