How to Use SQL IN Operator with Parameter Binding in Node.js SQLite

Learn how to correctly use the SQL IN operator with parameterized queries in Node.js using DatabaseSync and SQLite.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/79441096/ asked by the user 'mydoghasworms' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/274354/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/79442223/ provided by the user 'traynor' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/4321299/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Introduction

When working with SQLite in Node.js using the DatabaseSync API, selecting multiple records using the SQL IN operator requires careful parameter binding. Simply passing an array as a single parameter does not work as expected.

The Problem

You might try:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

But this will fail because SQLite expects each value in the IN clause to correspond to its own parameter placeholder (?). Passing an array as a single parameter binds it as a single string or blob, not as multiple values.

The Solution: Dynamic Placeholders

Instead of a single ?, dynamically create as many ? placeholders as values you want to bind. For example:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation

values.map(() => '?') creates an array of '?' for each value.

join(',') concatenates them with commas to form the placeholder list.

The stmt.get(values) binds the array elements in order to these placeholders.

This ensures SQLite receives the correct number of parameters matching the number of values.

Summary

The IN clause requires one placeholder per value.

Construct placeholders dynamically based on input array size.

Pass the array directly to the query execution method.

This approach safely handles variable-length lists and prevents SQL injection by using parameter binding.