Workout Tracker

Technologies Used

• Room Database
• RxJava
• Caldroid
• Koin Dependency Injection

Project Overview

This project was undertaken to learn database management for a bigger project I am planning.

Project Goals

• Allow users to open the app and see dates they have or haven’t worked out.
• Enable users to click on a date to mark their workout status.
• Use a database to record the dates a user has worked out.

Project Approach

• Divide the project into smaller pieces.
• Use existing tools and libraries to enhance the project.
• Decide on a database and stick with it.
• Stay flexible with ideas and technologies.

Development Process

Calendar View Challenges

I started with the default CalendarView but struggled to implement the main features. I spent an unreasonable amount of time trying to add colors to specific dates, which proved fruitless.

Learning Moment: After three hours of frustration, I decided to abandon CalendarView and search for a better alternative.

Finding Caldroid

I found Caldroid on GitHub, which perfectly fit my requirements. Implementing Caldroid, I added click listeners to mark workout status on selected dates.

This was my first time working with Dates in a project, so I had to learn how to convert to and from the Long data type.

MVVM Architecture

I used the MVVM architecture for better readability and easier code management.

Database Management with Room

I decided to use Room for database management due to its simplicity and required features.

Steps:

1. Creating an Entity: I created an entity called user_workout_schedule with fields date (Long) and did_user_attend_date (Boolean).
2. Room Database and DAO: I created a Room database and a DAO. The DAO creation took some time, but Google searches and articles helped me get through it.
3. Repository: I created a repository for the database.

Connecting the Pieces

With the calendar widget sorted and the database in place, I connected all the components and added final touches.

Use Cases

I added a UseCase to facilitate smooth conversion between the entity schema and the app schema. This step was crucial for abstraction and code maintainability.

Final Touches

After a few tweaks and a solid code review, the application was complete.

Takeaways

• Do NOT get too attached to an idea.
• Be open to swapping out technologies for better ones.
• Break your project into manageable pieces for better progress and breathing room.