(Android) Which is better a Bundle or Application?

Question

I am working on an android application that pulls data from a Database. I want to pass data between activities (A single String). I initially implemented the data passing using the Bundle feature. However, I came across the Application class which allows a variable to be accessed from any activity.

Which would you recommend using for moving data between activities?

public class MyVideo extends Application {

  private String url ="NULL";

  public String getUrl(){
    return url;
  }
  public void setUrl(String newurl){
    url = newurl;
  }

}

Bundles are good for predefined data types but when you have custom objects and you need to implement Parcelable, there's just too much boilerplate code and hassle. I prefer to use Application to pass data. I find it more intuitive. — W.K.S, Dec 20 '12 at 21:37

score 4 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:12

This is similar to this question What is a "bundle" in an Android application, which contains a comprehensive answer with example.

My answer would be that you would use a bundle as this is what they were designed for and are easy enough to use. The bundle supports a String without any extra work being done so I would argue it makes it ideal.

Adding to intent

intent.putExtra("myKey",AnyValue);

Retrieving:

Bundle extras = intent.getExtras(); 
String tmp = extras.getString("myKey");

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 07 '12 at 10:47

Application class will behave as a singleton class in your context. You can pass data between activities using singleton class itself. No need to use Application class if all you want is to pass data between activities.

Bundle is preferable for passing data b/w activities.

(Android) Which is better a Bundle or Application?

2 Answers2