This is for a GPS. I have a parent class with an embedded receiver class, and a separate LocationTrackingService class that handles the GPS stuff. I need to Broadcast the mileage traveled to update the UI, but the broadcast is never received. This is the only BroadcastReceiver in the project. I guess I could set a timer to have my ServiceConnection check every couple of seconds and grab the new mileage, but that's bad coding.
Nothing is in the Manifest because I'm registering and unregistering dynamically.
public class Parent
{
GPSReceiver gpsreceiver;
public class EmbeddedReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver
{
#Override
public void onReceive(Context arg0, Intent intent)
{
Bundle extras = intent.getExtras();
if (extras != null) {
distance = extras.getDouble(LocationTrackingService.UPDATE_MILEAGE_MESSAGE);
}
}
}
#Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
{
gpsReceiver = new EmbeddedReceiver();
}
private void gpsStart()
{
if (gpsReceiver != null) {
intentFilter = new IntentFilter();
intentFilter.addAction("don't know what goes here");
LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(this).registerReceiver(gpsReceiver, intentFilter);
}
}
private void gpsStop()
{
if (gpsReceiver != null) {
LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(this).unregisterReceiver(gpsReceiver);
}
}
}
public class LocationTrackingService extends Service
{
private LocalBroadcastManager broadcaster;
#Override
public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId)
{
super.onStartCommand(intent, flags, startId);
broadcaster = LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(this);
return START_STICKY;
}
.... code
private void sendResult(String message)
{
Intent i = new Intent("ParentActivity");
i.setAction("ParentActivity");
if (message != null) {
i.putExtra(message, mileageRunningTotal);
}
broadcaster.sendBroadcast(i);
}
}
When I follow the code into LocalBroadcastManager, on line 215 it does mActions.get(intent.getAction() to get an ArrayList<ReceiverRecord>, and it's null, but I don't know why.
I appreciate any help you can give.
Broadcasts work in such a way that the action acts as a trigger for the receiver. In other words, there are tons of broadcasts being sent around throughout your phone at any given time, the goal of the receiver is to catch the broadcast with the corresponding action when it flies by. It will let all other broadcasts continue through without interruption. Once it finds the one it is looking for, it will receive it and perform the onReceive() functionality.
Though an action can be any string key you care for it to be, it is advised to add in your package name. This gives specificity to your broadcast and allows your broadcast to be more easily managed in the barrage of broadcasts that your phone is sending. This is important as broadcasts can be sent between applications. It makes it so you avoid the following scenario
Application A sends out a system broadcast with action "SOME_ACTION" which we have no interest in. Application B will also be sending out a local broadcast with action "SOME_ACTION" which we are awnt to receive. We will setup Receiver 1 to look for and receive the action "SOME_ACTION" from Application B. However, because of conflicting actions, when Application A sends out a broadcast of "SOME_ACTION", we will inappropriately receive it in Receiver 1 and perform our onReceive() functionality as though we had just received a local broadcast from Application B.
Following recommended convention, you avoid the above situation by doing the following
Instead of setting your action as "SOME_ACTION", it would be set to "com.app_b.package.SOME_ACTION". That way when the broadcast action "com.app_a.package.SOME_ACTION" passes by, it won't be confused for our action and will be allowed to pass.
There may be other reasons for using package name, and this may not be the best of them, but to the best of my knowledge this is the reasoning behind the convention.
I cant see the declaration for the broadcaster object.
broadcaster.sendBroadcast(i);
Is it a Local Broadcast Manager instance?
If not it won't work.
Related
I have registered BroadcastReceiver for Calendar Provider. Code works fine but when I just change one calendar event - I get several broadcasted intents. This would not be too much annoying but each intent in my app causes download all calendar events for specific time period. There could be lots of events in several days and each includes String texts and other data. Extra broadcasted intents force exchange too many extra data. And this all happens on mobile device connected to cellular or Wi-Fi network. This wastes traffic and battery.
