Dynamic Strings - Stringboot

Overview

Dynamic strings allow you to update your app’s text content instantly without releasing a new version to the Play Store. Change marketing copy, fix typos, run time-sensitive campaigns, or adjust messaging—all from the Stringboot Dashboard.

Key Benefits

Instant Updates

Change text content without app releases or user updates

Offline-First

Strings cached locally—works without internet connection

Zero-Code Updates

Use XML tags for automatic string injection

Reactive UI

Automatic UI updates when strings change

Quick Start

1. Add String to Dashboard

Go to Stringboot Dashboard → Strings → Add New String:

Key: welcome_message
Value: "Welcome to our app!"
Language: en

2. Use in Your App

XML Tag Method (Recommended)
Programmatic Method
Reactive Flow Method

Step 1: Add android:tag to your TextView:

activity_main.xml

<TextView
    android:id="@+id/welcome"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:tag="welcome_message"
    android:text="@string/loading"
    android:textSize="24sp"
    android:textStyle="bold" />

Step 2: Apply Stringboot tags in your Activity:

MainActivity.kt

class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
    private lateinit var binding: ActivityMainBinding

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        binding = ActivityMainBinding.inflate(layoutInflater)
        setContentView(binding.root)

        // Auto-apply all Stringboot tags
        binding.root.applyStringbootTags()
    }
}

That’s it! The TextView automatically shows “Welcome to our app!” and updates whenever you change it in the dashboard.

3. Update from Dashboard

Go to Strings → Edit welcome_message → Change to "Welcome back!" → Save Your app automatically shows the new text next time it syncs (happens automatically on app launch).

String Retrieval Methods

1. XML Tag-Based (Recommended)

The simplest method: set android:tag and call applyStringbootTags().

res/layout/activity_product.xml

<TextView
    android:id="@+id/product_title"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:tag="product_title"
    android:text="@string/loading"
    android:textSize="20sp" />

<TextView
    android:id="@+id/product_description"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:tag="product_description"
    android:text="@string/loading"
    android:textSize="14sp" />

<Button
    android:id="@+id/buy_button"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:tag="button_buy_now"
    android:text="@string/buy" />

ProductActivity.kt

class ProductActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
    private lateinit var binding: ActivityProductBinding

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        binding = ActivityProductBinding.inflate(layoutInflater)
        setContentView(binding.root)

        // Apply all tags at once
        binding.root.applyStringbootTags()
    }
}

Benefits:

Zero boilerplate code
Updates all tagged views at once
Perfect for static layouts
Automatically handles missing strings

When to use:

Most TextView, Button, and static UI elements
Marketing pages and static content
Forms with static labels

2. Synchronous Get

Get strings immediately from cache without suspending.

val text = StringProvider.get("welcome_message")

Full Signature:

val text = StringProvider.get(
    key = "welcome_message",
    lang = "en",  // Optional: defaults to current locale
    allowNetworkFetch = false  // Optional: fetch from network if not cached
)

Example: Dialog Content

private fun showWelcomeDialog() {
    val dialogBinding = DialogWelcomeBinding.inflate(layoutInflater)

    // Get strings synchronously
    dialogBinding.dialogTitle.text = StringProvider.get("dialog_welcome_title")
    dialogBinding.dialogMessage.text = StringProvider.get("dialog_welcome_message")
    dialogBinding.buttonOk.text = StringProvider.get("button_ok")

    AlertDialog.Builder(this)
        .setView(dialogBinding.root)
        .show()
}

When to use:

Dialogs and quick UI updates
Non-critical string retrieval
When you don’t need reactivity

Behavior:

Returns immediately from memory cache
Falls back to database if not in memory
Returns "??key??" if string not found
Never blocks the main thread

3. Reactive Flow

Use Kotlin Flow for auto-updating UI when strings change.

private var flowJob: Job? = null

override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
    binding = ActivityMainBinding.inflate(layoutInflater)
    setContentView(binding.root)

    // Start observing string changes
    flowJob = lifecycleScope.launch {
        StringProvider.getFlow("status_message")
            .collect { text ->
                binding.statusText.text = text
            }
    }
}

override fun onDestroy() {
    super.onDestroy()
    flowJob?.cancel()
}

Benefits:

Automatically updates when string changes
Updates when network sync completes
Lifecycle-aware when used with lifecycleScope
Perfect for dynamic content

