Python Database Connectivity

Python database connectivity refers to the tools and libraries that let a Python program connect to a relational database, run SQL queries, and pull the results back into Python for further analysis - bridging the two worlds covered so far in this course.

Why Connect Python to a Database

  • Automate data extraction instead of manually exporting query results
  • Combine the querying power of SQL with Python's analysis and visualization libraries
  • Build repeatable pipelines that pull fresh data on a schedule

Common Python Database Libraries

  • sqlite3 - built into Python, works with SQLite databases
  • psycopg2 - connects to PostgreSQL databases
  • mysql-connector-python / PyMySQL - connects to MySQL databases
  • SQLAlchemy - a higher-level toolkit that works across many database types with a consistent interface

The General Workflow

# 1. Connect to the database
# 2. Create a cursor to execute queries
# 3. Run a query
# 4. Fetch the results
# 5. Close the connection
Each database type needs its own driver library - the exact package you install depends on which database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, etc.) you're connecting to.

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