Database interaction logic

Question

I have a database-intensive app, almost every activity requires access to the database, both reading and writing.
I had a lot of problems with separate threads and activities on the stack closing connections to the database when the current activity was using it, even if I opened and closed the database immediately before and after use.

So I opted to use a single instance of the database. Now I have no problems, but, is this right?

Application class

public class ApplicationClass extends Application
{
 private DatabaseAdapter PrDatabaseAdapter; 
 public DatabaseAdapter getDatabaseAdapter()
 {
 return PrDatabaseAdapter;
 }
 @Override
 public void onCreate()
 {
 super.onCreate();
 PrDatabaseAdapter = new DatabaseAdapter(this);
 PrDatabaseAdapter.open();
 }
}

Adapter Class The database adapter just sits on top of the DatabaseManager (my SQLiteOpenHelper)

private Context context;
private SQLiteDatabase db;
private DatabaseManager dbManager;
/**
 * The DatabaseAdapter contains all interaction logic for the database
 * @param context
 */
public DatabaseAdapter(Context context)
{
 this.context = context;
}
/**
 * Opens writable database
 * @return DatabaseAdapter;
 * @throws SQLiteException
 */
public DatabaseAdapter open() throws SQLiteException
{
 dbManager = new DatabaseManager(context);
 db = dbManager.getWritableDatabase();
 return this;
}
/**
 * Closes database connection
 */
public void close()
{
 dbManager.close();
}

I'm still learning a lot about Java and Android and I would appreciate some insight to the pros and cons of this approach.

Answer 1

I'm not familiar with Android, so just some generic Java notes:

1. PrDatabaseAdapter should be prDatabaseAdapter (with lowercase first letter). See Effective Java, 2nd edition, Item 56: Adhere to generally accepted naming conventions and The Java Language Specification, Java SE 7 Edition, 6.1 Declarations:

   Names of fields that are not final should be in mixed case with a lowercase first letter and the first letters of subsequent words capitalized.

2. Javadoc comments like @param context aren't too useful, they say nothing more than the source code alone. I'd remove them.

3. Does it make sense to create a DatabaseAdapter with null context? I'd check this in the constructor and throw and NullPointerException if it's null. See Effective Java, 2nd edition, Item 38: Check parameters for validity