joaoh82 · joaoh82 · Jun 1, 2026 · May 31, 2026
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -172,14 +172,15 @@ sqlrite> DELETE FROM users WHERE age < 30;
 
 | Statement | Features |
 |---|---|
-| `CREATE TABLE` | `PRIMARY KEY`, `UNIQUE`, `NOT NULL`; duplicate-column detection; types `INTEGER`/`INT`/`BIGINT`/`SMALLINT`, `TEXT`/`VARCHAR`, `REAL`/`FLOAT`/`DOUBLE`/`DECIMAL`, `BOOLEAN`. Auto-creates `sqlrite_autoindex_<table>_<col>` for every PK + UNIQUE column |
+| `CREATE TABLE` | `PRIMARY KEY`, `UNIQUE`, `NOT NULL`; `IF NOT EXISTS` (idempotent re-create); duplicate-column detection; types `INTEGER`/`INT`/`BIGINT`/`SMALLINT`, `TEXT`/`VARCHAR`, `REAL`/`FLOAT`/`DOUBLE`/`DECIMAL`, `BOOLEAN`. Auto-creates `sqlrite_autoindex_<table>_<col>` for every PK + UNIQUE column |
 | `CREATE [UNIQUE] INDEX` | Single-column, named indexes; `IF NOT EXISTS`; persists as a dedicated cell-based B-Tree. INTEGER + TEXT columns only |
 | `INSERT INTO` | Explicit column list required; auto-ROWID for `INTEGER PRIMARY KEY`; multi-row `VALUES (…), (…)`; UNIQUE enforcement; clean type errors (no panics); NULL padding for omitted columns |
-| `SELECT` | `*` or column list with optional `AS alias`; `WHERE`; `DISTINCT`; `GROUP BY col[, col …]`; aggregate projections `COUNT(*)` / `COUNT([DISTINCT] col)` / `SUM` / `AVG` / `MIN` / `MAX`; `[INNER\|LEFT OUTER\|RIGHT OUTER\|FULL OUTER] JOIN ... ON ...` with table aliases and qualified `t.col` references; single-column `ORDER BY [ASC\|DESC]` (also resolves alias and aggregate display names); `LIMIT n`. `WHERE col = literal` probes an index when one exists |
+| `SELECT` | `*` or column list with optional `AS alias`; `WHERE`; `DISTINCT`; `GROUP BY col[, col …]`; aggregate projections `COUNT(*)` / `COUNT([DISTINCT] col)` / `SUM` / `AVG` / `MIN` / `MAX`; `[INNER\|LEFT OUTER\|RIGHT OUTER\|FULL OUTER] JOIN ... ON ...` with table aliases and qualified `t.col` references; single-column `ORDER BY [ASC\|DESC]` (also resolves alias and aggregate display names); `LIMIT n`. `WHERE col = literal` probes an index when one exists. Catalog introspection via `SELECT … FROM sqlrite_master` |
 | `UPDATE` | Multi-column `SET`; `WHERE`; UNIQUE + type enforcement; arithmetic in assignments (`SET age = age + 1`) |
 | `DELETE` | `WHERE` predicate or full-table delete |
 | `BEGIN` / `COMMIT` / `ROLLBACK` | Real transactions, snapshot-based; WAL-backed commit; single-level (no savepoints); auto-rollback if `COMMIT`'s disk write fails |
 | `PRAGMA auto_vacuum` | Read (`PRAGMA auto_vacuum;`) returns the trigger threshold as a single-row result set; set (`PRAGMA auto_vacuum = 0.5;` / `= OFF;` / `= NONE;`) tunes or disables auto-VACUUM at the SQL layer for SDK / FFI / MCP consumers |
+| `PRAGMA table_list` | Lists tables (`schema`, `name`, `type`, `ncol`, `wr`, `strict`) plus the `sqlrite_master` catalog — lightweight catalog introspection for SDK / FFI / MCP consumers |
 
