issue_comments

Initial idea of how the .table() method would change: ```diff diff --git a/sqlite_utils/db.py b/sqlite_utils/db.py index 7a06304..3ecb40b 100644 --- a/sqlite_utils/db.py +++ b/sqlite_utils/db.py @@ -474,11 +474,12 @@ class Database: self._tracer(sql, None) return self.conn.executescript(sql)

• def table(self, table_name: str, **kwargs) -> Union["Table", "View"]:
• def table(self, table_name: str, alias: Optional[str] = None, **kwargs) -> Union["Table", "View"]: """ Return a table object, optionally configured with default options.

   :param table_name: Name of the table
  

  • :param alias: The database alias to use, if referring to a table in another connected database """ klass = View if table_name in self.view_names() else Table return klass(self, table_name, **kwargs) ```

Implementing this would be a pretty big change - initial instinct is that I'd need to introduce a self.alias property to Queryable (the subclass of Table and View) and a new self.name_with_alias getter which returns alias.tablename if alias is set to a not-None value. Then I'd need to rewrite every piece of code like this:

https://github.com/simonw/sqlite-utils/blob/1b09538bc6c1fda773590f3e600993ef06591041/sqlite_utils/db.py#L1161

To look like this instead: python sql = "select {} from [{}]".format(select, self.name_with_alias) But some parts would be harder - for example:

https://github.com/simonw/sqlite-utils/blob/1b09538bc6c1fda773590f3e600993ef06591041/sqlite_utils/db.py#L1227-L1231

Would have to know to query alias.sqlite_master instead.

The cached table counts logic like this would need a bunch of changes too:

https://github.com/simonw/sqlite-utils/blob/1b09538bc6c1fda773590f3e600993ef06591041/sqlite_utils/db.py#L644-L657

Third option, and I think the one I like the best: python rows = db.table("tablename", alias="otherdb").rows_where(alias="otherdb") The db.table(tablename) method already exists as an alternative to db[tablename]: https://sqlite-utils.datasette.io/en/stable/python-api.html#python-api-table-configuration

Another potential fix: add a alias= parameter to rows_where() and other similar methods. Then you could do this:

python rows = db["tablename"].rows_where(alias="otherdb") This feels wrong to me: db["tablename"] is the bit that is supposed to return a table object. Having part of what that table object is exist as a parameter to other methods is confusing.

I don't like the idea of table_names() returning names of tables from connected databases as well, because it feels like it could lead to surprising behaviour - especially if those connected databases turn to have table names that are duplicated in the main connected database.

It would be neat if functions like .rows_where() worked though.

One thought would be to support something like this: python rows = db["otherdb.tablename"].rows_where() But... . is a valid character in a SQLite table name. So "otherdb.tablename" might ambiguously refer to a table called tablename in a connected database with the alias otherdb, OR a table in the current database with the name otherdb.tablename.