Generic persistent data storage in Android using Jetpack DataStore
Blog post from LogRocket
A modern approach to handle local data storage in Android applications involves using Jetpack DataStore over the traditional SharedPreferences API due to its asynchronous nature and thread safety, achieved through Kotlin coroutines. This method allows developers to create a generic persistent storage system, capable of storing any data type as key-value pairs, while ensuring type safety and avoiding UI thread blocking. The article provides a comprehensive guide on setting up an Android application using DataStore, including creating a storage interface, implementing various data operations, and using Koin for dependency injection to manage application preferences efficiently. The use of DataStore, combined with tools like Gson for serialization/deserialization and Koin for dependency management, offers a scalable and maintainable solution for persistent data storage, improving upon the limitations of SharedPreferences.