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...
}

Stop watch timer that increments (like countdowntimer)

I have been using countdowntimer and it has performed perfectly. Now I want to implement the opposite (Something like stop watch) in which the time updates the screen every second and it increments forever till I stop.
Is there a way (similar in simplicity) that does the job sort of like Countdowntimer? I know I can use Timer and Timertask but this creates new thread and I read that it is not that reliable (or recommended).
Thank you

Looks like a Chronometer object is what you need.
By setting a tick listener, you will get a tick every second (unfortunately that's the minimum precision available, but from the question it looks like it's enough for your needs).

If you add the following class to you project, you can use it just like the CountDownTimer class:
public abstract class Stopwatch extends Thread {
int tickFreq;
public Stopwatch(int tickFreq) {
this.tickFreq = tickFreq;
}
abstract void onTick();
#Override
public void run() {
onTick();
try {
Thread.sleep(tickFreq);
}
catch (InterruptedException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
super.run();
}
}
And to use it, you would write:
new Stopwatch(1000){
#Override
void onTick() {
// Do whatever you want to do in here
}
}.start();
The param that's passed to the constructor (1000) is how often it should call onTick(). In this case, it's every 1000 milliseconds, i.e. every 1 second.

Populating listview in separate thread

In an activity I load rows of a listview which takes much time, therefore I put this task in a separate thread to allow displaying a progressDialog.
I do the following
private void doMyStuff() {
listItems.clear();
progressDialog.show();
new Thread(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
for () {
listItems.add(something to add);
}
handler.sendEmptyMessage(0);
progressDialog.dismiss();
}
}).start();
}
private Handler handler = new Handler() {
public void handleMessage(android.os.Message msg) {
if (msg.what == 0) {
adapter.notifyDataSetChanged();
}
};
};
I have sometimes a bug which raises an IllegalStateException. First of all I was surprised, because programming thread like that is what I usually do in standard Java programs.
The bug appears only "sometimes" and it does not appear when doing step by step debugging.
This lead me to search around the web and I found some questions in SO related to this and I must admit that things are not clear to my mind.
As I call the notifyDataSetChanged() only when the thread finished why does it sometimes raises an exception.
Can someone confirm me that this way of doing is wrong, and that I MUST use async task and perhaps explain me why ???
I need to have a progressDialog displayed, can someone give me a simple example of AsyncTask populating a listview AND displaying a progressDialog of the populating progress.
Thanks
UPDATE
jtanveer gave me the answer to the asynctask question. Now the others pointed out that the dismiss is not in the handler, which I correct.
According to the article given by jtanveer on "Painless Threading" they say that
Android offers several ways to access the UI thread from other threads which one of them is HANDLER.
Does someone know why putting the dismissed in the handler did not solve my problem ? for me listItem.add has nothing to do with UI ? Am I wrong on that point ?
For me, in my code the only UI is adapter and progressdialog ? Any commentary or explanation is welcome.
FINAL ANSWER
stjom gave a working answer for my specific code. Running the runOnUiThread in the handler. It's working but I am surprised because I thought the handler was run in the Ui Thread ...
Thanx to all for all your answers.

define an inner class like below:
private class LoadListTask extends AsyncTask<String, Void, Integer> {
protected void onPreExecute() {
progressDialog.show();
}
protected Integer doInBackground(String... params) {
for () {
listItems.add(something to add);
}
return 0;
}
protected void onPostExecute(Integer result) {
progressDialog.dismiss();
if (result == 0) {
adapter.notifyDataSetChanged();
}
}
}
if you need, you can refer to this article.

whenever you call adapter.notifyDataSetChanged(); it identifies any changes to your listItems object. if any change is found, it will update the UI accordingly which I think causes your problem. you can call
runOnUiThread(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
adapter.notifyDataSetChanged();
}
});
inside your handler.

You don't need to use AsyncTask, its just a convenience.
As far as why your current implementation doesn't work sometimes -
You should dismiss your progress dialog from the UI thread, so that needs to go in your handler, not your background thread.

