Running a service in background on Android

Here the code is generate to run some process in background through service. For example we are running the time in background and displaying it in the UI. The service coding will be in a seperate class MyService.java

MyService.java

package com.services.demo;

import java.util.Date;


import android.app.Service;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Handler;
import android.os.IBinder;

public class MyService extends Service {
public static final String BROADCAST_ACTION = "com.services.demo.ServiceDemoActivity";
private final Handler handler = new Handler();
Intent intent;



int counter = 0;

@Override
public void onCreate() {
// Called on service created
intent = new Intent(BROADCAST_ACTION);
}

@Override




public void onDestroy() {
// Called on service stopped
}




@Override
public void onStart(Intent intent, int startid) {
int i = 0;
while (i < 101) {    if (i > 100) {
  this.onDestroy();
 } else {
  counter = i;
  i++;
  handler.removeCallbacks(sendUpdatesToUI);
        handler.postDelayed(sendUpdatesToUI, 1 * 1000); // 1 sec
 }




}

}

private Runnable sendUpdatesToUI = new Runnable() {
    public void run() {
        DisplayLoggingInfo();    
        handler.postDelayed(this, 1 * 1000); // 1 sec
    }




};

   private void DisplayLoggingInfo() {

    intent.putExtra("time", new Date().toLocaleString());
    intent.putExtra("counter", String.valueOf(counter));
    sendBroadcast(intent);
   }




public static boolean isRunning() {
return true;
}

@Override




public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
return null;
}
}

So for starting the service and stopping the service we will be using

Java

startService(new Intent(ServiceDemoActivity.this, MyService.class));
stopService(new Intent(ServiceDemoActivity.this, MyService.class));

For updating the UI we need to use the broadcast service. In that BroadcastReceiver we will update the UI

Java

private BroadcastReceiver broadcastReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
@Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
updateDate(intent);
}




};

private void updateDate(Intent intent) {
String time = intent.getStringExtra("time");
TextView date = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.date);
date.setText(time);
}

In the MyService.java the method DisplayLoggingInfo() will send the broadcast to the activity to update the UI, the UI xml code is

main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
 android:orientation="vertical"
 android:layout_width="fill_parent"
 android:layout_height="fill_parent"
 >
<TextView
 android:layout_width="fill_parent"
 android:layout_height="wrap_content"
 android:text="@string/hello"
 android:id="@+id/notification"
 />

 <TextView
 android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:id="@+id/date"
 android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="" android:gravity="center" android:textSize="20sp" android:padding="20dp"/>
 <Button android:id="@+id/stop" android:text="Stop Service" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
</LinearLayout>

If we are opening the application on the first time means, it will be like this

and if we go out and come back to the page means, it will be showing a message like this

and if we stop the service means, it will be showing a message like this

You can download the full source code

Download source

Have a good day.

Show or Hide soft keyboard on opening a dialog or activity in android

For showing the soft keyboard on entering into the activity or to the dialog we can use this coding

Java

InputMethodManager imm = (InputMethodManager) getSystemService(Context.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE);
imm.toggleSoftInput(InputMethodManager.SHOW_FORCED,0);

and for hiding the keyboard

Java

InputMethodManager imm = (InputMethodManager) getSystemService(Context.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE);
imm.hideSoftInputFromWindow(singleedittext.getWindowToken(),0); 

Have a nice day!

Animation for view and activities with and without viewflipper in Android

Now we are going to see some animations in android, three types of animation are given on this pack



Yes as shown in the image we are going to see all these types.
First we can see about Animation using ViewFlipper



Here i had added three views in the viewflipper and i had called the animation changes on scrolling using touchevent, the xml section will be like this

viewer.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<ViewFlipper xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_margin="5dip"
    android:id="@+id/layoutswitcher"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="500dp">
    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent">
        <TextView
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:padding="20dip"
            android:background="@android:color/background_light"
            android:text="Currently you are in Page 1. Scroll right or left to see next page"
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:textStyle="bold" >
        </TextView>
    </LinearLayout>
    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent">
        <TextView
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:padding="20dip"
            android:background="@android:color/darker_gray"
            android:text="Currently you are in Page 2. Scroll right or left to see next page"
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:textStyle="bold" >
        </TextView>
    </LinearLayout>
    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent">
        <TextView
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:padding="20dip"
            android:background="@android:color/white"
            android:text="Currently you are in Page 3. Scroll right or left to see next page"
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:textStyle="bold" >
        </TextView>
    </LinearLayout>
</ViewFlipper>

and in the java we need to apply the animation on touchevent as

ViewerEffect.java

package com.animmer;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.MotionEvent;
import android.view.animation.AccelerateInterpolator;
import android.view.animation.Animation;
import android.view.animation.TranslateAnimation;
import android.widget.ViewFlipper;

public class ViewerEffect extends Activity {
 
    private ViewFlipper vf;  
    private float oldTouchValue;
    
