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Program which will run only once and perform SQLite database set up on Android

Am a newbie to android development. I would like to have suggestions for setting up database during installation and populate the data in the tables.
As tables creation, data population in tables is a one time process which will be done during App installation, how can we write a program which will meet this requirement.
Thanks in advance!

You cannot setup database during installation. You can however do one of two things:
Ship your application with a ready made database.
Have your database created for you the first time it is needed.
If you prefer to go with option 1, you should extend an application class and have your databases created for you on the onCreate() call there. Refer to this for help. If you want to use option 2, you should understand the database lifecycle, most important thing being, when you are trying to access your database but it is not there, the system calls the onCreate() method of the class that extends SQLiteOpenHelper class. Refer to this url.

How to delete re-create tables in a SQLite database from Android when an application is started?

I am building an application which has a database with two tables created internally using SQLiteOpenHelper.When ever the application is running,it receives some data and saves it into the tables.What I want is to clear the data tables when ever the application is started?
I looked into this post How can I clear an SQLite database each time I start my application? which is not clear of how to use application.

SQLiteOpenHelper has the ability of creating in-memory databases if you pass the constructor a null name. Probably this is what you are looking for.
For example:
SQLiteOpenHelper sqloh = new SQLiteOpenHelper(context, null, null, 1);
SQLiteDatabase sqldb = sqloh.getWritableDatabase();
will create an in-memory db.

SqliteDatabase uses the method openOrCreate(...) which opens a database if it exist and creates and opens it when it doesn't exist. see docs based on that you could just delete the database file that is created before you do any database calls so that a new one is created each time.
This SO question gives the location of the file: Location of sqlite database on the device
There other route would be just to delete the data in the tables when the application starts by executing a sqlite query:
DELETE FROM your_table
My only thought would be do you really need a database if you are going to delete it every time the application starts. If you are not updating the data then why not just "cache" a json file with the data. The GSON library is awesome for taking json and converting it to java object with very little code, going to be less code than working with sqlite. But the recommendation comes from not having the big picture for what you are trying to accomplish. You then would just delete the json file(s) when the app starts instead of the db file.

What Android sqlite does?

I'm developing a sqlite database in my android application. I need it can grow easily, so I need that in future upgrades, I could change the database, etc.
I want to know if when I change the data base version in the sqlite creation method, it creates a new file of the database. If it does, then, in the onUpgrade I should migrate all the data, isn't it?
In conclusion, what onCreate does exactly? Does it create a new file of the database? Or does it modify the actually one?
I'm asking this because I dont want that the onCreate creates a new file... I want to alter the actual data base only.
Thanks

OnCreate is only called when a database needs to be created for the first time.
OnUpgrade is called if the database already exists and the version numbers do not match. You should use OnUpgrade to alter your database from the old version to the new version.

I am assuming you are referring to OnCreate method in SQLiteOpenHelper. It gets called when you request for a writable or readable database and the the database needs to be created. We do not call the oncreate method directly. So if a database is already existing and we request for a writeable or readable database --- no new database gets created.
Refer to these links for more information
http://developer.android.com/reference/android/database/sqlite/SQLiteOpenHelper.html
http://developer.android.com/resources/tutorials/notepad/index.html

android sqlite on application update

I hava an android application which consists sqlite database in the assets folder.
In the DB I have several tables, which one of them is user data (which is updated over time by using the application - when the user installs the application this table is empty).
The other tables store data that I update.
The question is: when a user gets an updated version of my application (with sqlite database in the assets folder) from the market, I need to keep the data the user updated by using the application, but i do want to update the other tables (which consist my data).
What is the correct way to do it?
Thank You :)

Keep a version number for each change and implement the onUpgrade method for the possible combinations. See more in the javadoc for SQLiteOpenHelper

Since you said your tables are empty when the Database is first created, it shouldn't be necessary to add the Database from the /assets-folder.
Instead, you can use a SQLiteOpenHelper, which offers an onCreate()-method that can do the initial table-creation (an add some example data if necessary).
If you then update your app, you simply increase the Database-version and the onUpgrade()-method is called, where you can then perform the Database update.
See this other question: Run some code when user update my app
If your app comes with a huge Database and inserting entry's in the SQLiteOpenHelper isn't the right way to go, you can still check if the Database already exists and then do the updating (through the onUpgrade()-method) and keep the users data.

SQLiteOpenHelper, when is onCreate called

I'm toying with the Android SDK, with a view to writting a simple app for friends (and maybe for sale).
This app will search a database for keywords and dispaly the results on the screen, I've had a look at the searchabul dictonary and the notepad demo applications, but I'm still a bit unsure some things.
I know I need to write a class that extends the SQLiteOpenHelper, and use that to create the database, however how do I check if the database already exists?
Does onCreate get called on installation or every time an instance of the class is created? is the easyist way just to try and add the database each time and catch any errors (feels a little dangerous to be makeing the assumption every error will be due to the database already existing).
Thanks in Advance.

Your SQLiteOpenHelper will handle the creation of the database. Once the db has been created on the users phone SQliteHelper will be happy until you change the database version number.
As long as you put your db creation code in the onCreate method of a SQLiteOpenHelper you will be fine.
Have a look at the onUpgrade method from the Notepad demo as you need to write some code that handles what happens when your db tries to upgrade itself (it will do this when you change the db version number)

Whenever you call helper.getWritableDatabase() , onCreate method is called.