Android connection to Mysql

Question

Well, I got a free hosting from the site Hostinger

Ai configurei o Mysql certinho la, but would like to know if it is possible for my android application to connect to this database? and if yes how would I do that? would I have to use webservice? I would connect without using it?

The only information the hosting provides me:

Mysql, Mysql User and Mysql Host Database and in the tutorial I was following it requires the following variables:

Url: jdbc:mysql://<ip>:<porta>/<database>";

Answer 1

Well, the best suited for this situation would be for you to create a web service, as you cannot access a Mysql database of Android applications, natively.

Create a web service, which makes the CRUD features of your database, and use through HTTP requests in your Android application, communicating them through data in JSON format.

Example:

php connection.

    <?php
        $mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "user", "password", "database");
        if ($mysqli->connect_errno) {
            echo "Falha ao conectar: (" . $mysqli->connect_errno . ") " . $mysqli->connect_error;
        } else {
            echo "Conectou!";
        }     
        mysql_close();

Activity.java

try{
    HttpClient httpclient = new DefaultHttpClient();
    HttpPost httppost = new HttpPost("http://example.com/conexao.php");
    HttpPost.setEntity(new UrlEncodedFormEntity(nameValuePairs));
    HttpResponse response = httpclient.execute(httppost);
    HttpEntity entity = response.getEntity();
    InputStream is = entity.getContent();
}catch(Exception e){
    Log.e("log_tag", "Error in http connection "+e.toString());
}

Reference: Connect Android with Mysql

Answer 2

Below is a simple tutorial on how to create a simple web service. PHP will be responsible for performing CRUD and giving a response via json. Your java code will "point" to this file and get the answer via Jsonobject.

SOURCE - http://www.androidhive.info/2012/05/how-to-connect-android-with-php-mysql/

Create a database with this table:

CREATE TABLE products(
pid int(11) primary key auto_increment,
name varchar(100) not null,
price decimal(10,2) not null,
description text,
created_at timestamp default now(),
updated_at timestamp
);

Now we should create the database settings in PHP:

db_config.php

<?php

/*
 * All database connection variables
 */

define('DB_USER', "root"); // db user
define('DB_PASSWORD', ""); // db password (mention your db password here)
define('DB_DATABASE', "androidhive"); // database name
define('DB_SERVER', "localhost"); // db server
?>

At the end of the connection:

db_connect.php

<?php

/**
 * A class file to connect to database
 */
class DB_CONNECT {

    // constructor
    function __construct() {
        // connecting to database
        $this->connect();
    }

    // destructor
    function __destruct() {
        // closing db connection
        $this->close();
    }

    /**
     * Function to connect with database
     */
    function connect() {
        // import database connection variables
        require_once __DIR__ . '/db_config.php';

        // Connecting to mysql database
        $con = mysql_connect(DB_SERVER, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD) or die(mysql_error());

        // Selecing database
        $db = mysql_select_db(DB_DATABASE) or die(mysql_error()) or die(mysql_error());

        // returing connection cursor
        return $con;
    }

    /**
     * Function to close db connection
     */
    function close() {
        // closing db connection
        mysql_close();
    }

}

?>

Use this for your connections in other files:

$db = new DB_CONNECT(); // creating class object(will open database connection)

Now we will make a simple CRUD, to create products, inserting their registrations:

<?php

/*
 * Following code will create a new product row
 * All product details are read from HTTP Post Request
 */

// array for JSON response
$response = array();

// check for required fields
if (isset($_POST['name']) && isset($_POST['price']) && isset($_POST['description'])) {

    $name = $_POST['name'];
    $price = $_POST['price'];
    $description = $_POST['description'];

    // include db connect class
    require_once __DIR__ . '/db_connect.php';

    // connecting to db
    $db = new DB_CONNECT();

    // mysql inserting a new row
    $result = mysql_query("INSERT INTO products(name, price, description) VALUES('$name', '$price', '$description')");

    // check if row inserted or not
    if ($result) {
        // successfully inserted into database
        $response["success"] = 1;
        $response["message"] = "Product successfully created.";

        // echoing JSON response
        echo json_encode($response);
    } else {
        // failed to insert row
        $response["success"] = 0;
        $response["message"] = "Oops! An error occurred.";

        // echoing JSON response
        echo json_encode($response);
    }
} else {
    // required field is missing
    $response["success"] = 0;
    $response["message"] = "Required field(s) is missing";

    // echoing JSON response
    echo json_encode($response);
}
?>

Visualizing all products. The secret is here, because the return will be in JSON. Language in which it consumes less data bandwidth for mobile internet.: Give your attention to echo json_encode($Sponse);

/*
 * Following code will list all the products
 */

// array for JSON response
$response = array();

// include db connect class
require_once __DIR__ . '/db_connect.php';

// connecting to db
$db = new DB_CONNECT();

// get all products from products table
$result = mysql_query("SELECT *FROM products") or die(mysql_error());

// check for empty result
if (mysql_num_rows($result) > 0) {
    // looping through all results
    // products node
    $response["products"] = array();

    while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
        // temp user array
        $product = array();
        $product["pid"] = $row["pid"];
        $product["name"] = $row["name"];
        $product["price"] = $row["price"];
        $product["created_at"] = $row["created_at"];
        $product["updated_at"] = $row["updated_at"];

        // push single product into final response array
        array_push($response["products"], $product);
    }
    // success
    $response["success"] = 1;

    // echoing JSON response
    echo json_encode($response);
} else {
    // no products found
    $response["success"] = 0;
    $response["message"] = "No products found";

