--- /dev/null
+# Backend Database Specification
+
+The backend will use sqlite to store all state for storing players (and their
+IDs, and paired state), and games in progress.
+
+## Table definitions
+
+```
+// enable foreign_keys restrictions
+PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON;
+
+// fields should be self explanatory for the players table
+CREATE TABLE players (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY NOT NULL,
+ date_added TEXT NOT NULL,
+ game_id INTEGER,
+ FOREIGN KEY(game_id) REFERENCES games(id));
+
+// "cyan_player" and "magenta_player" should correspond to an existing entry in
+// table "players".
+
+// "board" is as explained in backend_protocol_specification.md
+
+// "status" is "0" for cyan's turn, "1" for magenta's turn, "2" for cyan won,
+// "3" for magenta won, "4" for draw.
+
+CREATE TABLE games (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY ASC AUTOINCREMENT NOT NULL,
+ cyan_player INTEGER UNIQUE NOT NULL,
+ magenta_player INTEGER UNIQUE NOT NULL,
+ date_changed TEXT NOT NULL,
+ board TEXT NOT NULL,
+ status INTEGER NOT NULL,
+ FOREIGN KEY(cyan_player) REFERENCES players (id),
+ FOREIGN KEY(magenta_player) REFERENCES players (id));
+```
+
+"date" entries are used for garbage collection of the database. A predefined
+length of time will be used to cleanup stale entries. Whenever an entry in the
+"games" table is updated, the "date" entry will be updated as well.