GoKawiilResearcher builds SELF, a working executable format based on SQLite instead of ELF
A developer created SELF (Structured Executable & Linkable Format), a prototype that replaces the traditional ELF executable format with a SQLite database file that can actually be run directly. The project builds on earlier work called sqlelf, which allowed users to query ELF binaries using SQL, and is now available on GitHub.
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Executable formats are foundational infrastructure that most software takes for granted, so rethinking them with modern database tooling could make binaries far easier to inspect, debug and modify using familiar SQL queries instead of specialized tools like readelf. The project also shows how AI-assisted development is making it easier to revisit unconventional systems ideas that were previously dismissed as impractical.
- SELF lets a file be both a runnable executable and a queryable SQLite database.
- The idea originated from the author's PhD research and an earlier tool, sqlelf, for querying ELF files with SQL.
- The prototype is open-sourced on GitHub, inviting further exploration of database-native executable formats.
O'Reilly "Using SQLite" by Jay A. Kreibich — If this post has you curious about pushing SQLite far beyond ordinary data storage, this O'Reilly guide digs into the library's internals, virtual tables and C API — exactly the machinery behind tools like sqlelf. It's a solid companion for anyone who wants to build their own SQL-queryable views over weird file formats.
See O'Reilly "Using SQLite" by Jay A. Kreibich on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: fzakaria.com, 2026-08-24
Published there as: “Executable Is a SQLite Database”
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