Lesson 9:

App architecture
(persistence)

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About this lesson
Lesson 9: App architecture (persistence)
● Storing data
● Room persistence library
● Asynchronous programming
● Coroutines
● Testing databases
● Summary

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 Storing data

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Ways to store data in an Android app

● App-specific storage
● Shared storage (files to be shared with other apps)
● Preferences
● Databases

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What is a database?

Collection of structured data that can be easily accessed,

searched, and organized, consisting of:
Example Database
● Tables
person car
● Rows
_id _id
name make
● Columns age model
email year

5
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Structured Query Language (SQL)
Use SQL to access and modify a relational database.

● Create new tables

● Query for data
● Insert new data
● Update data
● Delete data

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SQLite in Android

Store data

Your app

SQLite database

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Example SQLite commands

Create
INSERT INTO colors VALUES ("red", "#FF0000");

Read
SELECT * from colors;

Update
UPDATE colors SET hex="#DD0000" WHERE name="red";

Delete
DELETE FROM colors WHERE name = "red";

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Interacting directly with a database

● No compile-time verification of raw SQL queries

● Need lots of boilerplate code to convert between
SQL queries data objects

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Room persistence library

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Add Gradle dependencies
dependencies {
implementation "androidx.room:room-runtime:$room_version"
kapt "androidx.room:room-compiler:$room_version"

// Kotlin Extensions and Coroutines support for Room

implementation "androidx.room:room-ktx:$room_version"

// Test helpers
testImplementation "androidx.room:room-testing:$room_version"
}

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Room

Rest of the app code

Color("#FF0000", "red")
Room

Colors Data access object Color("#4CAF50", "green")

database
Color("#1155CC", "blue")

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ColorValue app

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Room

● Entity Color
● DAO ColorDao
● Database ColorDatabase

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Color class

data class Color {

val hex: String,
val name: String
}

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Annotations

● Provide extra information to the compiler

@Entity marks entity class, @Dao for DAO, @Database for database
● Can take parameters

@Entity(tableName = "colors")
● Can autogenerate code for you

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Entity

Class that maps to a SQLite database table

● @Entity
● @PrimaryKey
● @ColumnInfo

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Example entity

@Entity(tableName = "colors")
colors
data class Color {
_id
@PrimaryKey(autoGenerate = true) val _id: Int, hex_color
name
@ColumnInfo(name = "hex_color") val hex: String,
val name: String
}

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Data access object (DAO)

Work with DAO classes instead of accessing database directly:

● Define database interactions in the DAO.
● Declare DAO as an interface or abstract class.
● Room creates DAO implementation at compile time.
● Room verifies all of your DAO queries at compile-time.

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Example DAO
@Dao
interface ColorDao {
@Query("SELECT * FROM colors")
fun getAll(): Array<Color>
@Insert
fun insert(vararg color: Color)
@Update
fun update(color: Color)
@Delete
fun delete(color: Color)

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Query
@Dao
interface ColorDao {

@Query("SELECT * FROM colors")

fun getAll(): Array<Color>

@Query("SELECT * FROM colors WHERE name = :name")

fun getColorByName(name: String): LiveData<Color>

@Query("SELECT * FROM colors WHERE hex_color = :hex")

fun getColorByHex(hex: String): LiveData<Color>

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Insert

@Dao
interface ColorDao {
...

@Insert
fun insert(vararg color: Color)

...
}

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Update

@Dao
interface ColorDao {
...

@Update
fun update(color: Color)

...
}

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Delete

@Dao
interface ColorDao {
...

@Delete
fun delete(color: Color)

...
}

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Create a Room database

● Annotate class with @Database and include list of entities:

@Database(entities = [Color::class], version = 1)

● Declare abstract class that extends RoomDatabase:

abstract class ColorDatabase : RoomDatabase() {

○ Declare abstract method with no args that returns the DAO:

abstract fun colorDao(): ColorDao

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Example Room database
@Database(entities = [Color::class], version = 1)
abstract class ColorDatabase : RoomDatabase() {
abstract fun colorDao(): ColorDao
companion object {
@Volatile
private var INSTANCE: ColorDatabase? = null
fun getInstance(context: Context): ColorDatabase {
...
}
}
...

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Create database instance
fun getInstance(context: Context): ColorDatabase {
return INSTANCE ?: synchronized(this) {
INSTANCE ?: Room.databaseBuilder(
context.applicationContext,
ColorDatabase::class.java, "color_database"
)
.fallbackToDestructiveMigration()
.build()
.also { INSTANCE = it }
}
}

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Get and use a DAO

Get the DAO from the database:

val colorDao = ColorDatabase.getInstance(application).colorDao()

Create new Color and use DAO to insert it into database:

val newColor = Color(hex = "#6200EE", name = "purple")
colorDao.insert(newColor)

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Asynchronous
programming

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Long-running tasks

● Download information
● Sync with a server
● Write to a file
● Heavy computation
● Read from, or write to, a database

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Need for async programming

● Limited time to do tasks and remain responsive

● Balanced with the need to execute long-running tasks
● Control over how and where tasks are executed

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Async programming on Android

● Threading
● Callbacks
● Plus many other options

What is the recommended way?

