I couldn't find any examples of how to send messages between an activity and a service, and spent far too many hours figuring this out. Here is an example project for others to reference.
This example allows you to start or stop a service directly, and separately bind/unbind from the service. When the service is running, it increments a number at 10Hz. If the activity is bound to the service, it will display the current value. Data is transferred as an Integer and as a String so you can see how to do that two different ways. There are also buttons in the activity to send messages to the service (changes the increment-by value).
Screenshot:
AndroidManifest.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="com.exampleservice"
android:versionCode="1"
android:versionName="1.0">
<application android:icon="@drawable/icon" android:label="@string/app_name">
<activity android:name=".MainActivity"
android:label="@string/app_name">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
</intent-filter>
</activity>
<service android:name=".MyService"></service>
</application>
<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="8" />
</manifest>
res\values\strings.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
<string name="app_name">ExampleService</string>
<string name="service_started">Example Service started</string>
<string name="service_label">Example Service Label</string>
</resources>
res\layout\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"
>
<RelativeLayout android:id="@+id/RelativeLayout01" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<Button android:id="@+id/btnStart" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="Start Service"></Button>
<Button android:id="@+id/btnStop" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="Stop Service" android:layout_alignParentRight="true"></Button>
</RelativeLayout>
<RelativeLayout android:id="@+id/RelativeLayout02" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<Button android:id="@+id/btnBind" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="Bind to Service"></Button>
<Button android:id="@+id/btnUnbind" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="Unbind from Service" android:layout_alignParentRight="true"></Button>
</RelativeLayout>
<TextView android:id="@+id/textStatus" android:textSize="24sp" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="Status Goes Here" />
<TextView android:id="@+id/textIntValue" android:textSize="24sp" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="Integer Value Goes Here" />
<TextView android:id="@+id/textStrValue" android:textSize="24sp" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="String Value Goes Here" />
<RelativeLayout android:id="@+id/RelativeLayout03" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<Button android:id="@+id/btnUpby1" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="Increment by 1"></Button>
<Button android:id="@+id/btnUpby10" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="Increment by 10" android:layout_alignParentRight="true"></Button>
</RelativeLayout>
</LinearLayout>
src\com.exampleservice\MainActivity.java:
package com.exampleservice;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.ComponentName;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.content.ServiceConnection;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.Handler;
import android.os.IBinder;
import android.os.Message;
import android.os.Messenger;
import android.os.RemoteException;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.TextView;
public class MainActivity extends Activity {
Button btnStart, btnStop, btnBind, btnUnbind, btnUpby1, btnUpby10;
TextView textStatus, textIntValue, textStrValue;
Messenger mService = null;
boolean mIsBound;
final Messenger mMessenger = new Messenger(new IncomingHandler());
class IncomingHandler extends Handler {
@Override
public void handleMessage(Message msg) {
switch (msg.what) {
case MyService.MSG_SET_INT_VALUE:
textIntValue.setText("Int Message: " + msg.arg1);
break;
case MyService.MSG_SET_STRING_VALUE:
String str1 = msg.getData().getString("str1");
textStrValue.setText("Str Message: " + str1);
break;
default:
super.handleMessage(msg);
}
}
}
private ServiceConnection mConnection = new ServiceConnection() {
public void onServiceConnected(ComponentName className, IBinder service) {
mService = new Messenger(service);
textStatus.setText("Attached.");
try {
Message msg = Message.obtain(null, MyService.MSG_REGISTER_CLIENT);
msg.replyTo = mMessenger;
mService.send(msg);
} catch (RemoteException e) {
// In this case the service has crashed before we could even do anything with it
}
}
public void onServiceDisconnected(ComponentName className) {
// This is called when the connection with the service has been unexpectedly disconnected - process crashed.
mService = null;
textStatus.setText("Disconnected.");
}
};
@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main);
btnStart = (Button)findViewById(R.id.btnStart);
btnStop = (Button)findViewById(R.id.btnStop);
btnBind = (Button)findViewById(R.id.btnBind);
btnUnbind = (Button)findViewById(R.id.btnUnbind);
textStatus = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.textStatus);
textIntValue = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.textIntValue);
textStrValue = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.textStrValue);
btnUpby1 = (Button)findViewById(R.id.btnUpby1);
btnUpby10 = (Button)findViewById(R.id.btnUpby10);
btnStart.setOnClickListener(btnStartListener);
btnStop.setOnClickListener(btnStopListener);
btnBind.setOnClickListener(btnBindListener);
btnUnbind.setOnClickListener(btnUnbindListener);
btnUpby1.setOnClickListener(btnUpby1Listener);
btnUpby10.setOnClickListener(btnUpby10Listener);
restoreMe(savedInstanceState);
CheckIfServiceIsRunning();
}
@Override
protected void onSaveInstanceState(Bundle outState) {
super.onSaveInstanceState(outState);
outState.putString("textStatus", textStatus.getText().toString());
outState.putString("textIntValue", textIntValue.getText().toString());
outState.putString("textStrValue", textStrValue.getText().toString());
}
private void restoreMe(Bundle state) {
if (state!=null) {
textStatus.setText(state.getString("textStatus"));
textIntValue.setText(state.getString("textIntValue"));
textStrValue.setText(state.getString("textStrValue"));
}
}
private void CheckIfServiceIsRunning() {
//If the service is running when the activity starts, we want to automatically bind to it.
