I am developing an Android app with a homescreen widget, which is an imageButton, and i want the image of the button to change after its been pressed. I have tried selector in an xml file, to change the image of the button, but it changes it only when it is pressed, but it goes back when its released.
I want it to change image after it was pressed and when the code inside the WidgetProvider is executed, it changes the image back to the default one.
I tried to do it programatically(in onRecieve() method), I guess it should be something with RemoteViews but whatever i try, it doesnt work.
Could someone help my with this? I saw many people asking about it, but most of the posts were either pretty old or the solutions were not working for me.
Thank you :)
Normally you'd set the image on the surface of the ImageButton using the setImageResource method (ImageButton inherits it from ImageView), but that method isn't available for RemoteViews.
RemoteViews offers a corresponding setImageViewResource method that does what you want (as well as setImageViewBitmap and setImageViewUri depending on how you'd like to provide the image data).
The code to set the image (say, within your BroadcastReceiver's onReceive method) would look something like this:
#Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
int appWidgetId = intent.getIntExtra("appWidgetId", -1);
RemoteViews views = new RemoteViews(context.getPackageName(), R.layout.main);
views.setImageViewResource(R.id.imageButton1, R.drawable.awesome_image);
AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager = AppWidgetManager.getInstance(context);
appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget(appWidgetId, views);
}
Note that the code above assumes you've added the id of the widget to be manipulated as an extra to the broadcast intent (wrapped in a PendingIntent that is sent when the user clicks the ImageButton) using the key "appWidgetId". You'll most likely want to do that in the onUpdate method of your AppWidgetProvider, like so:
#Override
public void onUpdate(Context context, AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager, int[] appWidgetIds) {
for (int i = 0; i < appWidgetIds.length; i++) {
int appWidgetId = appWidgetIds[i];
Intent intent = new Intent ("YourActionHere");
intent.putExtra("appWidgetId", appWidgetId);
PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(context, i, intent, 0);
RemoteViews views = new RemoteViews(context.getPackageName(), R.layout.main);
views.setImageViewResource(R.id.imageButton1, R.drawable.initial_image);
views.setOnClickPendingIntent(R.id.imageButton1, pendingIntent);
appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget(appWidgetId, views);
}
}
A simple but not elegant way is:
boolean isButtonSelected = false;
..
button.setOnClickListener(buttonListener);
..
OnClickListener buttonListener = new OnClickListener() {
#Override
public void onClick(View arg0) {
if(isButtonSelected ){
isButtonSelected = false;
button.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.buttonOff); // or setImageResource(..);
} else{
isButtonSelected = true;
button.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.buttonOn);
}
}
};
I am trying to make a widget for my app, and I want it to be with a buttonm progress bar and text view, which would later be changed, so I need to somehow work with the views themselves, like I can from an activity, show a view, hide a view, change a button background etc...
I tried tweaking with the sample code from the Android documentations, but I can only start an activity with this
public class WidgetProvider extends AppWidgetProvider {
#Override
public void onUpdate(Context context, AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager, int[] appWidgetIds) {
super.onUpdate(context, appWidgetManager, appWidgetIds);
final int N = appWidgetIds.length;
for (int i = 0; i < N; i++) {
int appWidgetId = appWidgetIds[i];
Intent intent = new Intent(context, ActivityMain.class);
PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(context, 0, intent, 0);
RemoteViews views = new RemoteViews(context.getPackageName(), R.layout.widget_layout);
views.setOnClickPendingIntent(R.id.sync_button, pendingIntent);
appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget(appWidgetId, views);
}
}
#Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
super.onReceive(context, intent);
}
}
Does the widget need to be connected to an activity in order to make actions (connect to the internet, write in the database, write in the objects of the apps instance (if there is one))? And can I work with views the way I am asking?
Outside of setting on-click PendingIntents on views, there isn't much you can do inside of a widget. The standard recipe is:
Make a PendingIntent that sends a broadcast (PendingIntent.getBroadcast()) and set it on the appropriate view in your widget.
In the BroadcastReceiver that receives the intent, you update the widget to show a spinner and start a Service to do whatever long-running work you want to do (e.g connect to the internet).
Once that work is done, you can update your widget again and remove the spinner.