Example: Dynamic Status Messages

private fun setupStatusMessage() {
    lifecycleScope.launch {
        StringProvider.getFlow("status_current_session", currentLanguage)
            .collect { template ->
                // Format template string with dynamic data
                val displayText = template.format(sessionCount)
                binding.sessionStatus.text = displayText
            }
    }
}

When to use:

Content that changes based on user actions
Status messages and live updates
Templates with dynamic formatting
When you want reactive UI updates

Advanced Patterns

Get Multiple Strings at Once

Fetch multiple strings efficiently in a single database query.

lifecycleScope.launch {
    val keys = listOf("title", "subtitle", "description", "call_to_action")
    val strings = StringProvider.getMultiple(keys, lang = "en")

    binding.title.text = strings["title"] ?: "Default Title"
    binding.subtitle.text = strings["subtitle"] ?: "Default Subtitle"
    binding.description.text = strings["description"] ?: "Default Description"
    binding.ctaButton.text = strings["call_to_action"] ?: "Get Started"
}

Benefits:

Single database query instead of multiple
More efficient for bulk retrieval
Returns a Map<String, String>

String Templates with Formatting

Use string templates with dynamic values. Dashboard String:

Key: welcome_user
Value: "Welcome back, %s! You have %d new messages."

Code:

val template = StringProvider.get("welcome_user")
val formattedText = template.format(userName, messageCount)
binding.greeting.text = formattedText
// Output: "Welcome back, John! You have 5 new messages."

Example: Dynamic Countdown Dashboard:

Key: offer_expires
Value: "Offer expires in %d days!"

Code:

private fun setupCountdown() {
    lifecycleScope.launch {
        StringProvider.getFlow("offer_expires")
            .collect { template ->
                val daysRemaining = calculateDaysRemaining()
                binding.countdownText.text = template.format(daysRemaining)
            }
    }
}

Preloading Strings for Performance

Preload frequently used strings into memory cache for instant access.

override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)

    // Preload strings for current language
    lifecycleScope.launch {
        StringProvider.preloadLanguage(
            lang = "en",
            maxStrings = 500  // Load first 500 strings into cache
        )
    }
}

When to use:

App startup
Before showing a complex screen with many strings
After language switching

Benefits:

Instant string retrieval
Eliminates database queries
Reduces perceived lag

Refresh Strings from Network

Manually trigger a network sync to get latest strings.

private fun refreshContent() {
    lifecycleScope.launch {
        binding.refreshButton.isEnabled = false
        binding.progressBar.visibility = View.VISIBLE

        try {
            val success = StringProvider.refreshFromNetwork("en")

            if (success) {
                Toast.makeText(this@MainActivity, "Content updated!", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show()
                // Re-apply tags to show new strings
                binding.root.applyStringbootTags()
            } else {
                Toast.makeText(this@MainActivity, "Using cached content", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show()
            }
        } catch (e: Exception) {
            StringbootLogger.e("Refresh failed", e)
            Toast.makeText(this@MainActivity, "Refresh failed", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show()
        } finally {
            binding.refreshButton.isEnabled = true
            binding.progressBar.visibility = View.GONE
        }
    }
}

Behavior:

Fetches latest strings from server
Updates local database
Clears memory cache
Does NOT automatically update UI (call applyStringbootTags() or refresh your views)

RecyclerView Integration

Using XML Tags in ViewHolder

item_product.xml

<androidx.cardview.widget.CardView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content">

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:orientation="vertical">

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/product_name"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:tag="product_item_title"
            android:textSize="18sp" />

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/product_price"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:tag="product_item_price_label"
            android:textSize="14sp" />

    </LinearLayout>
</androidx.cardview.widget.CardView>

ProductAdapter.kt

class ProductViewHolder(private val binding: ItemProductBinding) : RecyclerView.ViewHolder(binding.root) {

    fun bind(product: Product) {
        // Apply Stringboot tags to this item
        binding.root.applyStringbootTags()

        // Set dynamic product data
        binding.productName.append(" - ${product.name}")
        binding.productPrice.append(" $${product.price}")
    }
}

Using Programmatic Strings in Adapter

class ProductAdapter(private val products: List<Product>) : RecyclerView.Adapter<ProductViewHolder>() {

    override fun onBindViewHolder(holder: ProductViewHolder, position: Int) {
        val product = products[position]

        // Get strings programmatically
        val addToCartText = StringProvider.get("button_add_to_cart")
        val outOfStockText = StringProvider.get("label_out_of_stock")

        holder.binding.apply {
            productTitle.text = product.name
            productPrice.text = "$${product.price}"

            if (product.inStock) {
                addButton.text = addToCartText
                addButton.isEnabled = true
            } else {
                addButton.text = outOfStockText
                addButton.isEnabled = false
            }
        }
    }
}

Handling Missing Strings

Fallback Behavior

When a string key doesn’t exist, Stringboot returns "??key??":

val text = StringProvider.get("non_existent_key")
// Returns: "??non_existent_key??"

