How to use an existing database with an Android application

Question

I have already created an SQLite database. I want to use this database file with my Android project. I want to bundle this database with my application.

Instead of creating a new database, how can the application gain access to this database and use it as its database?

Answer 1

Hello @kartik,

If you are having pre built data base than copy it in asset folder and create an new class as DataBaseHelper which implements SQLiteOpenHelper Than use following code:

import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.io.OutputStream;

import android.content.Context;
import android.database.Cursor;
import android.database.SQLException;
import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase;
import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteOpenHelper;

public class DataBaseHelperClass extends SQLiteOpenHelper{
 //The Android's default system path of your application database.
private static String DB_PATH = "/data/data/package_name/databases/";
// Data Base Name.
private static final String DATABASE_NAME = "DBName.sqlite";
// Data Base Version.
private static final int DATABASE_VERSION = 1;
// Table Names of Data Base.
static final String TABLE_Name = "tableName";

public Context context;
static SQLiteDatabase sqliteDataBase;

/**
 * Constructor
 * Takes and keeps a reference of the passed context in order to access to the application assets and resources.
 * @param context
 * Parameters of super() are    1. Context
 *                              2. Data Base Name.
 *                              3. Cursor Factory.
 *                              4. Data Base Version.
 */
public DataBaseHelperClass(Context context) {       
    super(context, DATABASE_NAME, null ,DATABASE_VERSION);
    this.context = context;
}

/**
 * Creates a empty database on the system and rewrites it with your own database.
 * By calling this method and empty database will be created into the default system path
 * of your application so we are gonna be able to overwrite that database with our database.
 * */
public void createDataBase() throws IOException{
    //check if the database exists
    boolean databaseExist = checkDataBase();

    if(databaseExist){
        // Do Nothing.
    }else{
        this.getWritableDatabase();         
        copyDataBase(); 
    }// end if else dbExist
} // end createDataBase().

/**
 * Check if the database already exist to avoid re-copying the file each time you open the application.
 * @return true if it exists, false if it doesn't
 */
public boolean checkDataBase(){
    File databaseFile = new File(DB_PATH + DATABASE_NAME);
    return databaseFile.exists();        
}

/**
 * Copies your database from your local assets-folder to the just created empty database in the
 * system folder, from where it can be accessed and handled.
 * This is done by transferring byte stream.
 * */
private void copyDataBase() throws IOException{ 
    //Open your local db as the input stream
    InputStream myInput = context.getAssets().open(DATABASE_NAME); 
    // Path to the just created empty db
    String outFileName = DB_PATH + DATABASE_NAME; 
    //Open the empty db as the output stream
    OutputStream myOutput = new FileOutputStream(outFileName); 
    //transfer bytes from the input file to the output file
    byte[] buffer = new byte[1024];
    int length;
    while ((length = myInput.read(buffer))>0){
        myOutput.write(buffer, 0, length);
    }

    //Close the streams
    myOutput.flush();
    myOutput.close();
    myInput.close(); 
}

/**
 * This method opens the data base connection.
 * First it create the path up till data base of the device.
 * Then create connection with data base.
 */
public void openDataBase() throws SQLException{      
    //Open the database
    String myPath = DB_PATH + DATABASE_NAME;
    sqliteDataBase = SQLiteDatabase.openDatabase(myPath, null, SQLiteDatabase.OPEN_READWRITE);  
}

/**
 * This Method is used to close the data base connection.
 */
@Override
public synchronized void close() { 
    if(sqliteDataBase != null)
        sqliteDataBase.close(); 
    super.close(); 
}

/**
* Apply your methods and class to fetch data using raw or queries on data base using 
* following demo example code as:
*/
public String getUserNameFromDB(){
    String query = "select User_First_Name From "+TABLE_USER_DETAILS;
    Cursor cursor = sqliteDataBase.rawQuery(query, null);
    String userName = null;
    if(cursor.getCount()>0){
        if(cursor.moveToFirst()){
    do{
                userName = cursor.getString(0);
            }while (cursor.moveToNext());
        }
    }
    return userName;
}


@Override
public void onCreate(SQLiteDatabase db) {
    // No need to write the create table query.
    // As we are using Pre built data base.
    // Which is ReadOnly.
}

@Override
public void onUpgrade(SQLiteDatabase db, int oldVersion, int newVersion) {
    // No need to write the update table query.
    // As we are using Pre built data base.
    // Which is ReadOnly.
    // We should not update it as requirements of application.
}   
}

Hope this will help you!!

Thank you!!