I created a class that downloads some text from the internet and I want to take that text and update a TextView in my widget. I know that the event (OnDownloadCompleteListener) is getting triggered because I'm Logging it but I can't figure out how to update the TextView from within that event. I know it's a newbie mistake, just not sure what I'm missing.
public class Widget extends AppWidgetProvider{
InternetText internettext; //Handles downloading the text from the internet
RemoteViews views;
public void onUpdate(Context context, AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager, int[] appWidgetIds) {
final int N = appWidgetIds.length;
// Perform this loop procedure for each App Widget that belongs to this provider
for (int i=0; i<N; i++) {
int appWidgetId = appWidgetIds[i];
// Create an Intent to launch ExampleActivity
Intent intent = new Intent(context, MainActivity.class);
PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(context, 0, intent, 0);
// Get the layout for the App Widget and attach an on-click listener
// to the button
views = new RemoteViews(context.getPackageName(), R.layout.widget);
views.setOnClickPendingIntent(R.id.tvWidgetVerse, pendingIntent);
internettext = new InternetText(context);
internettext.setOnDownloadCompleteListener(new OnDownloadCompleteListener() {
#Override
public void onEvent() {
TheText thetext = internettext.downloadedText(); //The text object
Log.i("", "Widget Text Downloaded " + thetext.getText()); //This fires so I know we've downloaded the text
TextStyling textStyle = new TextStyling();
//*****THIS IS WHERE I'M HAVING THE PROBLEM********
views.setTextViewText(R.id.tvWidgetText, Html.fromHtml(textStyle.boldWords(thetext.getText()))); //this never updates
}
});
internettext.getText();
// Tell the AppWidgetManager to perform an update on the current app widget
appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget(appWidgetId, views);
}
}
}
Ok, I figured it out. I have to call appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget() from within the event. I knew it was a no-brainer...
appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget(appWidgetId, views);
which also means I have to make appWidgetManager and appWidgetId final
public void onUpdate(Context context, final AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager, int[] appWidgetIds) {
...
}
WHAT I NEED
I'm developing a custom Android launcher for a company, which will be installed on this company's tablets and therefore won't be published on any store.
It's basically a grid with widgets managed remotely (by a background service we're creating), which means that the app should decide which widgets to add or remove whenever the user opens it.
WHAT I HAVE
I'm using the following code to add the widgets:
AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager = AppWidgetManager.getInstance(getContext());
AppWidgetHost appWidgetHost = new AppWidgetHost(getContext(), APPWIDGET_HOST_ID);
appWidgetHost.startListening();
List<AppWidgetProviderInfo> appWidgetInfos appWidgetInfos = appWidgetManager.getInstalledProviders();
for(int j = 0; j < appWidgetInfos.size(); j++)
{
if (appWidgetInfos.get(j).provider.getPackageName().equals(widgetPackage))
{
// Allocates an id
int appWidgetId = appWidgetHost.allocateAppWidgetId();
// Gets the app widget info
AppWidgetProviderInfo appWidgetProviderInfo = appWidgetInfos.get(j);
// Creates Widget
AppWidgetHostView hostView = appWidgetHost.createView(getContext(), appWidgetId, appWidgetProviderInfo);
hostView.setAppWidget(appWidgetId, appWidgetProviderInfo);
// Insers the view to the layout grid
insertView(row, column, rowspan, columnspan, hostView);
//
break;
}
}
And it works just fine. The widget shows and it's buttons respond to user touch.
Here's one of the the widgets onUpdate:
public void onUpdate(Context context, AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager, int[] appWidgetIds)
{
// Perform this loop procedure for each App Widget that belongs to this provider
for (int appWidgetId : appWidgetIds)
{
// Create an Intent to launch ExampleActivity
Intent launchAppIntent = new Intent(context, MapActivity.class);
PendingIntent launchApp = PendingIntent.getActivity(context, 0, launchAppIntent, 0);
// Get the layout for the App Widget and attach an on-click listener
// to the button
RemoteViews views = new RemoteViews(context.getPackageName(), R.layout.widget_layout);
views.setOnClickPendingIntent(R.id.widget_layout, launchApp);
// Tell the AppWidgetManager to perform an update on the current app widget
appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget(appWidgetId, views);
}
}
THE PROBLEM
One of the widgets (shown above) calls an Intent to start it's fullscreen Activity when clicked, and this doesn't work on my custom launcher, though it works perfectly on the default home launcher.
I have an Android application with a widget, that has buttons. This code works.
The buttons on the widget stop working when something happens, such as changing the language of the phone. I use shared preferences, so if the user reinstalls the app (without uninstalling), the buttons are working again and the settings remain the set ones.
I have noticed the Intents in my AppWidgetProvider class (code beneath this analysis) are not fired appropriately.
I added a Toast message to the Call1 class instantiated from AppWidgetProvider, but it doesn't display.
My UpdateService.java is just getting the set preferences and customizing the widget's appearance, so I don't think it could possibly be related to my issue.
My Main.java file merely consists of spinners and saves shared preferences, which means I select "Computer" in a spinner, so that the "Computer" text appears on the widget. It also does not disappear when I change the language of the phone, and neither do images. Therefore, I believe UpdateService.java must be ok.
