Develop Reference

runOnUiThread() no executing when using Thread.sleep()

I'm using code that looks like this :
_thread = new Thread(){
#Override
public void run() {
try {
while (true) {
operate();
Thread.sleep(DELAY);
}
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
// Doesn't matters...
}
}
};
operate function looks like this :
// does things....
activity.runOnUiThread(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
// adds an ImageView to the screen
}
});
// does other things...
At the bottom line, what i wanted to achieve is an operation that happens once in a while, without interrupting the main thread and the UI, something like a game-loop.
In the first 2 times that operate() runs, it adds the ImageView and everything is alright, but after 2 or 3 times it stops adding the ImageViews, but the UI is still running as usual. When i debugged the problem, i found out that after 3 times the run() method of the Runnable isn't called anymore, even thought the operate function was called.
The wired thing (for me) was that when i removed the Thread.sleep, everything worked fine (much faster of course...). I tried to replace it with a very long for loop (just for checking) and it worked, but of course it is not an appropriate solution to the problem.
I read about the problem, most of the people that asked this question did a thread.sleep or an infinite loop on the main thread, but, as i see it, i didn't do such thing. Many people wrote that you should replace the Thread.sleep with Handler.postDelayed. I tried to do it but it didn't work, maybe I did it wrong. I even tried replacing the runOnUiThread with other options I found on the internet, but all of them gave me the same exact results. I tried to replace the method that I'm adding the view to the activity, but all of them, again, gave the same result.
The waiting is crucial for this application. I got to find a way to wait sometime and then execute a function on the UI thread, cause this pattern returns at least a couple of times in my application.

It sounds like you want a post delay so that you can do the code on the UI thread after some delay. Handler Post Delay.
private static final int DELAY = 500;
private Handler mHandler;
private Runnable mRunnable;
#Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
{
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
start();
}
private void start()
{
mHandler = new Handler();
mRunnable = new MyRunnable(this);
mHandler.postDelayed(mRunnable, DELAY);
}
private void stop()
{
mHandler.removeCallbacks(mRunnable);
}
private void doSomething()
{
// Do your stuff here.
// Reschedule.
mHandler.postDelayed(mRunnable, DELAY);
}
Recommended way of creating a Runnable.
private static class MyRunnable implements Runnable
{
private WeakReference<MainActivity> mRef;
// In here you can pass any object that you need.
MyRunnable(MainActivity activity)
{
mRef = new WeakReference<MainActivity>(activity);
}
#Override
public void run()
{
// Safety check to avoid leaking.
MainActivity activity = mRef.get();
if(activity == null)
{
return;
}
// Do something here.
activity.doSomething();
}
}

There could be several reasons why the UI Runnable isn't being executed. Probably the activity variable has something messed up with it or it's referencing the context incorrectly, or as you said the Thread.sleep() could be causing an issue. At this point more parts of the code needs to viewed to better solve the problem.
A better way of implementing your logic is to use a scheduled Timer instead of using an infinite loop with a Thread.sleep() in it. It will execute the code within a background thread. And then use a Handler to update the UI instead of activity.runOnUiThread(). Here's an example:
// Global variable within the activity
private Handler handler;
// Activity's onCreate()
#Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
handler = new Handler(getMainLooper());
Timer timer = new Timer("ScheduledTask");
// Timer must be started on the Main UI thread as such.
timer.scheduleAtFixedRate(new TimerTask() {
#Override
public void run() {
operate();
}
}, 0L, DELAY);
}
private void operate() {
// does things in background....
handler.post(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
// adds an ImageView to the screen from within the Main UI thread
}
});
// does other things in the background...
}

How can I every 1 second command intentfilter on android?

