What are SharedPreferences?

Picture this: You’re developing an app, and you need to save user settings or preferences. SharedPreferences is your go-to solution! It allows you to store key-value pairs in simple text files on the device.

Why Use SharedPreferences?

Imagine a light bulb that stays on even after you’ve turned off the switch – that’s what SharedPreferences does for your app data! It ensures that user preferences are retained even when the app is closed or restarted.

How to Access SharedPreferences in Android Studio

To access SharedPreferences, first, navigate to your project’s AndroidManifest.xml. Register an activity to handle preference changes:

<activity android:name=".SettingsActivity">
       <intent-filter>
           <action android:name="android.settings.ACTION_APPLICATION_PREFERENCES" />
           <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
       </intent-filter>
   </activity>

Next, create a SettingsActivity to manage your preferences. Here’s a simple example:

<?php 
   SharedPreferences sharedPreferences = getSharedPreferences("MyPref", Context.MODE_PRIVATE);
   SharedPreferences.Editor editor = sharedPreferences.edit();



   // To save data
   editor.putString("key", "value");
   editor.apply();
   // To retrieve data
   String value = sharedPreferences.getString("key", "");
   ?>

Wrapping Up

SharedPreferences: The unsung hero of Android development! It’s like having a secret drawer where you can store your app’s secrets – user preferences, settings, and more.