TinyDB

Definition

TinyDB is a non-visible component that stores data for an app.

Apps created with App Inventor are initialized each time they run. This means that if an app sets the value of a variable and the user then quits the app, the value of that variable will not be remembered the next time the app is run. In contrast, TinyDB is a persistent data store for the app. The data stored in a TinyDB will be available each time the app is run. An example might be a game that saves the high score and retrieves it each time the game is played.

Data items consist of tags and values. To store a data item, you specify the tag it should be stored under. The tag must be a text block, giving the data a name. Subsequently, you can retrieve the data that was stored under a given tag.

You cannot use the TinyDB to pass data between two different apps on the phone, although you can use the TinyDB to share data between the different screens of a multi-screen app.

When you are developing apps using the AI Companion, all the apps using that Companion will share the same TinyDB. That sharing will disappear once the apps are packaged and installed on the phone. During development you should be careful to clear the Companion app’s data each time you start working on a new app.

Properties

Namespace

Namespace for storing data.