> 1) I have a 1.9MB text file that I need to read and spit into a database.
That's, um, big. > This means that I will now have the 1.9MB text file (or files if I split) > plus the storage for the database, thus almost doubling the footprint of > my > app. Yup. > 2) Due to the higher footprint of my app, it is more likely to be purged > by > users who are scarce on space. Yup. > 3) I could have the database already created and have the app download it > from my server, however bandwidth costs money. For you, not really -- Amazon S3 would cost you a fraction of a penny per download. For users using a metered data plan, it's a far bigger issue. > Also, I'd probably gzip > the > database in this instance and still need to uncompress the database file > when it gets plopped onto the SD card. However, you get the benefits of the ordinary file (for easier unGZIPping) and you can then delete it when you're done. > 4) If I put the database on the SD card, I have to rely on the user a) > having a SD card and b) the user not having a SD card full of Brittany > Spears and other cruft. Yup. > I guess these are just the growing pains of my app and these are things we > are increasingly going to have to deal with. I've just been going back > and > forth amongst these options not really liking any of them. Another option is not to download it at all, but to implement a Web service that holds the data, that your app calls to. Another another option is a hybrid: the Web service route is the default, but the users can choose an "offline" option that downloads the file and sticks it on their SD card. If their SD card is missing or full, you disable that option. > It seems like > the growing advice on this list is to store the larger stuff on the SD > card > and have the user download it when the application first runs in order to > maintain a smaller internal memory application footprint. Yup. -- Mark Murphy (a Commons Guy) http://commonsware.com Android App Developer Books: http://commonsware.com/books.html -- 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
