Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile: Store Key-Value Approach
SharedPreferences, which is a component of the Android SDK, offers a straightforward interface for saving and retrieving data on Android. It can be shared across components and is accessible from anywhere within the application in question.
Similar interfaces for storing and retrieving data are provided by UserDefaults, which is a component of Apple’s iOS SDK. It can be used throughout an entire application and is typically accessed through a singleton instance.
Basic data types including Int, Float, String, Boolean, and Date are supported by both mechanisms. Even though these mechanisms are efficient for storing small amounts of data, it's important to keep in mind that they are not designed to handle complex data structures or large quantities thereof. Other storage solutions, like databases or file systems, may be more effective in those circumstances.
Assumptions
The main goal is to compare using a third-party library that provides a ready-made solution and uses the expected-actual mechanism with relying on our own solution, as well as to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each.
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platform-specific |
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Description |
Allows storage of key-value data in common code modules without any additional boilerplate code. |
The shared part delivers only interfaces for common actions (set, get, clear, etc.), with everything else done in the platform-specific part. |
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Pros Cons |
Easily understandable documentation Simple API The library is actively supported and has 934 No need to maintain the code Support for Coroutines and Flow We are dependent on the author of the library –what if support stops? Long waiting time for bug fixes |
Flexibility and ease to adapt the solution to our needs Errors can be fixed quickly The need to maintain code on two platforms A large amount of boilerplate Entry threshold into the code is higher Every additional solution requires adding implementation to each platform |
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Estimated cost |
Low |
Hight |
Conclusion
We chose to use a pre-built solution library for our Kotlin Multiplatform project after carefully weighing our options. This choice was made primarily so that our developers could concentrate on core functions without worrying about maintenance costs. The library's ease of use assures a low barrier to entry, making it simple to adopt and incorporate into our project.
