Lesson 12:

Repository pattern
and WorkManager

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About this lesson
Lesson 12: Repository pattern and WorkManager
● Repository pattern
● WorkManager
● Work input and output
● WorkRequest constraints
● Summary

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Repository pattern

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Existing app architecture

UI Controller

ViewModel

Room

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Relative data speeds

Operation Relative speed

Reading from LiveData FAST

Reading from Room database SLOW

Reading from network SLOWEST

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Cache network responses

● Account for long network request times and still be responsive

to the user
● Use Room locally when retrieval from the network may be costly
or difficult
● Can cache based on the least recently used (LRU) value,
frequently accessed (FRU) values, or other algorithm

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Repository pattern

● Can abstract away multiple data sources from the caller

● Supports fast retrieval using local database while sending
network request for data refresh (which can take longer)
● Can test data sources separately from other aspects of your app

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App architecture with repository pattern
UI Controller

ViewModel

Repository

Remote data source Room Mock backend

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Implement a repository class

● Provide a common interface to access data:

○ Expose functions to query and modify the underlying data
● Depending on your data sources, the repository can:
○ Hold a reference to the DAO, if your data is in a database
○ Make network requests if you connect to a web service

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WorkManager

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WorkManager

● Android Jetpack architecture component

● Recommended solution to execute background work
(immediate or deferred)
● Opportunistic and guaranteed execution
● Execution can be based on certain conditions

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When to use WorkManager

Task

Yes Requires active No

user

Requires active
Immediate user
Yes No

Exact Deferred

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Declare WorkManager dependencies

implementation "androidx.work:work-runtime-ktx:$work_version"

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Important classes to know

● Worker - does the work on a background thread, override

doWork() method
● WorkRequest - request to do some work
● Constraint - conditions on when the work can run
● WorkManager - schedules the WorkRequest to be run

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Define the work
class UploadWorker(appContext: Context, workerParams: WorkerParameters) :
Worker(appContext, workerParams) {

override fun doWork(): Result {

// Do the work here. In this case, upload the images.

uploadImages()

// Indicate whether work finished successfully with the Result

return Result.success()
}
}

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Extend CoroutineWorker instead of Worker
class UploadWorker(appContext: Context, workerParams: WorkerParameters) :
CoroutineWorker(appContext, workerParams) {

override suspend fun doWork(): Result {

// Do the work here (in this case, upload the images)

uploadImages()

// Indicate whether work finished successfully with the Result

return Result.success()
}
}

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WorkRequests

● Can be scheduled to run once or repeatedly

○ OneTimeWorkRequest
○ PeriodicWorkRequest
● Persisted across device reboots
● Can be chained to run sequentially or in parallel
● Can have constraints under which they will run

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Schedule a OneTimeWorkRequest
Create WorkRequest:
val uploadWorkRequest: WorkRequest =
OneTimeWorkRequestBuilder<UploadWorker>()
.build()

Add the work to the WorkManager queue:

WorkManager.getInstance(myContext)
.enqueue(uploadWorkRequest)

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Schedule a PeriodicWorkRequest
● Set a repeat interval
● Set a flex interval (optional)
Flex period Flex period Flex period
can run work can run work can run work

...
Interval 1 Interval 2 Interval N

Specify an interval using TimeUnit (e.g., TimeUnit.HOURS, TimeUnit.DAYS)

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 Flex interval
Work could And then again
happen here soon after

Example 1

Day 1 Day 2

1 hr 1 hr

Example 2
11 PM 12 AM 11 PM 12 AM
Day 1 Day 2

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PeriodicWorkRequest example

val repeatingRequest = PeriodicWorkRequestBuilder<RefreshDataWorker>(

1, TimeUnit.HOURS, // repeatInterval
15, TimeUnit.MINUTES // flexInterval
).build()

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Enqueue periodic work

WorkManager.getInstance().enqueueUniquePeriodicWork(
"Unique Name",
ExistingPeriodicWorkPolicy.KEEP, // or REPLACE
repeatingRequest
)

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Work input and output

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Define Worker with input and output
class MathWorker(context: Context, params: WorkerParameters):
CoroutineWorker(context, params) {

override suspend fun doWork(): Result {

val x = inputData.getInt(KEY_X_ARG, 0)
val y = inputData.getInt(KEY_Y_ARG, 0)
val result = computeMathFunction(x, y)
val output: Data = workDataOf(KEY_RESULT to result)
return Result.success(output)
}
}

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Result output from doWork()

Result status Result status with output

Result.success() Result.success(output)

Result.failure() Result.failure(output)

Result.retry()

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Send input data to Worker

val complexMathWork = OneTimeWorkRequest<MathWorker>()

.setInputData(
workDataOf(
"X_ARG" to 42,
"Y_ARG" to 421,
)
).build()

WorkManager.getInstance(myContext).enqueue(complexMathWork)

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WorkRequest constraints

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Constraints

● setRequiredNetworkType
● setRequiresBatteryNotLow
● setRequiresCharging
● setTriggerContentMaxDelay
● requiresDeviceIdle

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Constraints example
val constraints = Constraints.Builder()
.setRequiredNetworkType(NetworkType.UNMETERED)
.setRequiresCharging(true)
.setRequiresBatteryNotLow(true)
.setRequiresDeviceIdle(true)
.build()

val myWorkRequest: WorkRequest = OneTimeWorkRequestBuilder<MyWork>()

.setConstraints(constraints)
.build()

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 Summary

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Summary
In Lesson 12, you learned how to:
● Use a repository to abstract the data layer from the rest of the app
● Schedule background tasks efficiently and optimize them using
WorkManager
● Create custom Worker classes to specify the work to be done
● Create and enqueue one-time or periodic work requests

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Learn more

● Fetch data
● Schedule tasks with WorkManager
● Define work requests
● Connect ViewModel and the repository
● Use WorkManager for immediate background execution

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Pathway

Practice what you’ve learned by

completing the pathway:
Lesson 12: Repository pattern andWorkManager

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