Chapter 9. Data: advanced techniques
This chapter covers
- Using SQLite
- Using the Address Book framework
- Using Core Data
In the last chapter, we discussed how information can be saved and retrieved on the iPhone and iPad. Those techniques are great for simple data such as user preferences, but what happens when you want to save thousands of records?
Saving large amounts of information to NSUserDefaults would be awkward and clunky, and serialization is too slow. The solution is to use a relational database. Apple has provided a couple of options for mass storage using relational databases. These options are SQLite and Core Data. We’ll look at both as well as the built-in Address Book framework, which isn’t related to data storage but has some complexities of its own.
SQLite is a compact version of MySQL. Even though it doesn’t offer as many field types as MySQL, it’s still a powerful method of storage. One of the greatest strengths of an SQLite database is its portability. Unlike MySQL, it doesn’t require a server in order to run. You can drop the database into your application directory and start using it to store persistent data.