Tag: backup

Backing up, importing and restoring databases on Android

If your Android application has a database and you want your users to be able to backup the database and restore it as they see fit, you’ll need to mess about with database files.

Below is a class called DbExportImport. Once you’ve set it up with the correct values, all you need to do is call exportDb(), importDb() or restoreDb() from your application to perform the necessary operations.

This is also useful as a temporary measure when changing your package name or key for application signing, as your application will be newly installed and you will lose your database.

I have only left in a few comments, so for any clarification, leave a comment and I’ll make it a little clearer.

Backup, import and restore database options added to Quotation Keeper

I’ve just added backup, import and restore capabilities to Quotation Keeper.

Now if you change or format your device, or even want to send your entire database to another person, you only need to back up your database to your SD card and restore again when you’re ready.

The difference between import and restore is simple:

If you import, you will add entries from the backed-up database to your existing database. If you restore, you will replace your own database with the backed-up one.

Updating files and folders to Android device with one click via adb

I like to keep an updated copy of certain files on my Android phone at all times, such as the latest copy of certain code so I can look at it when I’m on the train.

I’ve done it in quite a few different ways:

  • Mount SD card as a removable storage device via USB
  • Run an FTP server on my phone and transfer files over wifi
  • Bluetooth file transfer

But these are all tedious because they’re all manual and they take too long.

Then I realised that ADB push and ADB shell are run from the command line/terminal, which means I can run a batch script. (A batch script is a text file with commands written that all run one after another in the command line)

Now all I need to do is click the file on my desktop and the files get updated within a fraction of a second on my phone.

So here’s an example version of my batch file that automatically updates a folder on my phone:

‘rm -r’ delete the folder and everything in it.

‘mkdir’ creates a folder by that name.

‘push’ copies the folder contents from the first argument to the second argument.

Note for those running emulators on their computers: Add ‘-d’ after the word adb on each line to send the commands to a device and not an emulator.

All that’s left is to write it up in Notepad and save it as Filename.bat. After that, just double-click the file and the operation should run in a fraction of a second.