Can SQLite add a stored generated column to an existing table?
ADD COLUMN GENERATED ... STORED
Critical: SQLite refuses the statement, so the migration fails here.
What happens
A STORED generated column cannot be added with ALTER TABLE, SQLite only allows VIRTUAL generated columns there ("cannot add a STORED column"). The statement fails; nothing is added.
Why it is dangerous on a populated table
SQLite holds one write lock for the whole database, so anything that rebuilds a table blocks every writer for as long as the copy takes, and that time grows with the table.
Fires on
ALTER TABLE orders ADD COLUMN total_cents INTEGER GENERATED ALWAYS AS (qty * unit_cents) STORED;The safe pattern
Declare the generated column VIRTUAL, which ALTER TABLE accepts and which costs nothing at write time. A STORED column belongs in CREATE TABLE, for an existing table that means a rebuild.
ALTER TABLE orders ADD COLUMN total_cents INTEGER GENERATED ALWAYS AS (qty * unit_cents) VIRTUAL;Fixtures
The rule ships with these files and the test suite runs them on every change: the first set must fire, the second must stay silent.
Fires (1)
ALTER TABLE orders ADD COLUMN total_cents INTEGER GENERATED ALWAYS AS (qty * unit_cents) STORED;Stays silent (2)
ALTER TABLE orders ADD COLUMN total_cents INTEGER AS (qty * unit_cents);ALTER TABLE orders ADD COLUMN total_cents INTEGER GENERATED ALWAYS AS (qty * unit_cents) VIRTUAL;How to check locally
SQLite support is in beta: this rule runs locally in the free CLI, static only, and not in the hosted service yet. No install, nothing leaves your machine:
npx bolvrk check migration.sql --engine=sqlite