 Expressions in `WHERE` and `UPDATE`'s `SET` RHS:
 

diff --git a/docs/supported-sql.md b/docs/supported-sql.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ If you're looking for _how_ to use SQLRite (REPL flow, meta-commands, history, e
 
 | Statement | Supported today |
 |---|---|
-| [`CREATE TABLE`](#create-table) | Columns with `PRIMARY KEY` / `UNIQUE` / `NOT NULL` / `DEFAULT <literal>`; typed columns; auto-indexes on constrained columns |
+| [`CREATE TABLE`](#create-table) | Columns with `PRIMARY KEY` / `UNIQUE` / `NOT NULL` / `DEFAULT <literal>`; typed columns; auto-indexes on constrained columns; `IF NOT EXISTS` |
 | [`CREATE [UNIQUE] INDEX`](#create-index) | Single-column named indexes, `IF NOT EXISTS`, persisted as cell-based B-Trees |
 | [`INSERT INTO`](#insert-into) | Auto-ROWID, UNIQUE/PK enforcement, clean type errors, NULL/DEFAULT padding |
 | [`SELECT`](#select) | `*` or column list, `WHERE`, single-column `ORDER BY`, `LIMIT`; index probing on `col = literal` |
@@ -52,9 +52,11 @@ let rows = stmt
 ## `CREATE TABLE`
 
 ```sql
-CREATE TABLE <name> (<col> <type> [column_constraint]* [, ...]);
+CREATE TABLE [IF NOT EXISTS] <name> (<col> <type> [column_constraint]* [, ...]);
 ```
 
+`IF NOT EXISTS` (SQLR-10) makes a re-create a no-op when a table of that name already exists, instead of erroring — so "run my schema on every startup" migrations work against a populated database. The clause is honoured **by name only**: SQLRite does not diff the existing schema against the new column list (SQLite behaves the same). Without `IF NOT EXISTS`, re-creating an existing table still errors.
+
 ### Column types
 
 | Keyword(s) | Storage class | Notes |
@@ -80,7 +82,7 @@ CREATE TABLE <name> (<col> <type> [column_constraint]* [, ...]);
 
