From a freshmeat.net SQLite tutorial:
This article explores the power and simplicity of sqlite3, starting with common commands and triggers. It then covers the attach statement with the union operation, introduced in a way that allows multiple tables, in separate databases, to be combined as one virtual table, without the overhead of copying or moving data. Next, I demonstrate the simple sign function and the amazingly powerful trick of using this function in SQL select statements to solve complex queries with a single pass through the data, after making a brief mathematical case for how the sign function defines the absolute value and IF conditions.



