The Digital Press

A developer created a way to host and query large SQLite databases directly on static file hosts like GitHub Pages using WebAssembly and HTTP range requests, eliminating the need for a backend server.

Why it matters: Enables real SQL queries on large datasets in static websites without backend maintenance or heavy data downloads.

The big picture: This approach leverages SQLite compiled to WebAssembly and virtual file systems to efficiently fetch only needed data chunks over HTTP.

The stakes: Performance depends on well-designed database indices and chunk fetching strategies to minimize HTTP requests and bandwidth.

Commenters say: Users appreciate the innovation but raise practical concerns about hosting large files on GitHub and suggest alternatives like DuckDB WASM or ClickHouse demos.