I do not know - is there a way to separate really creative intent from others. Code is simple:
class RegisterReceiver implements Runnable
{
private Activity a;
private CalendarReceiver receiver;
public RegisterReceiver(Activity _a){
a = _a;
}
public void run(){
IntentFilter filter = new IntentFilter();
filter.addAction(Intent.ACTION_PROVIDER_CHANGED);
filter.addDataScheme("content");
filter.addDataAuthority("com.android.calendar", null);
a.registerReceiver(receiver = new CalendarReceiver(), filter);
}
public CalendarReceiver getreceiver()
{
return receiver;
}
}
class CalendarReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver
{
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent)
{
MainControl.DebugMessage( intent.getAction() );
MainControl.calendarChanged();
}
}
The MainControl.calendarChanged(); forces further processing. The intent.getAction() just contains info this is a "provider changed" intent. On each calendar action it appears several times with long delays. It is the same when I add calendar events, delete ot change them. Is there a way how to define which one intent is "my"? Is there any description of how to separate new, deleted, changed event intents?
I've look at many solutions to other questions with similar issues but I can't figure out what's wrong with my code. I understand that LocalBroadcast is a popular way to do this and I've spent time trying to implement it. At the moment, the receiver isn't declared in my manifest but from what I understand, that's what the register lines are for.
In my activity:
private BroadcastReceiver mMessageReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
#Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
Log.d("MyActivity", "onReceive");
String action = intent.getAction();
int current = intent.getIntExtra("test", 0);
Toast.makeText(MyActivity.this, current.toString(), Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
}
};
#Override
public void onResume() {
super.onResume();
Log.d("MyActivity", "onResume()");
LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(MyActivity.this).registerReceiver(
mMessageReceiver, new IntentFilter("currentUpdate"));
}
#Override
protected void onPause() {
Log.d("MyActivity", "onPause()");
LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(MyActivity.this).unregisterReceiver(mMessageReceiver);
super.onPause();
}
In the service I have a method defined:
private void sendNewBroadcast(Intent intent, int current){
intent.putExtra("test", current);
LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(this).sendBroadcast(intent);
Log.d("MyService", "new Broadcast sent from service");
}
and I use it like this elsewhere in the service:
Intent intent = new Intent("currentUpdate");
sendNewBroadcast(intent, 5);
I've debugged and everything seems to be working except for the 'receiving' part. Am I missing something? The service is started in a different activity and is ongoing.
Firstly, the action String on the broadcast Intent needs to match the action set on the IntentFilter you're registering the Receiver with. Originally, they were different, but it was possibly just a typo.
Secondly, LocalBroadcastManager does not work across processes. The Activity and the Service must be running in the same process to be able to use LocalBroadcastManager. If the Service needs to be in a separate process, you'll have to use some other mechanism; e.g., Intents, broadcasts sent and received on a Context, some event bus implementation that supports IPC, etc.
I'd like to notify my Activity of any Wifi connection changes using the BroadcastReceiver. Since this broadcast is within the application I'm trying to use the more efficient LocalBroadcastManager object.
However no matter what I do, the BroadcastReceiver.onReceive() method will not fire. I may have wired it up incorrectly, or perhaps the WifiManager.NETWORK_STATE_CHANGED_ACTION action I'm listening for cannot be registered against a LocalBroadcastManager? Any help or clarification would be appreciated.
Here's a sample of my Activity class which contains all the logic.
public class MyActivity extends ActionBarActivity {
private BroadcastReceiver wifiReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
#Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
String action = intent.getAction();
if (action.equals(WifiManager.NETWORK_STATE_CHANGED_ACTION))
{
// Do something
}
}
};
#Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_my);
IntentFilter wifiStatusIntentFilter = new IntentFilter();
wifiStatusIntentFilter.addAction(WifiManager.NETWORK_STATE_CHANGED_ACTION);
wifiStatusIntentFilter.addAction(WifiManager.WIFI_STATE_CHANGED_ACTION);
LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(this).registerReceiver(wifiReceiver, wifiStatusIntentFilter);
}
protected void onPause() {
super.onPause();
LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(this).unregisterReceiver(wifiReceiver);
}
protected void onResume() {
super.onResume();
IntentFilter wifiStatusIntentFilter = new IntentFilter();
wifiStatusIntentFilter.addAction(WifiManager.NETWORK_STATE_CHANGED_ACTION);
LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(this).registerReceiver(wifiReceiver, wifiStatusIntentFilter);
}
}
When I switch the wifi on my mobile on and off, or enter and leave the wifi range, the onReceive() method is never fired.
