Question

I’m wondering about one thing : I want to ask the user while first install my application where to save the data which will he receive after the first sync – on sd card or phone memory and let him to move the files if he first decide to store them in phone memory,but after that he decide to move them to sd card. My question is, which is the best way to remember his choice and build my logic depending on that. I was thinking about using SharedPreferences to save users choice :

   editor.putBoolean("isSdCard",true);
   editor.putBoolean("isPhoneMemory", false);

and after that use this booleans everywhere where I need to get the files, to get first the storage and then get the files.

Any other suggestions which will be a better solution in my case?

Answer 1

I don’t know much of your App but if the following things apply to your app I may have another solution.

• Your App can be move to the SD-Card entirely.
• The data that is downloaded temporary, that means if the user wants to delete it it won’t harm the app and the user can reload the data later.
• It is not important that the user has access to the data via an external file browser

If this is the case get rid of the option. Options are always distracting the user from the main use of the app. Just set your install location to auto and let the user decide where to put your app. Now save the data to the cacheDir of your app.

The pros of this approach are:

• The cache will be located on the SD-Card if the app is on the SD-Card and in internal memory if the app is in internal memory.
• Furthermore the data is cleanly removed if the user deletes the App. If data is saved on the SD-Card there is no way to delete this data once the app gets deleted by the user.
• The user sees how much memory your app is using in the applications setting panel.
• If the user needs memory she can delete all files that are declared as not important by you through the applications setting panel without accidentally deleting important files like settings