if (MyService.isRunning()) {
doBindService();
}
}
private OnClickListener btnStartListener = new OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View v){
startService(new Intent(MainActivity.this, MyService.class));
}
};
private OnClickListener btnStopListener = new OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View v){
doUnbindService();
stopService(new Intent(MainActivity.this, MyService.class));
}
};
private OnClickListener btnBindListener = new OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View v){
doBindService();
}
};
private OnClickListener btnUnbindListener = new OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View v){
doUnbindService();
}
};
private OnClickListener btnUpby1Listener = new OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View v){
sendMessageToService(1);
}
};
private OnClickListener btnUpby10Listener = new OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View v){
sendMessageToService(10);
}
};
private void sendMessageToService(int intvaluetosend) {
if (mIsBound) {
if (mService != null) {
try {
Message msg = Message.obtain(null, MyService.MSG_SET_INT_VALUE, intvaluetosend, 0);
msg.replyTo = mMessenger;
mService.send(msg);
} catch (RemoteException e) {
}
}
}
}
void doBindService() {
bindService(new Intent(this, MyService.class), mConnection, Context.BIND_AUTO_CREATE);
mIsBound = true;
textStatus.setText("Binding.");
}
void doUnbindService() {
if (mIsBound) {
// If we have received the service, and hence registered with it, then now is the time to unregister.
if (mService != null) {
try {
Message msg = Message.obtain(null, MyService.MSG_UNREGISTER_CLIENT);
msg.replyTo = mMessenger;
mService.send(msg);
} catch (RemoteException e) {
// There is nothing special we need to do if the service has crashed.
}
}
// Detach our existing connection.
unbindService(mConnection);
mIsBound = false;
textStatus.setText("Unbinding.");
}
}
@Override
protected void onDestroy() {
super.onDestroy();
try {
doUnbindService();
} catch (Throwable t) {
Log.e("MainActivity", "Failed to unbind from the service", t);
}
}
}
src\com.exampleservice\MyService.java:
package com.exampleservice;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Timer;
import java.util.TimerTask;
import android.app.Notification;
import android.app.NotificationManager;
import android.app.PendingIntent;
import android.app.Service;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.Handler;
import android.os.IBinder;
import android.os.Message;
import android.os.Messenger;
import android.os.RemoteException;
import android.util.Log;
public class MyService extends Service {
private NotificationManager nm;
private Timer timer = new Timer();
private int counter = 0, incrementby = 1;
private static boolean isRunning = false;
ArrayList<Messenger> mClients = new ArrayList<Messenger>(); // Keeps track of all current registered clients.
int mValue = 0; // Holds last value set by a client.
static final int MSG_REGISTER_CLIENT = 1;
static final int MSG_UNREGISTER_CLIENT = 2;
static final int MSG_SET_INT_VALUE = 3;
static final int MSG_SET_STRING_VALUE = 4;
final Messenger mMessenger = new Messenger(new IncomingHandler()); // Target we publish for clients to send messages to IncomingHandler.
@Override
public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
return mMessenger.getBinder();
}
class IncomingHandler extends Handler { // Handler of incoming messages from clients.
@Override
public void handleMessage(Message msg) {
switch (msg.what) {
case MSG_REGISTER_CLIENT:
mClients.add(msg.replyTo);
break;
case MSG_UNREGISTER_CLIENT:
mClients.remove(msg.replyTo);
break;
case MSG_SET_INT_VALUE:
incrementby = msg.arg1;
break;
default:
super.handleMessage(msg);
}
}
}
private void sendMessageToUI(int intvaluetosend) {
for (int i=mClients.size()-1; i>=0; i--) {
try {
// Send data as an Integer
mClients.get(i).send(Message.obtain(null, MSG_SET_INT_VALUE, intvaluetosend, 0));
//Send data as a String
Bundle b = new Bundle();
b.putString("str1", "ab" + intvaluetosend + "cd");
Message msg = Message.obtain(null, MSG_SET_STRING_VALUE);
msg.setData(b);
mClients.get(i).send(msg);
} catch (RemoteException e) {
// The client is dead. Remove it from the list; we are going through the list from back to front so this is safe to do inside the loop.
mClients.remove(i);
}
}
}
@Override
public void onCreate() {
super.onCreate();
Log.i("MyService", "Service Started.");
showNotification();
timer.scheduleAtFixedRate(new TimerTask(){ public void run() {onTimerTick();}}, 0, 100L);
isRunning = true;
}
private void showNotification() {
nm = (NotificationManager)getSystemService(NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
// In this sample, we'll use the same text for the ticker and the expanded notification
CharSequence text = getText(R.string.service_started);
// Set the icon, scrolling text and timestamp
Notification notification = new Notification(R.drawable.icon, text, System.currentTimeMillis());
// The PendingIntent to launch our activity if the user selects this notification
PendingIntent contentIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(this, 0, new Intent(this, MainActivity.class), 0);
// Set the info for the views that show in the notification panel.
notification.setLatestEventInfo(this, getText(R.string.service_label), text, contentIntent);
// Send the notification.
// We use a layout id because it is a unique number. We use it later to cancel.
nm.notify(R.string.service_started, notification);
}
@Override
public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
Log.i("MyService", "Received start id " + startId + ": " + intent);
return START_STICKY; // run until explicitly stopped.
}
public static boolean isRunning()
{
return isRunning;
}
private void onTimerTick() {
Log.i("TimerTick", "Timer doing work." + counter);
try {
counter += incrementby;
sendMessageToUI(counter);
} catch (Throwable t) { //you should always ultimately catch all exceptions in timer tasks.
Log.e("TimerTick", "Timer Tick Failed.", t);
}
}
@Override
public void onDestroy() {
super.onDestroy();
if (timer != null) {timer.cancel();}
counter=0;
nm.cancel(R.string.service_started); // Cancel the persistent notification.
Log.i("MyService", "Service Stopped.");
isRunning = false;
}
}