You can't receive WifiManager.NETWORK_STATE_CHANGED_ACTION with LocalBroadcastManager. LocalBroadcastManager works only within your process.
Helper to register for and send broadcasts of Intents to local objects
within your process. This is has a number of advantages over sending
global broadcasts with sendBroadcast(Intent):
You know that the data you are broadcasting won't leave your app, so don't need to worry about leaking private data.
It is not possible for other applications to send these broadcasts to your app, so you don't need to worry about having security holes
they can exploit.
It is more efficient than sending a global broadcast through the system.
You should use registerReceiver of Context
Since this broadcast is within the application I'm trying to use the more efficient LocalBroadcastManager object.
That only works for broadcasts that you send via LocalBroadcastManager. It does not work for system broadcasts, particularly those sent by other processes.
perhaps the WifiManager.NETWORK_STATE_CHANGED_ACTION action I'm listening for cannot be registered against a LocalBroadcastManager?
Correct.
I created a BroadcastReceiver and it runs only when my app shown in recent apps menu. If I remove my app from the recent apps the BroadcastReceiver will stop working.
How can I keep the BroadcastReceiver in background?
I register the BroadcastReceiver from my main activity (in OnCreate()).
IntentFilter intentFilter = new IntentFilter(Intent.ACTION_BATTERY_CHANGED);
registerReceiver(receiver, intentFilter);
BroadcastReceiver receiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
#Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
}
};
This is not how you should register a receiver. You receiver stops working, because you construct it in onCreate, which means it will live as long as your app is alive. When the app gets destroyed, you also lose the the receiver.
If you register receiver inside an activity, you should always register it in onResume and deregister onPause, which will make it available while the activity is visible to the user. This is a use case when you want to have an active receiver while user interacts with an activity.
If you want a background receiver, you need to register it inside the AndroidManifest (with intent filter), add an IntentService and start it when you receive a broadcast in the receiver.
Here is a tutorial, you are interested in chapter 3.
If you need to be always on, start a foreground service. There is function in Service that lets you: startForeground. Then register your receiver when service is created and deregister when it's destroyed. Foreground services are quite nasty though.
Use a service with it.
Services can survive when the app dies if they have the right flag example:
public class MyService extends Service {
public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
return START_STICKY; //this defines this service to stay alive
}
#Override
public void onCreate() {
super.onCreate();
appStatus = APPISUP;
//This is a thread that stays alive for as long as you need
new CheckActivityStatus().execute();
//Not needed but in case you wish to lauch other apps from it
}
private class CheckActivityStatus extends AsyncTask<String, Integer, String> {
#Override
protected String doInBackground(String... params) {
while(true) {
... //add something that breaks eventually
}
}
}
To lauch the service you have to lauch it from an activity like so:
Intent service = new Intent(getBaseContext(), MyService.class);
startService(service);
With the service the BroadcastReceiver still functions receiving whatever you want.
Note that the service sometimes stops and comes back. I haven't found out why but I'm betting on priorities of other apps that may ask the system to halt the service
I'm wanting to implement what CommonsWare describes on this blog post: http://commonsware.com/blog/2010/08/11/activity-notification-ordered-broadcast.html. The post makes sense, and I was able to browse the example source here: https://github.com/commonsguy/cw-advandroid/tree/master/Broadcast.
What I'm curious about is if calling LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(UnzipService.this).sendBroadcast(broadcast); inside of a service will still be picked up by a broadcast receiver of the type you define in your manifest.
In case what I'm asking isn't clear, what I'm trying to do is use the LocalBroadcastManager because the broadcasts from my service don't necessarily need to be seen system wide and I'd rather keep them private if possible, but I also want to display notifications if the user closes my app and the service is still running. Is there a way to combine both of those capabilities without sending a broadcast twice inside of the service?
(What I don't want to have to do) like:
LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(UnzipService.this).sendBroadcast(broadcast);
sendOrderedBroadcast(broadcast);
What I'm curious about is if calling LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(UnzipService.this).sendBroadcast(broadcast); inside of a service will still be picked up by a broadcast receiver of the type you define in your manifest.
