Queryable Executables
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
An executable can be a SQLite database, collapsing code, state, and tooling into SQL.
Farid Zakaria's SELF format makes an executable a SQLite database, using `binfmt_misc` to interpret it. The running program can store its state in the same file. A proof-of-concept webserver, self-httpd, is a single SQLite database containing the program, routes, website content, visitor logs, and button presses. Deployments become `scp` of one file; upgrades are data migrations via `INSERT ... SELECT`. SQLite features like FTS5 and `sqldiff` work on the executable. The author contrasts this with redbean's ZIP-based approach, calling it an "Actually Queryable Executable."
What commenters are saying
Commenters are fascinated but raise security concerns. The top comment notes the SQL injection to ACE pipeline. Another points out that a self-writable binary is dangerous, especially internet-facing. Two camps emerge: those who prefer read-only binaries with separate writable state (citing Nix and immutable distros) and those who love the creative potential. Multiple instances of the same binary are a concern. Some compare this to OS/400's integrated database and Plan 9's layered filesystems. One commenter explores upgrading via data migration and SIGHUP.