Editing Comparison of common data file formats (section)

=== SQL Files ===
SQL files: the export format for relational databases, consisting of multiple lines of SQL statements (e.g., <code>INSERT INTO ...</code>), which can be imported directly into a database.

SQL files themselves have no row limit; the format is plain text, and limitations again come from the tools used to open or import them.

Common issues include:
* '''(1) Large file size''': bulk data exports can easily reach several gigabytes; opening such files in a text editor may cause it to freeze or become unresponsive.
* '''(2) Cross-database compatibility''': different database engines (such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQLite) have differences in SQL syntax; a <code>.sql</code> file exported from engine A may not be directly importable into another engine. See also: Troubleshooting MySQL Technical Issues — Migrating Data from MySQL to MSSQL (written in Mandarin).

If the goal is simply to migrate data rather than restore a complete database structure, it is recommended to use CSV or Parquet instead, in order to avoid the compatibility issues described above.