Prepopulate SQLite DataBase in PhoneGap Application

It is really hard to wait for too much time when a phonegap application runs for first time and create all its database stuff, which gives a really bad impression to the user who just downloaded the app for its iPhone or Android device. I have a little approach to save the long time taken for database creation at very first run of the app, that is; we should copy a Pre-Populated Database file to the native location of device.

You can create a basic database for app with the help of tools like SQLite Database Browser or if you already have a database in your app you can directly get the database files (you need Databases.db and file__0/0000000000000001.db files) from the following ways:


In case of Android: in File Explore(in Eclipse) go to  data > data > [YOUR APP NAME] > app_database

In case of iOS: go to Finder (in MAC) go to Library > Application Support > iPhone Simulator > [YOUR SIMULATOR VERSION] > Applications > [YOUR UNIQUE APP ID] > Library > WebKit > Databases

NOTE: for iOS and Android apps both of files are same we don't need to grab both files for same phonegap apps.


With these files all what you need to do is; just put them in to bundle of app that is assets folder in case of Android and Root folder in case of iOS.

in Eclipse:	in XCode:

Now you have to copy the files at the native location of application at the time of first boot of application, and make sure that the files should copy before your very first SQLite query. To copy these files you can use the following code snippet based on your environment. JAVA (Android)

//Use this code in your bootstrapping steps like in onCreate()
        try
     {
         String pName = this.getClass().getPackage().getName();
         this.copy("Databases.db","/data/data/"+pName+"/app_database/");
   this.copy("0000000000000001.db","/data/data/"+pName+"/app_database/file__0/");
 }
     catch (IOException e)
 {
  e.printStackTrace();
 }


        //Copy Paste this function in the class where you used above part
 void copy(String file, String folder) throws IOException 
 {

  File CheckDirectory;
  CheckDirectory = new File(folder);
  if (!CheckDirectory.exists())
  { 
   CheckDirectory.mkdir();
  }

     InputStream in = getApplicationContext().getAssets().open(file);
     OutputStream out = new FileOutputStream(folder+file);

     // Transfer bytes from in to out
     byte[] buf = new byte[1024];
     int len; while ((len = in.read(buf)) > 0) out.write(buf, 0, len);
     in.close(); out.close();
     
 }

Objective C (iOS)

//For PhoneGapDelegate.m
- (void)webViewDidStartLoad:(UIWebView *)theWebView 
{
 NSString *databaseName = @"0000000000000001.db";
 NSString *masterName = @"Databases.db"; 
 
 NSArray *libraryPaths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSLibraryDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
 NSString *libraryDir = [libraryPaths objectAtIndex:0];
 
 NSString *masterPath = [libraryDir stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"WebKit/Databases/"];
 NSString *databasePath = [libraryDir stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"WebKit/Databases/file__0/"];
 NSString *masterFile = [masterPath stringByAppendingPathComponent:masterName];
 NSString *databaseFile = [databasePath stringByAppendingPathComponent:databaseName];

 BOOL success;
 NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
 
 success = [fileManager fileExistsAtPath:databasePath];
 if(success) return;
 
 NSString *databasePathFromApp = [[[NSBundle mainBundle] resourcePath] stringByAppendingPathComponent:databaseName];
 NSString *masterPathFromApp = [[[NSBundle mainBundle] resourcePath] stringByAppendingPathComponent:masterName];
 
 [fileManager createDirectoryAtPath:databasePath withIntermediateDirectories:YES attributes:nil error:NULL];
 [fileManager copyItemAtPath:databasePathFromApp toPath:databaseFile error:nil];
 [fileManager copyItemAtPath:masterPathFromApp toPath:masterFile error:nil];
 [fileManager release];
}