I want every 1 second registerReceiver.
I try
registerReceiver(receiver, new IntentFilter(Intent.ACTION_TIME_TICK));
but this code every 1 minute
I want every 1 second.
Perhaps, android have a form ?
thanks

What are you trying to accomplish? If you just want to have some code executed every 1s, don't user a BroadcastReceiver. Receivers result in inter-process communication every time they are triggered which is (relatively) expensive.
Best way would be to use a handler,
private static final long TICK_INTERVAL = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(1);
private static final Handler tickHandler = new Handler(Looper.getMainLooper());
public void onResume() {
super.onResume();
tick(TICK_INTERVAL);
}
private void tick(final long interval) {
tickHandler.postDelayed(
new Runnable() {
public void run() {
tick(interval);
onTick();
}
},
);
}
protected void onTick() {
// do something
}
Ensure you stop the ticking when your activity pauses,
public void onPause() {
super.onPause();
tickHandler.removeCallbacksAndMessages(null);
}

I cant make myHandler run

What I want to do is just a basic implementation of handler example. I have a TextView on the mainActivity, and once the page loads the handler is supposed to run and show the user value coming from SystemClock.uptimeMillis. But ıt doesn't work more than once. How can I make this code run?
public class MainActivity extends Activity {
long uptoMS=0L;
TextView tv;
Handler handler=new Handler();
long swaptime=0L;
#Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
tv=(TextView)findViewById(R.id.textView1);
uptoMS=SystemClock.uptimeMillis();
tv.setText(String.valueOf(uptoMS));
handler.post(runner);
}
private Runnable runner=new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
swaptime+=uptoMS;
tv.setTag(String.valueOf(swaptime));
handler.post(this);
}
};
}

See this below example
scheduler(){
TimerTask tasknew = new TimerSchedulePeriod();
Timer timer = new Timer();
// scheduling the task at interval
timer.schedule(tasknew,100, 100);
}
// this method performs the task
public void run() {
System.out.println("timer working");
}

timer = new Timer();
refreshTask = new TimerTask() {
#Override
public void run() {
swaptime+=uptoMS;
tv.setTag(String.valueOf(swaptime));
handler.post(this);
}
};
timer.schedule(refreshTask,
100, 100);

Well, there some problems with your code.
Firstly, you use setTag() instead of setText(), so the value will never update.
tv.setTag(String.valueOf(swaptime));
Secondly, you get uptoMS once in onCreate(), and then you use it in every "handler loop". I don't know what you try to achive but it's unlike that you want this.
Thirdly, you instantly repost your Runnable, so the main thread's message queue will be busy. You should give some break instead of instant reposting. For example you can wait 100 ms between the updates, so the TextView will be updated 10 times in every second.
handler.postDelayed(this, 100);
And finally, however others suggest you using Timer, just ignore them. Handler is the Android way to achieve tasks like this.

Updating UI on button click after a certain time

I have a TextView. I want to update its text (append a "1") after 1 second of a button click.
public class HaikuDisplay extends Activity {
Method m;
Timer t;
/** Called when the activity is first created. */
#Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main);
t = new Timer();
m = HaikuDisplay.class.getMethod("change");
}
//Event handler of the button
public void onRefresh(View view)
{
//To have the reference of this inside the TimerTask
final HaikuDisplay hd = this;
TimerTask task1 = new TimerTask(){
public void run(){
/*
* I tried to update the text here but since this is not the UI thread, it does not allow to do so.
*/
//Calls change() method
m.invoke(hd, (Object[])null);
}
};
t.schedule(task1, 1000);
}
public void change()
{
//Appends a "1" to the TextView
TextView t = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.textView1);
t.setText(t.getText() + "1");
}
//Event handler of another button which updates the text directly by appending "2".
//This works fine unless I click the first button.
public void onRefresh1(View view)
{
TextView t = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.textView1);
t.setText(t.getText() + "2");
}
}
Consider all Exceptions be handled.
On first click, m.invoke gives InvocationTargetException. But it calls the method change() on successive invokes without any Exceptions(verified by logging). But it does not update the text. Where am I wrong?
Also, I see in the debugger that it creates a new Thread every time I click the button. That is fine. But why isn't it removing the previous Threads though their execution has been completed?

