content/code-security/codeql-cli/codeql-cli-manual/database-import.md

---
title: database import
versions: # DO NOT MANUALLY EDIT. CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN BY A 🤖
  fpt: '*'
  ghec: '*'
  ghes: '*'
topics:
  - Code Security
  - Code scanning
  - CodeQL
type: reference
product: '{% data reusables.gated-features.codeql %}'
autogenerated: codeql-cli
intro: |-
  [Advanced] [Plumbing] Import unfinalized database(s) into another
  unfinalized database.
redirect_from:
  - /code-security/codeql-cli/manual/database-import
---

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{% data reusables.codeql-cli.man-pages-version-note %}

## Synopsis

```shell copy
codeql database import [--dbscheme=<file>] [--threads=<num>] [--ram=<MB>] <options>... -- <database> <additionalDbs>...
```

## Description

\[Advanced] \[Plumbing] Import unfinalized database(s) into another
unfinalized database.

The result of this command is that the target database (the one in the
_first_ argument) will be augmented with the data from all the other
databases passed. In particular, TRAP files from the other databases
will be imported and sources in them will be copied.

Note that this command will probably not have the desired effect in most
cases. In particular, the resulting database may not correctly track
dataflow between the partial databases that were combined. It is only
intended to be used in certain advanced scenarios involving distributed
build systems where special care has been taken in how the build was
separated in order to ensure that the resulting final database is
meaningful.

## Options

### Primary Options

#### `<database>`

\[Mandatory] Path to the CodeQL database under construction. This must
have been prepared for extraction with [codeql database init](/code-security/codeql-cli/codeql-cli-manual/database-init).

If the `--db-cluster` option is given, this is not a database itself,
but a directory that _contains_ databases, and all of those databases
will be processed together.

#### `<additionalDbs>...`

\[Mandatory] Paths to the unfinished database(s) that should imported
into the first database.

If the `--db-cluster` option is given, it is expected that these will be
database clusters rather than individual CodeQL databases.

#### `--[no-]db-cluster`

Indicates that the directory given on the command line is not a database
itself, but a directory that _contains_ one or more databases under
construction. Those databases will be processed together.

### Options for controlling the TRAP import operation

#### `-S, --dbscheme=<file>`

\[Advanced] Override the auto-detected dbscheme definition that the
TRAP files are assumed to adhere to. Normally, this is taken from the
database's extractor.

#### `-j, --threads=<num>`

Use this many threads for the import operation.

Defaults to 1. You can pass 0 to use one thread per core on the machine,
or -_N_ to leave _N_ cores unused (except still use at least one
thread).

#### `-M, --ram=<MB>`

Use this much memory for the import operation.

### Options for checking imported TRAP

#### `--[no-]check-undefined-labels`

\[Advanced] Report errors for undefined labels.

#### `--[no-]check-unused-labels`

\[Advanced] Report errors for unused labels.

#### `--[no-]check-repeated-labels`

\[Advanced] Report errors for repeated labels.

#### `--[no-]check-redefined-labels`

\[Advanced] Report errors for redefined labels.

#### `--[no-]check-use-before-definition`

\[Advanced] Report errors for labels used before they're defined.

#### `--[no-]fail-on-trap-errors`

\[Advanced] Exit non-zero if an error occurs during trap import.

#### `--[no-]include-location-in-star`

\[Advanced] Construct entity IDs that encode the location in the TRAP
file they came from. Can be useful for debugging of TRAP generators, but
takes up a lot of space in the dataset.

#### `--[no-]linkage-aware-import`

\[Advanced] Controls whether [codeql dataset import](/code-security/codeql-cli/codeql-cli-manual/dataset-import) is linkage-aware _(default)_ or not. On projects where this part of database creation
consumes too much memory, disabling this option may help them progress
at the expense of database completeness.

Available since `v2.15.3`.

### Common options

#### `-h, --help`

Show this help text.

#### `-J=<opt>`

\[Advanced] Give option to the JVM running the command.

(Beware that options containing spaces will not be handled correctly.)

#### `-v, --verbose`

Incrementally increase the number of progress messages printed.

#### `-q, --quiet`

Incrementally decrease the number of progress messages printed.

#### `--verbosity=<level>`

\[Advanced] Explicitly set the verbosity level to one of errors,
warnings, progress, progress+, progress++, progress+++. Overrides `-v`
and `-q`.

#### `--logdir=<dir>`

\[Advanced] Write detailed logs to one or more files in the given
directory, with generated names that include timestamps and the name of
the running subcommand.

(To write a log file with a name you have full control over, instead
give `--log-to-stderr` and redirect stderr as desired.)

#### `--common-caches=<dir>`

\[Advanced] Controls the location of cached data on disk that will
persist between several runs of the CLI, such as downloaded QL packs and
compiled query plans. If not set explicitly, this defaults to a
directory named `.codeql` in the user's home directory; it will be
created if it doesn't already exist.

Available since `v2.15.2`.