How to VACUUM a Core Data SQLite db?

Question

By design, Core Data does not issue a VACUUM SQL command to its SQLite database(s), as detailed here. I'm creating a Core Data application that'll store, and later delete, large binary files (2-10MB in size) in a SQLite db. Over time this will lead to fragmentation and a larger-than-necessary SQLite database. I'd like to periodically issue a VACUUM command, say, during a cleanup operation I run.

• How can I progmatically issue a VACUUM command to Core Data's SQLite stores?
• Is it possible to do this through Core Data, or must I mount the SQLite db and connect to it directly to execute the VACUUM SQL?

Answer 1

The supported way to do this, on 10.6 and later, is to set the NSSQLiteManualVacuumOption in the options when you are adding the store to the persistent store coordinator.