Android: Implication of using AsyncTask to make repeated Ajax Calls

I need my Android app to periodically fetch data from a server using AJAX calls, and update the UI accordingly (just a bunch of TextViews that need to be updated with setText()). Note that this involves 2 tasks:
Making an AJAX call, and updating the UI once I receive a response - I use a simple AsyncTask for this.
Doing the above repeatedly, at regular intervals.
I haven't figured out an elegant way to achieve Point 2 above. Currently, I am simply executing the task itself from OnPostExecute(). I read on this thread at SO that I need not worry about garbage collection as far as the AsyncTask objects are concerned.
But I'm still unsure as to how I set up a timer that will fire my AsyncTask after it expires. Any pointers will be appreciated. Here is my code:
public class MyActivity extends Activity {
/** Called when the activity is first created. */
#Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main);
new AjaxRequestTask().execute(MY_REST_API_URL);
}
private void updateReadings(String newReadings) {
//Update the UI
}
class AjaxRequestTask extends AsyncTask<String, Integer, String> {
#Override
protected String doInBackground(String... restApiUrl) {
//Do AJAX Request
}
#Override
protected void onPostExecute(String result) {
updateReadings(result);
/*Is there a more elegant way to achieve this than create a new AsyncTask object every 10 seconds? Also, How can I update the UI if I create a timer here? */
new AjaxRequestTask().execute(MY_REST_API_URL);
}
}
}
Thanks in advance
EDIT:
I tried posting an answer but couldn't do it since I don't have the reputation to answer within 8 hours.
Well, so I found a solution. I'm not convinced however.
protected void onPostExecute(String result) {
updateReadings(result);
// super.onPostExecute(result);
new Timer().schedule(
new TimerTask() {
#Override
public void run() {
new AjaxRequestTask().execute(MY_REST_API_URL);
}
},
TIMER_ONE_TIME_EXECUTION_DELAY
);
}
Are there any flip sides that I should be aware of when I use this? In particular, I am seeing lots of GCs happening in the LogCat. Also, I am wondering how an AsyncTask can be candidate for GC unless the onPostExecute() completes?
How can I "stop" the updates? One way I thought of was to make the very first AsyncTask instance as a member variable of the Activity. That way, I can invoke cancel(true) on it and hope that this will "stop" the tasks.
SOLUTION:
In case anyone is looking for something similar - none of the solutions I mentioned here work satisfactorily. They all suffer from OutOfMemory issues. I did not debug into the details of the OOM, but I suspect it could either be because of the recursion, or because of having HTTP-related objects as member variables in the AsyncTask rather than as members of the Activity (basically because of NOT reusing HTTP and other objects).
I discarded this approach for a different one - making my Ajax Calls endlessly in the doInBackground() of my AsyncTask; and updating the UI in onProgressUpdate(). That way I also avoid the overhead of maintaining too many threads or Handlers for updating the UI (remember UI can be updated in onProgressUpdate() ).
This approach also eliminates the need for Timers and TimerTasks, favoring the use of Thread.sleep() instead. This thread on SO has more details and a code snippet too.

Call postDelayed() on any View to schedule a hunk of code to be run on the main application thread after a certain delay. Do this in onPostExecute() of the AsyncTask to create and execute another AsyncTask.
You could use AlarmManager, as others have cited, but I would agree with you that it feels a bit like overkill for timing that occurs purely within an activity.
That being said, if the AJAX calls should be occurring regardless of whether the activity exists, definitely consider switching to AlarmManager and an IntentService.

I think the android way to do this is using AlarmManager. Or you can user a basic java Timer as well. I'd recommend AlarmManager.
Set it up to send some intent with a custom Action, and register a broadcastreceiver for it.

If the ajax calls are only executed in the activity you can just use a timer in the activity which starts the tasks.
Otherwise use a service which uses the AlarmManager and which connects to the gui via a broadcast.

The recommended way to do a repeated task, is via AlarmManager, as alluded to by Scythe. Basically it involves setting up a broadcast listener, and having AlarmManager fire off an intent to that listener at whatever interval you choose. You then would have your broadcast listener call out to the activity to run the AsyncTask. If you need a very tight timer (less than 5s calls I'd say), then you're better off using a Timer within a Service, and using AIDL to call back to the activity.
Instead of talking directly from the broadcast intent, you could also setup an IntentService which you can poke, and use AIDL to update the activity.