 ### Errors returned
 
-- `Table 'foo' already exists.` — duplicate `CREATE TABLE`.
+- `Cannot create, table already exists.` — duplicate `CREATE TABLE` (suppressed to a no-op when the statement uses `IF NOT EXISTS`).
 - `'sqlrite_master' is a reserved name used by the internal schema catalog` — you tried to shadow the catalog table.
 - `Column 'foo' appears more than once in the table definition` — duplicate column names.
 - `PRIMARY KEY column must be INTEGER` — PK on a non-integer column.
@@ -108,7 +110,7 @@ Every `PRIMARY KEY` and every `UNIQUE` column gets an auto-index at `CREATE TABL
 sqlrite_autoindex_<table>_<column>
 ```
 
-These are full-citizen indexes — they're visible via `.tables`-adjacent catalog queries (once those land), persist across saves, and accelerate equality probes. You don't need to `CREATE INDEX` them yourself.
+These are full-citizen indexes — they show up in [`sqlrite_master`](#querying-the-catalog-sqlrite_master) catalog queries, persist across saves, and accelerate equality probes. You don't need to `CREATE INDEX` them yourself.
 
 ### HNSW indexes (Phase 7d)
 
@@ -267,6 +269,34 @@ The executor includes a tiny optimizer: if the `WHERE` is exactly `<indexed_col>
 
 Any of the above reaches the executor as a parsed AST node that execution doesn't handle, producing either `NotImplemented` or a more specific error (e.g., `joins are not supported`).
 
+### Querying the catalog (`sqlrite_master`)
+
+SQLRite's schema catalog is exposed to SQL as a read-only table named `sqlrite_master` (SQLR-10), mirroring SQLite's `sqlite_master`. Embedders use it to introspect what's in a database — for example to discover existing tables before running migrations.
+
+```sql
+SELECT name FROM sqlrite_master;                       -- every table + index
+SELECT name FROM sqlrite_master WHERE type = 'table';  -- tables only
+SELECT name FROM sqlrite_master WHERE type = 'index';  -- indexes only (incl. auto-indexes)
+SELECT * FROM sqlrite_master WHERE name = 'users';     -- full row for one object
+```
+
+Columns (same schema the catalog persists with on disk):
+
+| Column | Type | Meaning |
+|---|---|---|
+| `type` | text | `'table'` or `'index'` |
+| `name` | text | object name |
+| `sql` | text | the `CREATE TABLE` / `CREATE INDEX` text that recreates the object |
+| `rootpage` | integer | always `0` in this live view — page numbers are assigned at save time, not at query time. Kept for schema parity with the persisted catalog. |
+| `last_rowid` | integer | a table's current auto-ROWID high-water mark (`0` for index rows) |
+
+Notes:
+
+- The catalog is synthesized on demand from the live database, so it reflects uncommitted in-memory state, not just what's been saved.
+- It is **read-only**: `INSERT` / `UPDATE` / `DELETE` against `sqlrite_master` are rejected, as are `CREATE TABLE` / `DROP TABLE` / `ALTER TABLE` that target the reserved name.
+- It works in the single-table `SELECT` path (`WHERE`, projections, `ORDER BY`, `LIMIT`). Joining `sqlrite_master` against another table is not supported.
+- For a lighter-weight "what tables exist" check, [`PRAGMA table_list`](#pragma-table_list-sqlr-10) returns a column count per table without synthesizing SQL.
+
 ---
 
 ## `UPDATE`
@@ -579,6 +609,27 @@ Case-insensitive on both the pragma name and the value. Quoted values (`'mvcc'`)
 
 The setting is **per-database** — every `Connection::connect` sibling sees the same value. Reachable through the public API as `Connection::journal_mode() -> JournalMode`.
 
+### `PRAGMA table_list` (SQLR-10)
+
+Lists the tables in the database — the quick "what's in here?" introspection that SDK / FFI / MCP consumers reach for when they can't run a full [`sqlrite_master`](#querying-the-catalog-sqlrite_master) query. Read-only; the write form (`PRAGMA table_list = …`) is rejected.
+
+```sql
+PRAGMA table_list;              -- one row per user table, plus sqlrite_master
+```
+
+Columns mirror SQLite's `PRAGMA table_list`:
+
+| Column | Meaning |
+|---|---|
+| `schema` | always `main` (SQLRite has a single schema) |
+| `name` | table name |
+| `type` | always `table` (SQLRite doesn't expose views) |
+| `ncol` | number of declared columns |
+| `wr` | always `0` (no WITHOUT ROWID tables) |
+| `strict` | always `0` (no STRICT tables) |
+
+The synthetic catalog table `sqlrite_master` is listed last (SQLite lists `sqlite_schema` the same way). Indexes are **not** listed here — query [`sqlrite_master`](#querying-the-catalog-sqlrite_master) `WHERE type = 'index'` for those.
+
 ---
 
 ## `BEGIN CONCURRENT` (Phase 11.4, SQLR-22)

diff --git a/examples/go-collector/internal/store/store.go b/examples/go-collector/internal/store/store.go
@@ -20,9 +20,14 @@
 //
 //   - No parameter binding in the Go SDK → values are inlined via the
 //     helpers in sqlquote.go.
-//   - `CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS` is not honored and `sqlrite_master`
