PowerSync SDK on Maven Central
The PowerSync Kotlin SDK is distributed via Maven Central
Source Code
Refer to the
powersync-kotlin repo on GitHubAPI Reference
Full API reference for the SDK
Example Projects
Gallery of example projects/demo apps built with Kotlin and PowerSync.
Changelog
Changelog for the SDK
SDK Features
- Real-time streaming of database changes: Changes made by one user are instantly streamed to all other users with access to that data. This keeps clients automatically in sync without manual polling or refresh logic.
- Direct access to a local SQLite database: Data is stored locally, so apps can read and write instantly without network calls. This enables offline support and faster user interactions.
- Asynchronous background execution: The SDK performs database operations in the background to avoid blocking the application’s main thread. This means that apps stay responsive, even during heavy data activity.
- Query subscriptions for live updates: The SDK supports query subscriptions that automatically push real-time updates to client applications as data changes, keeping your UI reactive and up to date.
- Automatic schema management: PowerSync syncs schemaless data and applies a client-defined schema using SQLite views. This architecture means that PowerSync SDKs can handle schema changes gracefully without requiring explicit migrations on the client-side.
Installation
Add the PowerSync SDK to your project by adding the following to yourbuild.gradle.kts file:
CocoaPods configuration (recommended for iOS)Add the following to the The
cocoapods config in your build.gradle.kts:linkOnly = true attribute and isStatic = true framework setting ensure that the powersync-sqlite-core binaries are statically linked.JVM compatibility for Desktop
- The following platforms are supported: Linux AArch64, Linux X64, MacOS AArch64, MacOS X64, Windows X64.
- See this example build.gradle file for the relevant JVM config.
Getting Started
Prerequisites: To sync data between your client-side app and your backend source database, you must have completed the necessary setup for PowerSync, which includes connecting your source database to the PowerSync Service and deploying Sync Rules (steps 1-4 in the Setup Guide).1. Define the Client-Side Schema
The first step is to define the client-side schema, which refers to the schema for the managed SQLite database exposed by the PowerSync Client SDKs, that your app can read from and write to. The client-side schema is typically mainly derived from your backend source database schema and Sync Rules, but can also include other tables such as local-only tables. Note that schema migrations are not required on the SQLite database due to the schemaless nature of the PowerSync protocol: schemaless data is synced to the client-side SQLite database, and the client-side schema is then applied to that data using SQLite views to allow for structured querying of the data. The schema is applied when the local PowerSync database is constructed (as we’ll show in the next step). The types available aretext, integer and real. These should map directly to the values produced by the Sync Rules. If a value doesn’t match, it is cast automatically. For details on how backend source database types are mapped to the SQLite types, see Types.
Example:
Note: No need to declare a primary key
id column, as PowerSync will automatically create this.2. Instantiate the PowerSync Database
Next, you need to instantiate the PowerSync database. PowerSync streams changes from your backend source database into the client-side SQLite database, based on your Sync Rules. In your client-side app, you can read from and write to the local SQLite database, whether the user is online or offline. Example: a. Create platform specificDatabaseDriverFactory to be used by the PowerSyncBuilder to create the SQLite database driver.
PowerSyncDatabase instance using the PowerSyncBuilder and the DatabaseDriverFactory. The schema you created in a previous step is provided as a parameter:
PowerSyncDatabase to sync data with your backend:
com.powersync:powersync-compose provides a simpler API:
3. Integrate with your Backend
Create a connector to integrate with your backend. The PowerSync backend connector provides the connection between your application backend and the PowerSync managed database. It is used to:- Retrieve an auth token to connect to the PowerSync instance.
- Upload client-side writes to your backend API. Any writes that are made to the SQLite database are placed into an upload queue by the PowerSync Client SDK and automatically uploaded to your app backend (where you apply those changes to the backend source database) when the user is connected.
PowerSyncBackendConnector.fetchCredentials- This method will be automatically invoked by the PowerSync Client SDK every couple of minutes to obtain authentication credentials. See Authentication Setup for instructions on how the credentials should be generated.PowerSyncBackendConnector.uploadData- This method will be automatically invoked by the PowerSync Client SDK whenever it needs to upload client-side writes to your app backend via your backend API. Therefore, in your implememtation, you need to define how your backend API is called. See Writing Client Changes for considerations on the app backend implementation.
Using PowerSync: CRUD functions
Once the PowerSync instance is configured you can start using the SQLite DB functions. The most commonly used CRUD functions to interact with your SQLite data are:- PowerSyncDatabase.get - get (SELECT) a single row from a table.
- PowerSyncDatabase.getAll - get (SELECT) a set of rows from a table.
- PowerSyncDatabase.watch - execute a read query every time source tables are modified.
- PowerSyncDatabase.execute - execute a write (INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE) query.
Fetching a Single Item
Theget method executes a read-only (SELECT) query and returns a single result. It throws an exception if no result is found. Use getOptional to return a single optional result (returns null if no result is found).
Querying Items (PowerSync.getAll)
ThegetAll method executes a read-only (SELECT) query and returns a set of rows.
Watching Queries (PowerSync.watch)
Thewatch method executes a read query whenever a change to a dependent table is made.
Mutations (PowerSync.execute)
Theexecute method executes a write query (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE) and returns the results (if any).
Configure Logging
You can include your own Logger that must conform to the Kermit Logger as shown here.Warnings in release and Verbose in debug as follows:
Additional Usage Examples
For more usage examples including accessing connection status, monitoring sync progress, and waiting for initial sync, see the Usage Examples page.ORM / SQL Library Support
The PowerSync SDK for Kotlin can be used with the SQLDelight and Room libraries, making it easier to define and run SQL queries. For details, see the SQL Library Support page.Troubleshooting
See Troubleshooting for pointers to debug common issues.Supported Platforms
See Supported Platforms -> Kotlin SDK.Upgrading the SDK
Update your project’s Gradle file (build.gradle.kts) with the latest version of the SDK.
Developer Notes
Client Implementation
The PowerSync Service sends encoded instructions about data to sync to connected clients. These instructions are decoded by our SDKs, and on Kotlin there are two implementations available for this:- Kotlin (default)
- This is the original implementation method, mostly implemented in Kotlin.
- Most upcoming features will not be ported to this implementation, and we intend to remove it eventually.
- Rust (currently experimental)
- This is a newer implementation, mostly implemented in Rust but still using Kotlin for networking.
- Apart from newer features, this implementation is also more performant.
- We encourage interested users to try it out and report feedback, as we intend to make it the default after a stabilization period.
SyncOptions(newClientImplementation = true) as a second parameter when
connecting.