This is how I achieved it finally. Note that the AsyncTask cancel(true) method is useless in my scenario because of the recursion. I used what #CommonsWare suggested - used a flag to indicate whether any more tasks should be executed.
public class MyActivity extends Activity {
/*Flag which indicates whether the execution should be halted or not.*/
private boolean mCancelFlag = false;
private AjaxRequestTask mAjaxTask;
/** Called when the activity is first created. */
#Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main);
if(mAjaxTask == null){
mAjaxTask = new AjaxRequestTask();
}
mAjaxTask.execute(MY_REST_API_URL);
}
#Override
protected void onResume() {
super.onResume();
mCancelFlag = false; /*when we resume, we want the tasks to restart. Unset cancel flag*/
/* If the main task is Finished, create a new task and execute it.*/
if(mAjaxTask == null || mAjaxTask.getStatus().equals(AsyncTask.Status.FINISHED)){
new AjaxRequestTask().execute(TLS_REST_API_URL);
}
}
#Override
protected void onPause() {
mCancelFlag = true; /*We want the execution to stop on pause. Set the cancel flag to true*/
super.onPause();
}
#Override
protected void onDestroy() {
mCancelFlag = true;/*We want the execution to stop on destroy. Set the cancel flag to true*/
super.onDestroy();
}
private void updateReadings(String result) {
//Update the UI using the new readings.
}
class AjaxRequestTask extends AsyncTask<String, Integer, String> {
private AjaxRequestTask mChainAjaxRequest;
private Timer mTimer;
private TimerTask mTimerTask;
#Override
protected String doInBackground(String... restApiUrl) {
//Do AJAX call and get the response
return ajaxResponse;
}
#Override
protected void onPostExecute(String result) {
Log.d(TAG, "Updating readings");
updateReadings(result);
// super.onPostExecute(result);
if(mTimer == null){
mTimer = new Timer();
}
if(!mCancelFlag){/*Check if the task has been cancelled prior to creating a new TimerTask*/
if(mTimerTask == null){
mTimerTask = new TimerTask() {
#Override
public void run() {
if(!mCancelFlag){/*One additional level of checking*/
if(mChainAjaxRequest == null){
mChainAjaxRequest = new AjaxRequestTask();
}
mChainAjaxRequest.execute(MY_REST_API_URL);
}
}
};
}
mTimer.schedule(mTimerTask,TIMER_ONE_TIME_EXECUTION_DELAY);
}
}
}
}

How do I cancel an AsyncTask

I am using an Asynctask as the loop controller for a game and noticed that the thread created kept on running after the activity was finished.
I realised that was the correct behaviour of a separate thread and then I tried hunting down answers on how to end the thread when the app enters onPause.
I found lots of similar questions but no direct answers but eventually came up with a method so I'm going to answer my own question here to hopefully help others in future. (And to receive improvements to my answer as well)

Firstly, AsyncTask have a fully valid cancel() method. Secondly, do not use an AsyncTask for a proper game loop. AsyncTask isn't for long-running operations.
Therefore, skip AsyncTask for your game loop and learn how to properly manage pausing / resuming in an ordinary Thread by reading another answer from me here on SO.

public class CamOverlayTest extends Activity {
//...
public static BackgroundLoop BackgroundLoopTask;
//...
#Override
protected void onResume() {
//...
BackgroundLoopTask = new BackgroundLoop();
BackgroundLoopTask.execute();
}
#Override
protected void onPause() {
//...
BackgroundLoopTask.cancel(true);
}
private class BackgroundLoop extends AsyncTask<Void,Integer,Boolean> {
#Override
protected Boolean doInBackground(Void... arg0) {
int count =0;
while (!this.isCancelled()) {
// Basically, this is where the loop checks if the Aysnctask has been asked to be
// cancelled - if so - it exits.
try {
Thread.sleep(1000);
updatePhysics(count);
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
count +=1;
Log.i("SW","Count: "+count);
publishProgress();
}
return true;
}
#Override
protected void onProgressUpdate(Integer... values) {
// swDrawOnTop is my view
swDrawOnTop.invalidate();
}
//...
}