    // echo no users JSON
    echo json_encode($response);
}
?>

EXAMPLE OF RETURN IN **Json:**

{
    "products": [
        {
            "pid": "1",
            "name": "iPhone 4S",
            "price": "300.00",
            "created_at": "2012-04-29 02:04:02",
            "updated_at": "0000-00-00 00:00:00"
        },
        {
            "pid": "2",
            "name": "Macbook Pro",
            "price": "600.00",
            "created_at": "2012-04-29 02:04:51",
            "updated_at": "0000-00-00 00:00:00"
        },
        {
            "pid": "3",
            "name": "Macbook Air",
            "price": "800.00",
            "created_at": "2012-04-29 02:05:57",
            "updated_at": "0000-00-00 00:00:00"
        },
        {
            "pid": "4",
            "name": "OS X Lion",
            "price": "100.00",
            "created_at": "2012-04-29 02:07:14",
            "updated_at": "0000-00-00 00:00:00"
        }
    ],
    "success": 1
}

SHOWING ALL PRODUCTS IN THEIR MAIN ACTIVITY:

public class AllProductsActivity extends ListActivity {

    // Progress Dialog
    private ProgressDialog pDialog;

    // Creating JSON Parser object
    JSONParser jParser = new JSONParser();

    ArrayList<HashMap<String, String>> productsList;

    // url to get all products list
    private static String url_all_products = "http://api.androidhive.info/android_connect/get_all_products.php";

    // JSON Node names
    private static final String TAG_SUCCESS = "success";
    private static final String TAG_PRODUCTS = "products";
    private static final String TAG_PID = "pid";
    private static final String TAG_NAME = "name";

    // products JSONArray
    JSONArray products = null;

    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.all_products);

        // Hashmap for ListView
        productsList = new ArrayList<HashMap<String, String>>();

        // Loading products in Background Thread
        new LoadAllProducts().execute();

        // Get listview
        ListView lv = getListView();

        // on seleting single product
        // launching Edit Product Screen
        lv.setOnItemClickListener(new OnItemClickListener() {

            @Override
            public void onItemClick(AdapterView<?> parent, View view,
                    int position, long id) {
                // getting values from selected ListItem
                String pid = ((TextView) view.findViewById(R.id.pid)).getText()
                        .toString();

                // Starting new intent
                Intent in = new Intent(getApplicationContext(),
                        EditProductActivity.class);
                // sending pid to next activity
                in.putExtra(TAG_PID, pid);

                // starting new activity and expecting some response back
                startActivityForResult(in, 100);
            }
        });

    }

    // Response from Edit Product Activity
    @Override
    protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {
        super.onActivityResult(requestCode, resultCode, data);
        // if result code 100
        if (resultCode == 100) {
            // if result code 100 is received
            // means user edited/deleted product
            // reload this screen again
            Intent intent = getIntent();
            finish();
            startActivity(intent);
        }

    }

    /**
     * Background Async Task to Load all product by making HTTP Request
     * */
    class LoadAllProducts extends AsyncTask<String, String, String> {

        /**
         * Before starting background thread Show Progress Dialog
         * */
        @Override
        protected void onPreExecute() {
            super.onPreExecute();
            pDialog = new ProgressDialog(AllProductsActivity.this);
            pDialog.setMessage("Loading products. Please wait...");
            pDialog.setIndeterminate(false);
            pDialog.setCancelable(false);
            pDialog.show();
        }

        /**
         * getting All products from url
         * */
        protected String doInBackground(String... args) {
            // Building Parameters
            List<NameValuePair> params = new ArrayList<NameValuePair>();
            // getting JSON string from URL
            JSONObject json = jParser.makeHttpRequest(url_all_products, "GET", params);

            // Check your log cat for JSON reponse
            Log.d("All Products: ", json.toString());

            try {
                // Checking for SUCCESS TAG
                int success = json.getInt(TAG_SUCCESS);

                if (success == 1) {
                    // products found
                    // Getting Array of Products
                    products = json.getJSONArray(TAG_PRODUCTS);

                    // looping through All Products
                    for (int i = 0; i < products.length(); i++) {
                        JSONObject c = products.getJSONObject(i);

                        // Storing each json item in variable
                        String id = c.getString(TAG_PID);
                        String name = c.getString(TAG_NAME);

                        // creating new HashMap
                        HashMap<String, String> map = new HashMap<String, String>();

                        // adding each child node to HashMap key => value
                        map.put(TAG_PID, id);
                        map.put(TAG_NAME, name);

                        // adding HashList to ArrayList
                        productsList.add(map);
                    }
                } else {
                    // no products found
                    // Launch Add New product Activity
                    Intent i = new Intent(getApplicationContext(),
                            NewProductActivity.class);
                    // Closing all previous activities
                    i.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP);
                    startActivity(i);
                }
            } catch (JSONException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }

            return null;
        }

        /**
         * After completing background task Dismiss the progress dialog
         * **/
        protected void onPostExecute(String file_url) {
            // dismiss the dialog after getting all products
            pDialog.dismiss();
            // updating UI from Background Thread
            runOnUiThread(new Runnable() {
                public void run() {
                    /**
                     * Updating parsed JSON data into ListView
                     * */
                    ListAdapter adapter = new SimpleAdapter(
                            AllProductsActivity.this, productsList,
                            R.layout.list_item, new String[] { TAG_PID,
                                    TAG_NAME},
                            new int[] { R.id.pid, R.id.name });
                    // updating listview
                    setListAdapter(adapter);
                }
            });

        }

    }
}