SharedPreferences is a way for Android apps to keep small pieces of information. It's like a simple box where you can store and get things easily using key-value pairs.
Here’s what types of data you can store in SharedPreferences:
Because of how it works, SharedPreferences isn't the best choice for storing complicated things like lists or objects. However, developers can overcome this by changing complex data into a simple format called JSON, which they can store in SharedPreferences.
A survey from 2021 by Stack Overflow showed that around 63% of Android developers use SharedPreferences for storing light data. But, only about 25% of those developers think it’s good for keeping more than just basic info.
When developers need to store more complicated data, they often choose:
SQLite: This is a small but powerful database that helps manage more complicated relationships between data. As of 2022, over 71% of Android apps use SQLite for handling data.
Room: This is a simpler way to use SQLite that was created to help developers work with databases more easily. It can handle more complex data structures and is used in about 48% of modern Android apps.
In short, SharedPreferences is great for saving simple pieces of information. But it struggles with more complex types of data. If developers want to store complicated structures, SQLite or Room are better options that give them more choices and better tools for managing data.
SharedPreferences is a way for Android apps to keep small pieces of information. It's like a simple box where you can store and get things easily using key-value pairs.
Here’s what types of data you can store in SharedPreferences:
Because of how it works, SharedPreferences isn't the best choice for storing complicated things like lists or objects. However, developers can overcome this by changing complex data into a simple format called JSON, which they can store in SharedPreferences.
A survey from 2021 by Stack Overflow showed that around 63% of Android developers use SharedPreferences for storing light data. But, only about 25% of those developers think it’s good for keeping more than just basic info.
When developers need to store more complicated data, they often choose:
SQLite: This is a small but powerful database that helps manage more complicated relationships between data. As of 2022, over 71% of Android apps use SQLite for handling data.
Room: This is a simpler way to use SQLite that was created to help developers work with databases more easily. It can handle more complex data structures and is used in about 48% of modern Android apps.
In short, SharedPreferences is great for saving simple pieces of information. But it struggles with more complex types of data. If developers want to store complicated structures, SQLite or Room are better options that give them more choices and better tools for managing data.