.transform(strict=True/False) and sqlite-utils transform --strict/--no-strict

[simonw]

Inspired by https://evanhahn.com/prefer-strict-tables-in-sqlite/

Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a way to ALTER a table to make it strict. I think you have to copy the data out of the non-strict table into the strict one.

[simonw]

Implementation transcript (GPT-5.6 Sol xhigh in Codex Desktop): https://gist.github.com/simonw/ab8256b81646ad967a601975e206de64

[simonw]

Wrote a bit about this on my blog: https://simonwillison.net/2026/Jul/11/sqlite-utils/

[simonw]

Documentation for .transform(): https://sqlite-utils.datasette.io/en/stable/python-api.html#changing-strict-mode