Do something like this
public void onRefresh1(View v) {
// You can have this in a field not to find it every time
final EditText t = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.textView1);
t.postDelayed(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
t.append("1");
}
}, 1000);
}

new Handler().postDelayed(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
// Update UI
}
}, 1000);
implement this on button click
UPDATE:
There are some other answers. dtmilano suggested another solution which is almost same to mine except he is calling the postDelayed method of View class and In my answer I used postDelayed method of handler class.
from the api reference of android the postDelayed method of Handler says
The runnable will be run on the thread to which this handler is
attached.
and the postDelayed method of View says
The runnable will be run on the user interface thread.
This is the only difference between these two solution. in my answer instead of creating new Handler every time you can use any other handler instance. Then the runnable will be run on that thread where that specific handler is declared. And if the postDelayed of EditText is used the the runnable method will be run on the user Interface Thread.
Now the performance issue, both has the same performance (If anybody can prove me wrong with reference I will be happy)

That's looking awful convoluted - have you considered using CountDownTimer instead?
new CountDownTimer(1000, 1000) {
public void onTick(long millisUntilFinished) {
// no-op
}
public void onFinish() {
change();
}
}.start();
This should call change (and hence change the text) on the UI thread, avoiding reflection and threading errors.

Hi Use the following code for that. Hope this will help you .
new java.util.Timer().schedule(
new java.util.TimerTask() {
#Override
public void run() {
// your code here
}
},
1000
);
Have a look of this question also.
display data after every 10 seconds in Android
You can try with this also.
private Handler handler = new Handler();
private Runnable runnable = new Runnable() {
public void run() {
doStuff();
/*
* Now register it for running next time
*/
handler.postDelayed(this, 1000);
}
};
**EDIT 3**
Try with this once you are need to enable once (i mean if you put your code in yourmethod()== this will get automatically call 1 seconds once.
private Timer timer;
TimerTask refresher;
// Initialization code in onCreate or similar:
timer = new Timer();
refresher = new TimerTask() {
public void run() {
yourmethod();
};
};
// first event immediately, following after 1 seconds each
timer.scheduleAtFixedRate(refresher, 0,100);

How can I run my code after Activity is made visible?

I have an Activity with 3 spinners. These spinners get their data from a web-service by a method that takes about 1 minute to be completed.
I want to load the Activity first and after it is made visible, call that web-service method and load data. I have tested the following codes separately but none of them solved my problem. In these samples application goes into a black screen and when the web-service operation completed, it is made visible.
#Override
protected void onCreate() {
//.........
final Runnable r = new Runnable()
{
public void run()
{
loadMyData();
}
};
Utilities.performOnBackgroundThread(r);
}
#Override
protected void onResume() {
new Thread() {
#Override
public void run() {
loadMyData();
}
}.start();
super.onResume();
}
#Override
protected void onStart() {
if (comesFromOnCreateMethod)
{
final Runnable r = new Runnable()
{
public void run()
{
loadMyData();
}
};
Utilities.performOnBackgroundThread(r);
}
comesFromOnCreateMethod = false;
super.onStart();
}
#Override
protected void onResume() {
if (comesFromOnCreateMethod)
{
final Runnable r = new Runnable()
{
public void run()
{
loadMyData();
}
};
Utilities.performOnBackgroundThread(r);
}
comesFromOnCreateMethod = false;
}

If you are getting a black screen, then I would assume your code is being run on the UI thread and not on the background, causing the UI to hang until the work is completed.
One of the best solutions to doing background work is an AsyncTask. Using this, you can call it in your onCreate() method, and when its done, it will post a callback to the UI thread for you in which you can display you data.
If you want this method to run everytime this Activity displays, then call it in onResume(). Otherwise, call it in onCreate().

In your onCreate, make the async tasks as the others have advised. Make sure you generate the content for the app first and then call the asyncTasks. You can control your spinners from the callback.

First of all, you might want to increase your accept rate, 39% is pretty low.
Anyway, you might want to check AsyncTask, it should do the thing. http://developer.android.com/reference/android/os/AsyncTask.html
Typically, you will want to initialize in onPreExecute, do the networking in the doInBackGround, and set the result to the UI thread on the OnPostExecute. Hope this will help.

Use AssynchTask() and you should call super.onResume() or any lifecycle method in respective life cycle method first then other specific method you want to do....