The basics of Android ContentProvider and contentResolver

ContentProvider and ContentResolver in Android are two important components in the Android framework used for implementing data sharing between applications.

ContentProvider is a component in Android used to provide data to external sources. It offers a standard interface for other applications to access data, allowing them to query, insert, update, and delete data within the ContentProvider using a ContentResolver. Additionally, ContentProvider can manage various types of data such as files, databases, and network data.

ContentProvider must inherit from the abstract class provided by Android, ContentProvider, and implement essential methods such as query(), insert(), update(), and delete(). When these methods are called by ContentResolver, ContentProvider is responsible for handling the corresponding data operations.

The ContentResolver is a component in Android used to access data in a ContentProvider, providing a standard set of interfaces for applications to query, insert, update, and delete data in the ContentProvider. The ContentResolver can specify the ContentProvider and specific data to operate on using a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

By using specific methods of ContentResolver, such as query(), insert(), update(), and delete(), applications are able to manipulate data in a ContentProvider. ContentResolver will locate the corresponding ContentProvider based on the URI and call the necessary method to process the data.

Using ContentProvider and ContentResolver allows for data sharing and interaction between applications, boosting the scalability and flexibility of the applications. However, it is important to note that data sharing through ContentProvider requires permission management to ensure the security of the data.