JSON file VS SQLite android

Question

I will develop an android application with a lot of data (json files with some rows and CSV for graphics data with a lot of rows) , this data change every 5 minutes and replaces all the previous data (or mostly).

What are the best approaches to design this ? I have 2 options:

• Save all the data in a sqlite db, and sync this by a IntentService.

• save the data in json and csv files and replace this every 5 minutes.

Which approach will the best performance? This considering the time to parse the files, sorting data, the download time and the consistency of data.

any other ideas?

PD:I need a cache system too, in case if i don't have internet and I need the previous stored data

Solution 1

Sqlite is mostly used when you want data to be saved and used in future. In your case data is changing every 5 minutes so its better to have JSON because every time to make the Database connection store and retrieve after 5 minutes will take some time.

UPDATE:

I also had the same Application in which the data was changing every time. In that case I used Map<K, V> and ArrayList to maintain the values, because as the data is changing everytime I think its not feasible to store the data in Sqlite everytime. It needs much time to perform DB Connection store, retrieve, update the data in Sqlite.

Solution 2

Advantages of SQLite:

• Changes are ACID
• You can make complex requests faster (e.g. "give me only fields A,B from items with (C/D)>E")
• I would bet more compact for big data (integers are stored as integers instead of a string of individual digit)
• Only one file
• You can merge old data with new data easily
• You can update current data, even while using it
• Concurrency can be handled

Advantages for JSON/CSV:

• Easier to debug (plain text)
• Faster to make a whole update (copy the new file + delete the old one)

For the original question the whole delete/replace of the data makes JSON/CSV the winner.

However, if the application was to retrieve partial data every 10s and merge/update it with the previous one, SQLite would be a better option.

Solution 3

I recommend using JSON or some type of object serialisation unless:

• You need ACID compliance for write operations
• You need to report against the data which may involve copying the data to an external RDBMS or
• You wish to join those complicit in the overuse / abuse of databases, as commonly seen nowadays

Comments

[Rodrigo Amaro Reveco]

I need a cache system too, in case if i don't have internet and i need the previous stored data

[PravinCG]

that is fine do not overwrite/delete data unless you get the new data in correct format. This way your old data would continue to be in memory and being used.

[SPB]

Hmmm....someone backed me up on this, presumably on the last point also. Perhaps I need to start a movement. Anyway, good old object serialisation is often the way to go.

[Lou Morda]

REST is used to send and receive data between server and client. JSON and SQLite both store data. But yes you can Post JSON data with RESTful methods faster.

[Vahid Amiri]

JSON is used for storing data as well.

[apramc]

Json is actually very commonly used for storing data, SQLite is better if the data can be broken to multiple separate tables with connection.

[Nikolai Ehrhardt]

Its also possible to send sqlite db-files via http...

[Zoe stands with Ukraine]

"is used send and receive data between server and client" - it's also a popular storage format, but typically not database-grade storage. Yet, databases like MongoDB do in fact use JSON for database-grade data storage. The first point is blatantly wrong and an extreme oversimplification of JSON's role