Database options for android? - android

I am a CS major and I just recently decided to start putting some of my java knowledge to use by learning how to program with Android. I have just been doing tutorials and reading some books on how to get started, but I would like to write an app and eventually release it to the app store. I have most of the ins and outs of the app figured out, but I'm not sure how to approach data storage. Part of my app will track shipping numbers and info, however, each shipment will have a pretty long list of fields (Name, ID, Address, Weight, Girth, ect.). The list in full approaches 10 items, if you include optional fields. Thats a lot of information to have a user fill out, especially if they have to do it on their phone (app is designed for small businesses, so lots of shipping for tracking). I would prefer not to have to build a sister website to hold this info for the user, so I guess my question would be, is there a service for mobile apps to use to push and pull info that a user could access through their computer? Or would it be better to use a file uploader and just format the info? I'm still an android novice, so I figured I need a little advice from the pros. Any and all advice would be appreciated, and if you know a database type service that is safe and reliable, that would help very much. Thank you!

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is it possible to program an app that receives data from an already existing app?

I'm trying to program an app using android studio that receives data (blood sugar levels) from the app tomato (which calculates blood sugar levels automatically every 5 mins or so). The tomato app already exists and is made by a company.
So I was wondering if doing this is possible. if so, how?
I saw this post: Is it possible for an Android app to use data from another app? which is very similar to what im trying to do but i didnt find an exact solution/answer to this.
Any opinions and help are very much needed and welcomed.
You would first need to know how the app is storing the data, you could check your phone's storage using the Device File Explorer in Android Studio. If they have exposed the data then you are able to check and read the files that the app has exposed. However, I have a feeling that they would not be leaving them in plain text for you to take.
Upon some further reading, it seems they read from a device called a MiaoMiao Transmitter. You could ask the producer of this product for a developer kit and see what they say. This would come with documentation as to how you can get data from the product. However, if they do not provide you with any help, you will need to do some investigation as to how the device functions.
Perhaps it sends android broadcasts when it is taking a reading? This is just speculation of course. This is very niche and I believe that is a reason there are only a few apps that use the device - they are trying to lock out "non-verified" developers. However, when there is a will, there is always a way! ;)
Best of luck!

How Would i Store OCR text into SQLite database?

I am developing a routine app to store the data of Routine posted on a notice board based on a keyword entered. For example, if you are from group A (should be certain unique keyword), Just enter the Keyword and Scan the piece of Paper and it will store the data from it to your phone.So that's the Concept.I have gotten to the point where my phone can detect text.But i am stuck on storing the data.Can any one help?
PS: I am new to android development..So please Elaborate it a bit..
first things first, this question is very broad and asks for a final solution, not really about a problem. You should learn more about Android development with tutorials and classes you can find free online.
Now, to answer some part of it, here follows a class on GitHub that accesses the database and persists some things:
https://github.com/ravi8x/AndroidSQLite/blob/master/app/src/main/java/info/androidhive/sqlite/database/DatabaseHelper.java
You have to pay attention to the code in GitHub, since it uses additional classes you can browse. I hope this is enough to help you a bit.

Android, preferred method for accessing 10,000+ record database on server

So I am in need of some assistance in trying to determine what I am going to need in order to accomplish a task.
Plain and simple...I am looking at accessing multiple databases some of which may contain over 10,000 records via Android. From what I have seen web services that return JSON is the way to go for something of this nature, but I don't think that fully answers my question or know if this is the preferred way to go about this.
Digging a bit deeper...I have a few apps on the market now, but this will be my first attempt at an enterprise style app, and I have accessed public web services with a lot smaller footprint than what this is going to be. I have little to no experience within the realm of server/network administration which is where I am getting tripped up. This is from the ground up and I have to ability to obtain almost any resources I need to complete this task.
It appears that there is a SQL Server 2008 on the back end if that helps. If I need to provide further details let me know. I am looking at a solution that will handle organizational growth, scalability, authentication and ease of user...so keep that in mind too.
So what is the best practice/preferred method for doing an enterprise application with a substantial data set? What are the big dogs doing, and how? Both on the client side and server side. I am trying not to "screw the pooch" out of the gates on this, and this is one of those measure twice and cut once situations which is why I am trying to garner plenty of input and assistance.
Thanks in advance!
If you don't have an API/service yet, you need to write one on top of your database.
I can think of two approaches, depending upon your use case.
Paging: Setup an API that supports paging, and show the results page by page. The user can't possibly view 10000 records in one go.
Search and suggest: Try creating a suggestion list, when the user starts typing out something. Fetch results that start with the initial characters entered. However, the API should limit the results to a comfortable number, so that you don't have to parse a lot.
Depending on your use case, you could try one of these.

