A sync adapter doesn't automatically communicate data to and from the cloud. It's more of a convenience class that scopes out the methods you'll need to implement in order to *synchronize* data linked to a particular user account, and do it on a regular schedule. In that way, a sync adapter ties into the synchronization infrastructure that's part of the OS.
The documentation uses content providers because the primary use case for a sync adapter is communicating data from a cloud service to and from a central repository of data on the device. The easiest way to manage such a repository is a content provider, but it's not mandatory. >From what you've said, you want to move the files from the device to the cloud. Do you want to move files from the cloud to the device, such that you can force the cloud and the device to have the same versions? Synchronization is not just moving files back and forth; it's *intelligent* movement that guarantees that two places have the same data. If you need that, then you need synchronization. Of course, even if you're *not* synchronizing, you need some sort of network transport, but if you're just sending files to the cloud then you don't need a sync adapter. The Android sync adapter framework assumes that sending data to the cloud requires authentication and authorization, which is reasonable for real-world use cases. The sync adapter is associated with a user account, so the user doesn't have to enter credentials every time a sync occurs. The rest of the work is having the sync adapter figure out what needs to be updated on the device, and then what needs to be updated on the cloud. Even if you're using files, it's easier to track the device state within a content provider. You can write a content provider that tracks metadata in tables but also has URI links to files you have stored on the device. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