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.viewer);
        
        vf = (ViewFlipper) findViewById(R.id.layoutswitcher);
    }
    
  //for the previous movement
 public static Animation inFromRightAnimation() {

     Animation inFromRight = new TranslateAnimation(
     Animation.RELATIVE_TO_PARENT,  +1.0f, Animation.RELATIVE_TO_PARENT,  0.0f,
     Animation.RELATIVE_TO_PARENT,  0.0f, Animation.RELATIVE_TO_PARENT,   0.0f
     );
     inFromRight.setDuration(400);
     inFromRight.setInterpolator(new AccelerateInterpolator());
     return inFromRight;
     }
    public static Animation outToLeftAnimation() {
     Animation outtoLeft = new TranslateAnimation(
      Animation.RELATIVE_TO_PARENT,  0.0f, Animation.RELATIVE_TO_PARENT,  -1.0f,
      Animation.RELATIVE_TO_PARENT,  0.0f, Animation.RELATIVE_TO_PARENT,   0.0f
     );
     outtoLeft.setDuration(400);
     outtoLeft.setInterpolator(new AccelerateInterpolator());
     return outtoLeft;
     }    
    // for the next movement
    public static Animation inFromLeftAnimation() {
     Animation inFromLeft = new TranslateAnimation(
     Animation.RELATIVE_TO_PARENT,  -1.0f, Animation.RELATIVE_TO_PARENT,  0.0f,
     Animation.RELATIVE_TO_PARENT,  0.0f, Animation.RELATIVE_TO_PARENT,   0.0f
     );
     inFromLeft.setDuration(400);
     inFromLeft.setInterpolator(new AccelerateInterpolator());
     return inFromLeft;
     }
    public static Animation outToRightAnimation() {
     Animation outtoRight = new TranslateAnimation(
      Animation.RELATIVE_TO_PARENT,  0.0f, Animation.RELATIVE_TO_PARENT,  +1.0f,
      Animation.RELATIVE_TO_PARENT,  0.0f, Animation.RELATIVE_TO_PARENT,   0.0f
     );
     outtoRight.setDuration(400);
     outtoRight.setInterpolator(new AccelerateInterpolator());
     return outtoRight;
     }
    
    @Override
    public boolean onTouchEvent(MotionEvent touchevent) {
        switch (touchevent.getAction())
        {
            case MotionEvent.ACTION_DOWN:
            {
                oldTouchValue = touchevent.getX();
                break;
            }
            case MotionEvent.ACTION_UP:
            {
                float currentX = touchevent.getX();
                if (oldTouchValue < currentX)
                {
                    vf.setInAnimation(inFromLeftAnimation());
                    vf.setOutAnimation(outToRightAnimation());
                    vf.showNext();
                }
                if (oldTouchValue > currentX)
                {
                    vf.setInAnimation(inFromRightAnimation());
                    vf.setOutAnimation(outToLeftAnimation());
                    vf.showPrevious();
                }
            break;
            }
        }
        return false;
    }
}

Likewise the next is animation between activities



Yes we here we will be giving animation effect between activities
For animation effects we need to put four files in the anim folder, they are slide_in_left, slide_out_left, slide_in_right and slide_out_right.

Java

overridePendingTransition( R.anim.slide_in_left, R.anim.slide_out_left );

The above code is used to move left to right

Java

overridePendingTransition( R.anim.slide_in_right, R.anim.slide_out_right );

The above code is used to move right to left

The final animation technique is to hide and show the views



Here we will be using touch event to assign the animation part, the animation objects will be assigned as shown below

Java

mAnimShow = AnimationUtils.loadAnimation(this, R.anim.slide_in_left);
mAnimHide = AnimationUtils.loadAnimation(this, R.anim.slide_out_right);

mAnimShow.setAnimationListener(new AnimationListener() {

   @Override
   public void onAnimationRepeat(Animation animation) {
    // TODO Auto-generated method stub

   }

   @Override
   public void onAnimationStart(Animation animation) {
    overridePendingTransition( R.anim.slide_in_left, R.anim.slide_out_left );

   }

   @Override
   public void onAnimationEnd(Animation animation) {
   
    
   }

  });

mAnimHide.setAnimationListener(new AnimationListener() {

   @Override
   public void onAnimationRepeat(Animation animation) {
    // TODO Auto-generated method stub

   }

   @Override
   public void onAnimationStart(Animation animation) {
    overridePendingTransition( R.anim.slide_in_right, R.anim.slide_out_right );

   }

   @Override
   public void onAnimationEnd(Animation animation) {
   
    
   }

  });

The full source code is provided below, you can apply these animation for any other purpose also, the animation technique is same, we need to put this in our logic.


You can download the full source code

Download source

Have a good day.