How can I embed an SQLite database into an application?

Question

I think I have some basic understanding problem so maybe someone's able to help :-)

I'm developing an Android application using Eclipse and this application will make use of a database (only reading from the database will be implemented). The database contains around 4,000 entries i.e. creating and populating the database via source code is not an option. Thus I have created the database in advance with all its records.

But how can I "embed" this database file into my application and then access it? The databse will be around 500 kB in file size. Downloading from a remote server is not an option either as this is not allowed.

Thanks, Robert

Answer 1

I solved that problem by:

1. adding file.db into project/assets folder;

2. writing next class:

   public class LinnaeusDatabase extends SQLiteOpenHelper{      private static String DATABASE_NAME = "Dragonfly.db";     public final static String DATABASE_PATH = "/data/data/com.kan.linnaeus/databases/";     private static final int DATABASE_VERSION = 1;      private SQLiteDatabase dataBase;     private final Context dbContext;      public LinnaeusDatabase(Context context) {         super(context, DBActivity.DatabaseName, null, DATABASE_VERSION);         this.dbContext = context;         DATABASE_NAME = DBActivity.DatabaseName;         // checking database and open it if exists         if (checkDataBase()) {             openDataBase();         } else         {             try {                 this.getReadableDatabase();                 copyDataBase();                 this.close();                 openDataBase();              } catch (IOException e) {                 throw new Error("Error copying database");             }             Toast.makeText(context, "Initial database is created", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();         }     }      private void copyDataBase() throws IOException{         InputStream myInput = dbContext.getAssets().open(DATABASE_NAME);         String outFileName = DATABASE_PATH + DATABASE_NAME;         OutputStream myOutput = new FileOutputStream(outFileName);          byte[] buffer = new byte[1024];         int length;         while ((length = myInput.read(buffer))>0){             myOutput.write(buffer, 0, length);         }          myOutput.flush();         myOutput.close();         myInput.close();     }      public void openDataBase() throws SQLException {         String dbPath = DATABASE_PATH + DATABASE_NAME;         dataBase = SQLiteDatabase.openDatabase(dbPath, null, SQLiteDatabase.OPEN_READWRITE);     }      private boolean checkDataBase() {         SQLiteDatabase checkDB = null;         boolean exist = false;         try {             String dbPath = DATABASE_PATH + DATABASE_NAME;             checkDB = SQLiteDatabase.openDatabase(dbPath, null,             SQLiteDatabase.OPEN_READONLY);         } catch (SQLiteException e) {             Log.v("db log", "database does't exist");         }          if (checkDB != null) {             exist = true;             checkDB.close();         }         return exist;     } }