Here is the AppWidgetProvider class:
public class HelloWidget extends AppWidgetProvider {
public static String ACTION_WIDGET_CONFIGURE = "ConfigureWidget";
public static String ACTION_WIDGET_CONFIGURE2 = "ConfigureWidget";
public static String ACTION_WIDGET_RECEIVER = "ActionReceiverWidget";
public static String ACTION_WIDGET_RECEIVER2 = "ActionReceiverWidget";
private static final int REQUEST_CODE_FOUR = 40;
private static final int REQUEST_CODE_FIVE = 50;
private static final int REQUEST_CODE_SIX = 60;
private static final int REQUEST_CODE_SEVEN = 70;
private static final int REQUEST_CODE_EIGHT = 80;
#Override
public void onUpdate(Context context, AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager, int[] appWidgetIds) {
context.startService(new Intent(context, UpdateService.class));
//Intent widgetUpdateIntent = new Intent(context, UpdateService.class);
//context.startService(widgetUpdateIntent );
RemoteViews remoteViews = new RemoteViews(context.getPackageName(), R.layout.widgetmain2);
//P1 starts Call1.class
Intent configIntent4 = new Intent(context, Call1.class);
configIntent4.setAction(ACTION_WIDGET_CONFIGURE);
PendingIntent configPendingIntent4 = PendingIntent.getActivity(context, REQUEST_CODE_FOUR, configIntent4, 0);
remoteViews.setOnClickPendingIntent(R.id.ImageView01, configPendingIntent4);
//P2 starts Call2.class
Intent configIntent5 = new Intent(context, Call2.class);
configIntent5.setAction(ACTION_WIDGET_CONFIGURE);
PendingIntent configPendingIntent5 = PendingIntent.getActivity(context, REQUEST_CODE_FIVE, configIntent5, 0);
remoteViews.setOnClickPendingIntent(R.id.ImageView02, configPendingIntent5);
//P3 starts Call3.class
Intent configIntent6 = new Intent(context, Call3.class);
configIntent6.setAction(ACTION_WIDGET_CONFIGURE);
PendingIntent configPendingIntent6 = PendingIntent.getActivity(context, REQUEST_CODE_SIX, configIntent6, 0);
remoteViews.setOnClickPendingIntent(R.id.ImageView03, configPendingIntent6);
//P4 starts Call4.class
Intent configIntent7 = new Intent(context, Call4.class);
configIntent7.setAction(ACTION_WIDGET_CONFIGURE);
PendingIntent configPendingIntent7 = PendingIntent.getActivity(context, REQUEST_CODE_SEVEN, configIntent7, 0);
remoteViews.setOnClickPendingIntent(R.id.ImageView04, configPendingIntent7);
//P5 starts Call5.class
Intent configIntent8 = new Intent(context, Call5.class);
configIntent8.setAction(ACTION_WIDGET_CONFIGURE);
PendingIntent configPendingIntent8 = PendingIntent.getActivity(context, REQUEST_CODE_EIGHT, configIntent8, 0);
remoteViews.setOnClickPendingIntent(R.id.ImageView05, configPendingIntent8);
appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget(appWidgetIds, remoteViews);
}
#Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
final String action = intent.getAction();
if (AppWidgetManager.ACTION_APPWIDGET_DELETED.equals(action))
{
final int appWidgetId = intent.getExtras().getInt(
AppWidgetManager.EXTRA_APPWIDGET_ID,AppWidgetManager.INVALID_APPWIDGET_ID);
if (appWidgetId != AppWidgetManager.INVALID_APPWIDGET_ID)
{
this.onDeleted(context, new int[] { appWidgetId });
}
}
else
{
if (intent.getAction().equals(ACTION_WIDGET_RECEIVER))
{
String msg = "null";
try {
msg = intent.getStringExtra("msg");
} catch (NullPointerException e) {
//Log.e("Error", "msg = null");
}
}
super.onReceive(context, intent);
}
}
}
I also have an EditPreferences.java, GlobalVars.java and some other now meaningless classes. The names of the classes speak for themselves.
One other thing. I also have a Widgetmain.java:
public class WidgetMain extends Activity {
/** Called when the activity is first created. */
#Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.widgetmain2);
}
static void updateAppWidget(Context context, AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager, int appWidgetId)
{
RemoteViews remoteViews = new RemoteViews(context.getPackageName(), R.layout.widgetmain2);
appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget(appWidgetId, remoteViews);
}
}
Edit: How about this:
When I install this app on my colleague's ZTE Blade the textviews on the widget are not loaded with the appropriate text, just with the one determined in the strings.xml.