Storing large data locally or online for Android app?

First time posting and first time working on Android, so go easy if I am breaking any rules :)
Anyways, I just got into making an Android app and I'm trying to create a simple trivia game. I plan to have many questions (hopefully about 5000+ questions) made. No data manipulation made, just straight up reading the questions and presenting it to the user. I am now faced with the dilema in how to store the questions.
I have two choices:
1.) Bundle the questions with the app: Possibly store the information in SQLite. Originally, for demo purposes, I placed the questions in an XML file, but I quickly realized how inefficient it will be once the questions start piling up. First, I am concerned if opening up such a huge XML file would suck up Android's memory. Secondly, I am worried how large the app would be if it contains 5000+ questions. I read here about the pros of XML vs SQLite. In that example, the user has 70,000 entries so maybe my 5,000 questions would be enough?
OR
2.) Host the questions on a server: I believe the upside is the app wouldn't need to be bundled with a vast amount of questions and wouldn't need to worry about the logic of opening and assembling the questions. It would just hit a PHP page and depending on the parameters sent, the PHP page would return the questions in XML format. The downside is the user would need to be online (to retrieve the questions) in order to play the game and my server would need to be up and running 24/7.
Has anyone encountered this design issue of how and where to store vast amount of data in an Android app?
Thanks, any help would be much appreciated!
From a marketing perspective, I think the right approach is #1. Just looking at the top app list, it's filled with apps that work offline. I don't know why most people fail to mention this one important criteria when they talk about marketing apps... especially in Android, where lots of people don't have a data plan. Plus, a trivia app sounds like something someone would probably use during a commute in a train as opposed to something like Facebook Chat that they'd use when they're online.
From a technical perspective, storing 5000+ questions really won't take a huge amount of space. There's this app called "MyFitnessPal". It stores maybe over 30,000 foods in a SQlite database, with nutritional information. So don't overestimate how much space it will take.
The advantage of going with #2 is if the questions or answers change often, you might want to go with that approach.
I think that the best option for you is to store the questions in SQLite.This way the users can have access to your game even if they are offline,which is one of the important things as Hisoka mentioned. So I think you should try using SQLite.

Develop client-server app for android ... where do i start?

First, let me say that I know nothing. I am reasonably intelligent, and I can learn .... but what I need to know is what exactly it is that I need to learn. Consider me a hobbyist that just got started. I have a degree in math so logic makes sense to me, but it was all abstract math so I never even used Matlab once in school.
I want to develop an application for android. I want this application to take input (text and camera images) from the user, and store that input along with certain meta-data (i.e. time of input, geo-location of device when inputted). I also want that data to be transferred to a server (I have complete admin access to a server, but haven't learned much about it yet either) and stored there in a manner which can be accessed by a desktop or web application which I will also need to develop. The android device may not always have an internet connection at the time of input (but will be taken to a wi-fi hotspot for uploading when completed), and after uploading the data to the server I will have no further need for the data on the device.
I have done a bit of research, and discovered the following gaps in my knowledge, and remedied them in the following ways:
a) I'm going to need to know how to program in android - I have worked through these tutorials at developer.android.com, purchased and partly read this book(1), and just purchased this book(2).
b) I believe I am going to need to know something about JSON - I have just purchased this book(3), after reading just a little bit about JSON on the web.
c) I will need to learn what I need to with the server to prepare it for the data - No idea where to start.
d) I will need to decide how to access the data, and learn how to develop whatever it is. - No idea where to start.
I am not able to post multiple links, so I have moved all the books down here ...
1 google.com/search?q=isbn+9780321741233
2 google.com/search?q=isbn+9780321749673
3 google.com/search?q=isbn+9780470526910
My question(s):
If this was your project, how would you go about doing this? What languages will I have to learn? Can you recommend any books, online tutorials, etc. for each of those languages in the way that they would apply to my project?
Thank you for taking the time to read my query, and thank you for any help you may provide.
Book: Pro Android 2. I have it, I've read it, and it shows you how to do just about everything. I bought it for the sole purpose of developing a client/server application in Android, and I completed the app in two weeks.

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