Provide Default Values

fun getStringWithFallback(key: String, fallback: String): String {
    val text = StringProvider.get(key)
    return if (text.startsWith("??") && text.endsWith("??")) {
        fallback
    } else {
        text
    }
}

// Usage
val title = getStringWithFallback("product_title", "Product")

Check if String Exists

fun stringExists(key: String): Boolean {
    val text = StringProvider.get(key)
    return !text.startsWith("??") || !text.endsWith("??")
}

if (stringExists("special_offer_title")) {
    binding.specialOffer.visibility = View.VISIBLE
    binding.specialOfferTitle.text = StringProvider.get("special_offer_title")
}

Best Practices

Use XML Tags for Static Content

Recommended:

<TextView
    android:tag="welcome_message"
    android:text="@string/loading" />

binding.root.applyStringbootTags()

Avoid:

binding.welcomeText.text = StringProvider.get("welcome_message")
binding.titleText.text = StringProvider.get("title")
// ... repeating for every view

XML tags eliminate boilerplate and ensure consistency.

Use Flows for Dynamic Content

Recommended:

lifecycleScope.launch {
    StringProvider.getFlow("status_message")
        .collect { text -> binding.status.text = text }
}

Avoid:

// Manually polling for updates
handler.postDelayed({
    binding.status.text = StringProvider.get("status_message")
}, 1000)

Flows automatically update when content changes.

Preload Before Heavy Screens

override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)

    lifecycleScope.launch {
        // Preload before showing content
        StringProvider.preloadLanguage("en", maxStrings = 500)

        // Now show UI
        withContext(Dispatchers.Main) {
            binding.root.applyStringbootTags()
            binding.loadingView.visibility = View.GONE
            binding.contentView.visibility = View.VISIBLE
        }
    }
}

Eliminates database queries during UI rendering.

Handle Lifecycle Correctly

private var flowJob: Job? = null

override fun onStart() {
    super.onStart()
    flowJob = lifecycleScope.launch {
        StringProvider.getFlow("message").collect { text ->
            binding.message.text = text
        }
    }
}

override fun onStop() {
    super.onStop()
    flowJob?.cancel()
}

Or use lifecycleScope which auto-cancels:

override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)

    // Automatically cancelled when lifecycle destroyed
    lifecycleScope.launch {
        StringProvider.getFlow("message").collect { text ->
            binding.message.text = text
        }
    }
}

Use String Templates for Dynamic Data

Dashboard:

Key: cart_items_count
Value: "You have %d items in your cart"

Code:

val template = StringProvider.get("cart_items_count")
binding.cartSummary.text = template.format(cartItemCount)

Avoid:

// Hardcoding format in code
binding.cartSummary.text = "You have $cartItemCount items in your cart"

Templates allow you to change format from dashboard.

Common Use Cases

Marketing Campaigns

Update promotional messages instantly without app updates. Dashboard Strings:

campaign_banner_title: “50% Off All Items!”
campaign_banner_subtitle: “Limited time offer - ends Friday”
campaign_cta_button: “Shop Now”

Code:

<TextView
    android:tag="campaign_banner_title"
    android:textSize="24sp" />

<TextView
    android:tag="campaign_banner_subtitle"
    android:textSize="14sp" />

<Button
    android:tag="campaign_cta_button" />

binding.root.applyStringbootTags()

Update campaign text from dashboard as needed—no code changes required!

Seasonal Content

Change app content for holidays, events, or seasons.

// App automatically shows correct seasonal message
lifecycleScope.launch {
    StringProvider.getFlow("seasonal_greeting")
        .collect { greeting ->
            binding.headerGreeting.text = greeting
        }
}

Dashboard (update as seasons change):

December: “seasonal_greeting” = “Happy Holidays!”
January: “seasonal_greeting” = “Happy New Year!”
Spring: “seasonal_greeting” = “Spring Sale!”