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 Coroutines

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Coroutines

● Keep your app responsive while managing long-running tasks.

● Simplify asynchronous code in your Android app.
● Write code in sequential way
● Handle exceptions with try/catch block

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Benefits of coroutines

● Lightweight
● Fewer memory leaks
● Built-in cancellation support
● Jetpack integration

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Suspend functions

● Add suspend modifier

● Must be called by other suspend functions or coroutines

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Suspend and resume

● suspend
Pauses execution of current coroutine and saves local variables
● resume
Automatically loads saved state and continues execution from
the point the code was suspended

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Example

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Add suspend modifier to DAO methods
@Dao
interface ColorDao {
@Query("SELECT * FROM colors")
suspend fun getAll(): Array<Color>
@Insert
suspend fun insert(vararg color: Color)
@Update
suspend fun update(color: Color)
@Delete
suspend fun delete(color: Color)

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Control where coroutines run

Dispatcher Description of work Examples of work

Dispatchers.Main UI and nonblocking Updating LiveData, calling
(short) tasks suspend functions
Dispatchers.IO Network and disk tasks Database, file IO
Dispatchers.Default CPU intensive Parsing JSON

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withContext
suspend fun get(url: String) {

// Start on Dispatchers.Main

withContext(Dispatchers.IO) {
// Switches to Dispatchers.IO
// Perform blocking network IO here
}

// Returns to Dispatchers.Main
}

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CoroutineScope
Coroutines must run in a CoroutineScope:
● Keeps track of all coroutines started in it (even suspended ones)
● Provides a way to cancel coroutines in a scope
● Provides a bridge between regular functions and coroutines
Examples: GlobalScope
ViewModel has viewModelScope
Lifecycle has lifecycleScope

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Start new coroutines

● launch - no result needed

fun loadUI() {
launch {
fetchDocs()
}
}

● async - can return a result

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ViewModelScope

class MyViewModel: ViewModel() {

init {
viewModelScope.launch {
// Coroutine that will be canceled
// when the ViewModel is cleared
}
}
...

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Example viewModelScope

class ColorViewModel(val dao: ColorDao, application: Application)

: AndroidViewModel(application) {

fun save(color: Color) {

viewModelScope.launch {
colorDao.insert(color)
}
}

...

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Testing databases

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 Add Gradle dependencies
android {
defaultConfig {
...
testInstrumentationRunner "androidx.test.runner
.AndroidJUnitRunner"
testInstrumentationRunnerArguments clearPackageData: 'true'
}
}
dependencies {
testImplementation 'junit:junit:4.12'
androidTestImplementation 'androidx.test.ext:junit:1.1.0'
androidTestImplementation 'androidx.test.espresso:espresso-core:3.1.1'
}

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Testing Android code

● @RunWith(AndroidJUnit4::class)
● @Before
● @After
● @Test

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Create test class
@RunWith(AndroidJUnit4::class)
class DatabaseTest {

private lateinit val colorDao: ColorDao

private lateinit val db: ColorDatabase

private val red = Color(hex = "#FF0000", name = "red")

private val green = Color(hex = "#00FF00", name = "green")
private val blue = Color(hex = "#0000FF", name = "blue")

...

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Create and close database for each test
In DatabaseTest.kt:
@Before
fun createDb() {
val context: Context = ApplicationProvider.getApplicationContext()
db = Room.inMemoryDatabaseBuilder(context, ColorDatabase::class.java)
.allowMainThreadQueries()
.build()
colorDao = db.colorDao()
}
@After
@Throws(IOException::class)
fun closeDb() = db.close()

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Test insert and retrieve from a database

In DatabaseTest.kt:
@Test
@Throws(Exception::class)
fun insertAndRetrieve() {
colorDao.insert(red, green, blue)
val colors = colorDao.getAll()
assert(colors.size == 3)
}

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 Summary

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Summary
In Lesson 9, you learned how to:
● Set up and configure a database using the Room library
● Use coroutines for asynchronous programming
● Use coroutines with Room
● Test a database

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Learn more
● 7 Pro-tips for Room
● Room Persistence Library
● SQLite Home Page
● Save data using SQLite
● Coroutines Guide
● Dispatchers - kotlinx-coroutines-core
● Coroutines on Android (part I): Getting the background
● Coroutines on Android (part II): Getting started
● Easy Coroutines in Android: viewModelScope
● Kotlin Coroutines 101
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Pathway

Practice what you’ve learned by

completing the pathway:
Lesson 9: App architecture(persistence)

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