When I reinstall the app (without uninstalling), the textviews are loaded and everything is fine. This problem doesn't emerge on my HTC Desire HD.
The textviews are load in the aforementioned UpdateService.java like this (part of the code):
RemoteViews updateViews = new RemoteViews(this.getPackageName(), R.layout.main);
updateViews.setTextViewText(R.id.widget_textview, name);
ComponentName thisWidget = new ComponentName(this, HelloWidget.class);
AppWidgetManager manager = AppWidgetManager.getInstance(this);
manager.updateAppWidget(thisWidget, updateViews);
Even if "name" is static (e.g. String name="Something"), that textview is still not loaded at the first install.
Try to update the RemoteViews with the click listeners whenever you create new instance by "new RemoteViews". Maybe the RemoteViews are freshly loaded from the XML in some circumstances, therefor the click listeners needs to be re-assigned.
My UpdateService.java is just getting the set preferences and customizing the widget's appearance, so I don't think it could possibly be related to my issue.
It is possible it is related, in as much that you could use it to "refresh" the pending intent. I have a similar issue in my appwidget that an image button stops responding to clicks after some random run time (hours).
I found this thread:
AppWidget Button onClick stops working
And this quote:
The pending intent is "burned" after each use. You need to set it again. Or wait for the widget to get refreshed, then it happens, too, but that's probably not the desired way.
Given that the widget update time normally is set at many hours or days (mine is 86400000 milli seconds) in order to prevent the phone going out of suspend every so many minutes your widget will not often run onUpdate. It is possible that setting the pending intent ALSO in the update service will prevent the problem you describe.Each time the update service runs the pending intent is re-created.
I have today added this possible fix to my appwidget and I have to wait and see if the fix really works, but so far so good.
I added the following code in the update service' loop where it refreshes each widget:
for (int i=0; i<appWidgetIds.length; i++)
{
appWidgetId=appWidgetIds[i];
/* other stuff to do */
RemoteViews views=new RemoteViews(context.getPackageName(), R.layout.example_appwidget);
/* here you "refresh" the pending intent for the button */
Intent clickintent=new Intent("net.example.appwidget.ACTION_WIDGET_CLICK");
PendingIntent pendingIntentClick=PendingIntent.getBroadcast(context, 0, clickintent, 0);
views.setOnClickPendingIntent(R.id.example_appwidget_button, pendingIntentClick);
appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget(appWidgetId, views);
/* then tell the widget manager to update */
appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget(appWidgetId, views);
}
The problem is that you can't do a partiall update for a widget, you must set all the widget features, such as the set of PendingIntent's every time you push a new remoteView. (Partiall updates are only available for API14 and up...).
The reason your widgets are loosing their pendingIntents is that the android system saves the remoteView, and rebuilds your widget with it, in case it resets the widget (shortage of memmory, TaskManager/taskKiller in use, etc...), so you must set all the update code for the widget in the remoteView in your updateService. Otherwise, it's just won't set the pendingIntents again.
So just add the code setting the pendingIntents to the service and your problem will be solved =]
I think the PendingIntents may need a flag passed to them, maybe try changing:
PendingIntent.getActivity(context, REQUEST_CODE, configIntent, 0);
to:
PendingIntent.getActivity(context, REQUEST_CODE, configIntent, PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);
From the PendingIntent documentation, I think code '0' is undefined. In this case FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT would work best, as you probably want to update the Intent every time the button is clicked.
Given all the information you gave, I'd say your update method is not triggered properly when the preferences are changed.
I expect after so much tests, you have verified your Manifest file contains:
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.appwidget.action.APPWIDGET_UPDATE" />
</intent-filter>
Have you confirmed onUpdate ever runs? It seems to me that if reinstalling the application without deinstalling solves your issues, it might be because it forces an update call.
After careful check, it turns out that ScanPlayGames has a point: the official documentation's example uses super.onUpdate(). Note that it uses it at the end of the method, but several examples on Internet state you're better served using it at the start of your method.
I've had that problem for long time. My widget has button #(onUpdate). The widget has a service for updates. The button on the widget stop working when something happens, like: changing the font, etc..
When i re-install the app, the button works again. Finally, I realized that i never called onUpdate in my Service class.
Calling onUpdate from the service class fixed the problem.
If someone still has this problem try setting the attribute android:updatePeriodMillis in your AppWidgetProviderInfo;
The operating system can kill the pending intent for various reasons and your buttons can stop to work. When you set this attribute, you are telling Android when it should call the onUpdate method in the AppWidgetProvider, so all pending intents will be re-created.
<appwidget-provider xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
...
android:updatePeriodMillis="3600000">
</appwidget-provider>