No. LocalBroadcastManager only works with receivers registered with the LocalBroadcastManager singleton itself. Moreover, LocalBroadcastManager does not support ordered broadcasts, last I checked.
what I'm trying to do is use the LocalBroadcastManager because the broadcasts from my service don't necessarily need to be seen system wide and I'd rather keep them private if possible
So long as you are not using an <intent-filter> on your BroadcastReceiver in the manifest, and therefore are using an explicit Intent as the broadcast itself, your broadcast will only be seen by yourself and the bit of the OS that manages broadcasts. Other apps will not be able to spy upon it.
If you only have 2 objects that might handle your broadcast (in your case an Activity and a notifications controller), you can achieve the behavior of a ordered broadcast using only the LocalBroadcastManager.
The general idea is:
Set up your Service so that it broadcasts an Intent to your Activity with a particular action when you want to display your result
In your Activity create a BroadcastReceiver that handles your Service result Intent, and register it on the LocalBroadcastManager with an IntentFilter using the action from step 1
In your Service, when the results are available, try to send the result Intent using LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(Context).sendBroadcast(Intent) this method returns a boolean that indicates if the broadcast has been sent to at least one receiver. If this boolean is false, it means that your Activity didn't handle your broadcast and you should show a notification instead.
In your service:
public UnzipService extends IntentService {
public static final String ACTION_SHOWRESULT = UnzipService.class.getCanonicalName() + ".ACTION_SHOWRESULT";
#Override
protected void onHandleIntent(Intent intent) {
Thread.sleep(500); // Do the hard work
// Then try to notify the Activity about the results
Intent activityIntent = new Intent(this, YourActivity.class);
activityIntent.setAction(ACTION_SHOWRESULT);
activityIntent.putExtra(SOME_KEY, SOME_RESULTVALUE); // Put the result into extras
boolean broadcastEnqueued = LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(this).sendBroadcast(activityIntent);
if (!broadcastEnqueued) { // Fallback to notification!
PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(this, (int) System.currentTimeMillis(), activityIntent, PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);
((NotificationManager) context.getSystemService(Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE))
.notify(SOME_ID, new NotificationCompat.Builder(this)
.setContentIntent(pendingIntent)
.setTicker("results available")
.setContentText("results")
.build());
}
}
}
In your Activity:
public YourActivity extends Activity {
private BroadcastReceiver resultReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
#Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
processResult(intent); // Results Intent received through local broadcast
}
}
private IntentFilter resultFilter = new IntentFilter(UnzipService.ACTION_SHOWRESULT);
#Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate();
Intent intent = getIntent();
if (UnzipService.ACTION_SHOWRESULT.equals(intent.getAction())) {
// The Activity has been launched with a tap on the notification
processResult(intent); // Results Intent contained in the notification PendingIntent
}
}
#Override
protected void onResume() {
super.onResume();
LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(this)
.registerReceiver(resultReceiver, resultFilter);
}
#Override
protected void onPause() {
LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(this)
.unregisterReceiver(resultReceiver);
super.onPause();
}
private void processResult(Intent intent) {
// Show the results from Intent extras
}
}
This should be a complete working example.
I hope this helps who is trying to implement ordered broadcasts with LocalBroadcastManager from support library!
I understand you want to achieve the following:
"I have an event that occurs in the background. I want to update my activity, if the activity is on the screen. Otherwise, I want to raise a Notification." (#TheCommonsBlog)
You can achieve this behaviour by implementing a ResultReceiver.
Examples Restful API service and
http://itekblog.com/background-processing-with-intentservice-class/
What you basically do is instance a ResultReceiver in your Activity and pass it to the Service like a Parcelable parameter through an intent. Then, each time your service whats to update the UI, the service verifies the ResultReceiver object for NULL. If not NULL, you update the Ui via the onReceiveResult interface. Else, you raise a notification. When your activity dismisses, make sure you set the ResultReceiver on the Service to NULL.
Hope it helps.
PS: IMO, broadcasts are too much work and hard to control.
Use LocalBroadcastManager and broadcasts become easy to use.
I am not in favor of updating an Activity if an event occurs in the background. The user might already be doing something else in the Activity. Seems to me that a Notification is sufficient; it's always visible and remains until the user dismisses it. Gmail and Gcal work like this; Gmail doesn't update the current screen if a new mail comes in. If you want to know how to handle the task flow for handling a notification when the user is already in the app, see the Notifications API guide and also the [Notifying The User2 training class.