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androidxmlstoring-data

Using XML to store data

I am looking to use an XML file to store the data my Android app generates. With that in mind, I have two questions for the community:

  1. Is XML the best way to store data on Android and most efficient in cases where data may be added or altered every second or less then a second.

  2. If XML is indeed the best for the scenario described in #1, how do I go about setting it up?

Solution

  • 1.) Is XML the best way to database data on android and most efficient in cases where data may be added or altered every second or less then a second.

    Definitely not.

    2.) If XML is indeed the best for the scenario described in #1, how do I go about setting it up?

    If you plan to store data just locally, the best way would be SQLite which works as a local database on every device.

    If you later plan to synchronize this data with a central database, you may do this asynchronously within an AsyncTask or a Thread which would run periodically, but writing each second into a XML file is a bad idea as far as performance goes.

    It's probably also a bad idea synchronizing a remote database at each insert/modification/deletion operation as if you had many users you could collapse the remote database.

    I think the best approach is (as previously said) having a local database where you would store that data, and implement a webservice in the remote side if needed and use it to periodically synchronize both databases.