What is a ContentProvider and what is it typically used for?

A ContentProvider in Android is a component that provides a standard interface for sharing data between applications. It is typically used for the following purposes:

1. Sharing data between applications: ContentProviders allow an application to share its data with other applications in a secure and structured way. This is useful when an application needs to expose some of its data to other apps[1][4].

2. Accessing system data: Android provides several default ContentProviders to access system data such as contacts, calendar events, media files, etc. Apps can use these ContentProviders to access this data without needing to implement their own[3].

3. Abstracting data storage: ContentProviders abstract the underlying data storage mechanism. The data can be stored in a database, files, or over a network, but the ContentProvider API remains the same[5].

4. Providing a consistent API: ContentProviders provide a consistent API for querying, inserting, updating, and deleting data. This makes it easier for other application...