Question

I use standard android ContentProvider and CursorLoader from support library.
I am looking for best approach for obtain information about what has changed in database.

I know that I can read and compare cursor in function:

@Override
public void onLoadFinished(Loader<Cursor> loader, Cursor cursor) {
}

but reading all records is probably not good solution.

Do you know good solution for this problem?

Answer 1

If you use a content provider, you abstract away all the changes made to the underlying database by implementing CRUD methods to insert, update, delete or retrieve an item in the database.

Sending a broadcast from the methods which you are interested would be an option to get notified of the changes being made to the database.

I recall that I had used this method to count the number of items added to the database during a refresh cycle.

Optionally you can send the Uri of the changed item as an intent extra to get a reference to the row in the database that has been changed.

Additionally you can declare a global variable to enable or disable these broadcasts to fire only during situations of interest to us.