-//     isn't queryable → migrate() probes for the events table with a
-//     SELECT and only runs DDL on a fresh database.
+//   - migrate() probes for the events table with a SELECT and only runs
+//     DDL on a fresh database. NOTE: as of SQLR-10 the engine now honors
+//     `CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS` and exposes a queryable `sqlrite_master`
+//     (and `PRAGMA table_list`), so the table-existence probe is no longer
+//     strictly required for table creation. We keep the fresh/reopen
+//     distinction because the `CREATE INDEX` below must NOT be re-issued on
+//     reopen (it's rejected once `journal_mode = mvcc`); the probe also
+//     keeps this example working against pre-SQLR-10 engine builds.
 //   - `CREATE INDEX` is rejected once `journal_mode = mvcc` → all DDL,
 //     including the optional secondary index, runs at migrate time
 //     before MVCC is switched on.
@@ -191,18 +196,18 @@ func (s *Store) Close() error {
 }
 
 // migrate creates the schema on a fresh database and is a no-op on
-// reopen. Two engine constraints (both verified against the v0 engine)
-// shape this:
+// reopen. What shapes this:
 //
-//   - `CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS` is NOT honored — a second create of
-//     an existing table errors "table already exists" — and the
-//     `sqlrite_master` catalog isn't queryable. So we detect a fresh
-//     database by probing for the events table with a cheap SELECT and
-//     only run DDL when it's absent.
+//   - We detect a fresh database by probing for the events table with a
+//     cheap SELECT and only run DDL when it's absent. As of SQLR-10 the
+//     engine honors `CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS` and exposes a queryable
+//     `sqlrite_master`, so the tables alone wouldn't need the probe — but
+//     see the next point.
 //   - `CREATE INDEX` is rejected once `journal_mode = mvcc`. All DDL
 //     (tables + the optional index) therefore runs on the fresh path,
 //     in WAL mode, *before* the MVCC switch. On reopen the index already
-//     exists, so we never re-issue it.
+//     exists, so we never re-issue it — which is why the fresh/reopen
+//     probe stays even though IF NOT EXISTS would cover the tables.
 func (s *Store) migrate(ctx context.Context) error {
 	fresh := !s.tableExists(ctx, "events")
 
@@ -260,10 +265,12 @@ func (s *Store) migrate(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// tableExists probes for a table with a zero-row SELECT. The engine has
-// no queryable catalog and rejects `CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS`, so this
-// probe is how we tell a fresh database from a reopened one. A query
-// error (the engine returns "Table '<name>' not found") means absent.
+// tableExists probes for a table with a zero-row SELECT. This is how we
+// tell a fresh database from a reopened one so the MVCC-incompatible
+// `CREATE INDEX` only runs once. A query error (the engine returns
+// "Table '<name>' not found") means absent. (As of SQLR-10 the engine
+// also exposes `sqlrite_master` and `PRAGMA table_list` for catalog
+// introspection — either could back this probe on a current engine.)
 func (s *Store) tableExists(ctx context.Context, name string) bool {
 	rows, err := s.db.QueryContext(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("SELECT id FROM %s LIMIT 1", name))
 	if err != nil {

diff --git a/src/sql/executor.rs b/src/sql/executor.rs
@@ -192,9 +192,23 @@ pub fn execute_select_rows(query: SelectQuery, db: &Database) -> Result<SelectRe
         return execute_select_rows_joined(query, db);
     }
 
-    let table = db
-        .get_table(query.table_name.clone())
-        .map_err(|_| SQLRiteError::Internal(format!("Table '{}' not found", query.table_name)))?;
+    // SQLR-10 — `SELECT … FROM sqlrite_master` introspects the catalog.
+    // The catalog isn't a live entry in `db.tables` (it's materialized at
+    // save time), so we synthesize a read-only in-memory snapshot on
+    // demand and run the normal single-table path against it. WHERE /
+    // projections / ORDER BY / LIMIT all work unchanged. Writes against
+    // sqlrite_master remain rejected (it never lands in `db.tables`), and
+    // joins against it are not supported (the joined path doesn't
+    // synthesize it).
+    let master_snapshot;
+    let table: &Table = if query.table_name == crate::sql::pager::MASTER_TABLE_NAME {
+        master_snapshot = crate::sql::pager::build_master_table_snapshot(db)?;
+        &master_snapshot
+    } else {
+        db.get_table(query.table_name.clone()).map_err(|_| {
+            SQLRiteError::Internal(format!("Table '{}' not found", query.table_name))
+        })?
+    };
 
     // SQLR-3: Materialize the projection as `Vec<ProjectionItem>` so
     // both the simple-row path and the aggregation path can iterate the