Fix Typos Instantly

Found a typo in production? Fix it immediately from the dashboard. Before:

"Welcom to our app!"  ❌

Fix: Edit string in dashboard → Save After:

"Welcome to our app!"  ✅

Users see the fix next time they open the app—no Play Store release needed!

Next Steps

Translations

Add multi-language support and language switching

A/B Testing

Optimize messaging with experiments

Best Practices

Production patterns and optimization

API Reference

StringProvider Methods

Method	Description	Returns
`get(key, lang?, allowNetworkFetch?)`	Get string synchronously	`String`
`getFlow(key, lang?)`	Get reactive Flow for string	`Flow<String>`
`getMultiple(keys, lang?)`	Get multiple strings	`Map<String, String>`
`preloadLanguage(lang, maxStrings?)`	Preload strings into cache	`Unit`
`refreshFromNetwork(lang)`	Sync latest strings from server	`Boolean`

Extension Methods

Method	Description	Returns
`View.applyStringbootTags()`	Apply Stringboot to all tagged child views	`Unit`

Troubleshooting

Strings show ??key?? instead of value

Causes:

String key doesn’t exist in dashboard
Network sync hasn’t happened yet
String not in cache or database

Solutions:

Verify key exists in Stringboot Dashboard
Call StringProvider.refreshFromNetwork() to sync
Check logs for sync errors

XML tags not working

Check:

Did you call binding.root.applyStringbootTags()?
Is android:tag attribute set correctly?
Is the view a TextView, Button, or compatible view?

Debug:

binding.root.applyStringbootTags()
StringbootLogger.isLoggingEnabled = true  // Enable logs
StringbootLogger.logLevel = .debug

UI doesn't update when string changes in dashboard

For XML Tags:

// Call after manual sync
StringProvider.refreshFromNetwork("en")
binding.root.applyStringbootTags()  // Re-apply to update UI

For Flows: Flows automatically update—check if Flow is still collecting:

lifecycleScope.launch {
    StringProvider.getFlow("key").collect { text ->
        Log.d("Stringboot", "Updated: $text")
        binding.text.text = text
    }
}

Performance issues with many strings

Use preloading:

lifecycleScope.launch {
    StringProvider.preloadLanguage("en", maxStrings = 1000)
}

Batch retrieve:

val strings = StringProvider.getMultiple(listOf("key1", "key2", "key3"))

Avoid:

Calling get() in tight loops
Synchronous get() on main thread for many strings

Support

Installation Guide

Complete setup instructions

Advanced Usage

Advanced patterns and techniques

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions

Core Concepts

Understanding caching and sync

Overview

Android SDK

iOS SDK

Web SDK

Dashboard

Advanced

​Overview

​Key Benefits

Instant Updates

Offline-First

Zero-Code Updates

Reactive UI

​Quick Start

​1. Add String to Dashboard

​2. Use in Your App

​3. Update from Dashboard

​String Retrieval Methods

​1. XML Tag-Based (Recommended)

​2. Synchronous Get

​3. Reactive Flow

​Advanced Patterns

​Get Multiple Strings at Once

​String Templates with Formatting

​Preloading Strings for Performance

​Refresh Strings from Network

​RecyclerView Integration

​Using XML Tags in ViewHolder

​Using Programmatic Strings in Adapter

​Handling Missing Strings

​Fallback Behavior

​Provide Default Values

​Check if String Exists

​Best Practices

​Common Use Cases

​Marketing Campaigns

​Seasonal Content

​Fix Typos Instantly

​Next Steps

Translations

A/B Testing

Best Practices

​API Reference

​StringProvider Methods

​Extension Methods

​Troubleshooting

​Support

Installation Guide

Advanced Usage

Troubleshooting

Core Concepts

Overview

Key Benefits

Quick Start

1. Add String to Dashboard

2. Use in Your App

3. Update from Dashboard

String Retrieval Methods

1. XML Tag-Based (Recommended)

2. Synchronous Get

3. Reactive Flow

Advanced Patterns

Get Multiple Strings at Once

String Templates with Formatting

Preloading Strings for Performance

Refresh Strings from Network

RecyclerView Integration

Using XML Tags in ViewHolder

Using Programmatic Strings in Adapter

Handling Missing Strings

Fallback Behavior

Provide Default Values

Check if String Exists

Best Practices

Common Use Cases

Marketing Campaigns

Seasonal Content

Fix Typos Instantly

Next Steps

API Reference

StringProvider Methods

Extension Methods

Troubleshooting

Support