Agent skill
axiom-sqlitedata-migration
Use when migrating from SwiftData to SQLiteData — decision guide, pattern equivalents, code examples, CloudKit sharing (SwiftData can't), performance benchmarks, gradual migration strategy
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/CharlesWiltgen/Axiom/tree/main/axiom-codex/skills/axiom-sqlitedata-migration
Metadata
Additional technical details for this skill
- version
- 1.0.0
SKILL.md
Migrating from SwiftData to SQLiteData
When to Switch
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Should I switch from SwiftData to SQLiteData? │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Performance problems with 10k+ records? │
│ YES → SQLiteData (10-50x faster for large datasets) │
│ │
│ Need CloudKit record SHARING (not just sync)? │
│ YES → SQLiteData (SwiftData cannot share records) │
│ │
│ Complex queries across multiple tables? │
│ YES → SQLiteData + raw GRDB when needed │
│ │
│ Need Sendable models for Swift 6 concurrency? │
│ YES → SQLiteData (value types, not classes) │
│ │
│ Testing @Model classes is painful? │
│ YES → SQLiteData (pure structs, easy to mock) │
│ │
│ Happy with SwiftData for simple CRUD? │
│ YES → Stay with SwiftData (simpler for basic apps) │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Pattern Equivalents
| SwiftData | SQLiteData |
|---|---|
@Model class Item |
@Table nonisolated struct Item |
@Attribute(.unique) |
@Column(primaryKey: true) or SQL UNIQUE |
@Relationship var tags: [Tag] |
var tagIDs: [Tag.ID] + join query |
@Query var items: [Item] |
@FetchAll var items: [Item] |
@Query(sort: \.title) |
@FetchAll(Item.order(by: \.title)) |
@Query(filter: #Predicate { $0.isActive }) |
@FetchAll(Item.where(\.isActive)) |
@Environment(\.modelContext) |
@Dependency(\.defaultDatabase) |
context.insert(item) |
Item.insert { Item.Draft(...) }.execute(db) |
context.delete(item) |
Item.find(id).delete().execute(db) |
try context.save() |
Automatic in database.write { } block |
ModelContainer(for:) |
prepareDependencies { $0.defaultDatabase = } |
Code Example
SwiftData (Before)
import SwiftData
@Model
class Task {
var id: UUID
var title: String
var isCompleted: Bool
var project: Project?
init(title: String) {
self.id = UUID()
self.title = title
self.isCompleted = false
}
}
struct TaskListView: View {
@Environment(\.modelContext) private var context
@Query(sort: \.title) private var tasks: [Task]
var body: some View {
List(tasks) { task in
Text(task.title)
}
}
func addTask(_ title: String) {
let task = Task(title: title)
context.insert(task)
}
func deleteTask(_ task: Task) {
context.delete(task)
}
}
SQLiteData (After)
import SQLiteData
@Table
nonisolated struct Task: Identifiable {
let id: UUID
var title = ""
var isCompleted = false
var projectID: Project.ID?
}
struct TaskListView: View {
@Dependency(\.defaultDatabase) var database
@FetchAll(Task.order(by: \.title)) var tasks
var body: some View {
List(tasks) { task in
Text(task.title)
}
}
func addTask(_ title: String) {
try database.write { db in
try Task.insert {
Task.Draft(title: title)
}
.execute(db)
}
}
func deleteTask(_ task: Task) {
try database.write { db in
try Task.find(task.id).delete().execute(db)
}
}
}
Key differences:
class→structwithnonisolated@Model→@Table@Query→@FetchAll@Environment(\.modelContext)→@Dependency(\.defaultDatabase)- Implicit save → Explicit
database.write { }block - Direct init →
.Drafttype for inserts @Relationship→ Explicit foreign key + join
CloudKit Sharing (SwiftData Can't Do This)
SwiftData supports CloudKit sync but NOT sharing. SQLiteData is the only Apple-native option for record sharing.
// 1. Setup SyncEngine with sharing
prepareDependencies {
$0.defaultDatabase = try! appDatabase()
$0.defaultSyncEngine = try SyncEngine(
for: $0.defaultDatabase,
tables: Task.self, Project.self
)
}
// 2. Share a record
@Dependency(\.defaultSyncEngine) var syncEngine
@State var sharedRecord: SharedRecord?
func shareProject(_ project: Project) async throws {
sharedRecord = try await syncEngine.share(record: project) { share in
share[CKShare.SystemFieldKey.title] = "Join my project!"
}
}
// 3. Present native sharing UI
.sheet(item: $sharedRecord) { record in
CloudSharingView(sharedRecord: record)
}
Sharing enables: Collaborative lists, shared workspaces, family sharing, team features.
Performance Comparison
| Operation | SwiftData | SQLiteData | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insert 50k records | ~4 minutes | ~45 seconds | 5x |
| Query 10k with predicate | ~2 seconds | ~50ms | 40x |
| Memory (10k objects) | ~80MB | ~20MB | 4x smaller |
| Cold launch (large DB) | ~3 seconds | ~200ms | 15x |
Benchmarks approximate, vary by device and data shape.
Migrating Existing User Data
Critical: Schema migration alone loses all user data. You must export from SwiftData and import into SQLiteData.
// 1. Read all records from SwiftData's backing store
func migrateExistingData(from modelContext: ModelContext, to database: any DatabaseWriter) throws {
// Fetch all SwiftData records
let descriptor = FetchDescriptor<SwiftDataTask>()
let existingTasks = try modelContext.fetch(descriptor)
// 2. Bulk insert into SQLiteData
try database.write { db in
for task in existingTasks {
try SQLiteTask.insert {
SQLiteTask.Draft(
id: task.id,
title: task.title,
isCompleted: task.isCompleted,
projectID: task.project?.id
)
}
.execute(db)
}
}
// 3. Verify migration
let count = try database.read { db in
try SQLiteTask.fetchCount(db)
}
assert(count == existingTasks.count, "Migration count mismatch!")
}
Migration checklist:
- Export all models before deleting SwiftData container
- Migrate relationships (fetch parent IDs for foreign keys)
- Verify record counts match after migration
- Keep SwiftData container as backup until confirmed working
- Run migration on first launch with a version flag in UserDefaults
Gradual Migration Strategy
You don't have to migrate everything at once:
- Add SQLiteData for new features — Keep SwiftData for existing simple CRUD
- Migrate one model at a time — Start with the performance bottleneck
- Use separate databases initially — SQLiteData for heavy data/sharing, SwiftData for preferences
- Consolidate if needed — Or keep hybrid if it works
Common Gotchas
Relationships → Foreign Keys
// SwiftData: implicit relationship
@Relationship var tasks: [Task]
// SQLiteData: explicit column + query
// In child: var projectID: Project.ID
// To fetch: Task.where { $0.projectID.eq(#bind(project.id)) }
Cascade Deletes
// SwiftData: @Relationship(deleteRule: .cascade)
// SQLiteData: Define in SQL schema
// "REFERENCES parent(id) ON DELETE CASCADE"
No Automatic Inverse
// SwiftData: @Relationship(inverse: \Task.project)
// SQLiteData: Query both directions manually
let tasks = Task.where { $0.projectID.eq(#bind(project.id)) }
let project = Project.find(task.projectID)
Related Skills:
axiom-sqlitedata— Full SQLiteData API referenceaxiom-swiftdata— SwiftData patterns if staying with Apple's frameworkaxiom-grdb— Raw GRDB for complex queries
History: See git log for changes
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