Timer in Background

Question

I'm developing an Android Application to a college work. In this work I want to create a background service with a timer and when I close the application, timer still running. When I open the app, I can see the time since I've started service. Well, my problem is that when I close the app, the background timer stops and not increments more.

Can you help me please? Thanks a lot

My launcher class

    import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.content.IntentFilter;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.TextView;

public class MainActivity extends Activity {

    private Button startButton;
    private Button pauseButton;

    private TextView timerValue;

    Intent intent;
    long timeSwapBuff = 0L;
    long updatedTime = 0L;

    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);

        timerValue = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.timerValue);

        startButton = (Button) findViewById(R.id.startButton);
        startButton.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {

            public void onClick(View view) {
                intent = new Intent(MainActivity.this, CounterService.class);
                startService(intent);
                registerReceiver(broadcastReceiver, new IntentFilter(CounterService.BROADCAST_ACTION));
            }
        });

        pauseButton = (Button) findViewById(R.id.pauseButton);

        pauseButton.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {

            public void onClick(View view) {
                unregisterReceiver(broadcastReceiver);
                stopService(intent);
            }
        });

    }

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

            updateUI(intent);       
        }
    };    

    private void updateUI(Intent intent) {
        int time = intent.getIntExtra("time", 0);

        Log.d("Hello", "Time " + time);

        int mins = time / 60;
        int secs = time % 60;
        timerValue.setText("" + mins + ":"
                + String.format("%02d", secs));
    }


}

and here, the service class

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

public class CounterService  extends Service {

    private Intent intent;
    public static final String BROADCAST_ACTION = "com.javacodegeeks.android.androidtimerexample.MainActivity";

    private Handler handler = new Handler();
    private long initial_time;
    long timeInMilliseconds = 0L;

    @Override
    public void onCreate() {
        super.onCreate();
        initial_time = SystemClock.uptimeMillis();
        intent = new Intent(BROADCAST_ACTION);  
        handler.removeCallbacks(sendUpdatesToUI);
        handler.postDelayed(sendUpdatesToUI, 1000); // 1 second

    }

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

    private void DisplayLoggingInfo() {

        timeInMilliseconds = SystemClock.uptimeMillis() - initial_time; 

        int timer = (int) timeInMilliseconds / 1000;
        intent.putExtra("time", timer);
        sendBroadcast(intent);

    }

    @Override
    public void onDestroy() {   
        super.onDestroy();
        handler.removeCallbacks(sendUpdatesToUI);   

    }



    @Override
    public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
        return null;
    }


}

Answer 1

Kindly go through the link hope it will be helpful if you want to run timer in background Timer in background

activity_main.xml

<RelativeLayout android:layout_width="match_parent"
 android:layout_height="match_parent"
 xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">


 <EditText
 android:layout_width="match_parent"
 android:layout_height="wrap_content"
 android:id="@+id/et_hours"
 android:hint="Hours"
 android:inputType="time"
 android:layout_marginRight="5dp"
 />




 <Button
 android:layout_width="match_parent"
 android:layout_height="wrap_content"
 android:id="@+id/btn_timer"
 android:layout_above="@+id/btn_cancel"
 android:text="Start Timer"/>

 <Button
 android:layout_width="match_parent"
 android:layout_height="wrap_content"
 android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
 android:id="@+id/btn_cancel"
 android:text="cancel timer"/>




 <TextView
 android:layout_width="wrap_content"
 android:layout_height="wrap_content"
 android:id="@+id/tv_timer"
 android:layout_centerInParent="true"
 android:textSize="25dp"
 android:textColor="#000000"
 android:text="00:00:00"/>


 </RelativeLayout>

MainActivity.java

package playstore.com.a02backgroundtimer;

import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.content.IntentFilter;
import android.content.SharedPreferences;
import android.preference.PreferenceManager;
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.EditText;
import android.widget.TextView;
import android.widget.Toast;

import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.Calendar;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements View.OnClickListener {

    private Button btn_start, btn_cancel;
    private TextView tv_timer;
    String date_time;
    Calendar calendar;
    SimpleDateFormat simpleDateFormat;
    EditText et_hours;

    SharedPreferences mpref;
    SharedPreferences.Editor mEditor;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
        init();
        listener();


    }

    private void init() {
        btn_start = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btn_timer);
        tv_timer = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.tv_timer);
        et_hours = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.et_hours);
        btn_cancel = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btn_cancel);



        mpref = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(getApplicationContext());
        mEditor = mpref.edit();

        try {
            String str_value = mpref.getString("data", "");
            if (str_value.matches("")) {
                et_hours.setEnabled(true);
                btn_start.setEnabled(true);
                tv_timer.setText("");

            } else {

                if (mpref.getBoolean("finish", false)) {
                    et_hours.setEnabled(true);
                    btn_start.setEnabled(true);
                    tv_timer.setText("");
                } else {

                    et_hours.setEnabled(false);
                    btn_start.setEnabled(false);
                    tv_timer.setText(str_value);
                }
            }
        } catch (Exception e) {

        }



    }

    private void listener() {
        btn_start.setOnClickListener(this);
        btn_cancel.setOnClickListener(this);

    }

    @Override
    public void onClick(View v) {

        switch (v.getId()) {
            case R.id.btn_timer:


                if (et_hours.getText().toString().length() > 0) {

                    int int_hours = Integer.valueOf(et_hours.getText().toString());

                    if (int_hours<=24) {


                        et_hours.setEnabled(false);
                        btn_start.setEnabled(false);


                        calendar = Calendar.getInstance();
                        simpleDateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("HH:mm:ss");
                        date_time = simpleDateFormat.format(calendar.getTime());

                        mEditor.putString("data", date_time).commit();
                        mEditor.putString("hours", et_hours.getText().toString()).commit();


                        Intent intent_service = new Intent(getApplicationContext(), Timer_Service.class);
                        startService(intent_service);
                    }else {
                        Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),"Please select the value below 24 hours",Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                    }
/*
                    mTimer = new Timer();
                    mTimer.scheduleAtFixedRate(new TimeDisplayTimerTask(), 5, NOTIFY_INTERVAL);*/
                } else {
                    Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Please select value", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                }
                break;


            case R.id.btn_cancel:


                Intent intent = new Intent(getApplicationContext(),Timer_Service.class);
                stopService(intent);

                mEditor.clear().commit();

                et_hours.setEnabled(true);
                btn_start.setEnabled(true);
                tv_timer.setText("");


                break;

        }

    }

    private BroadcastReceiver broadcastReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
        @Override
        public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
            String str_time = intent.getStringExtra("time");
            tv_timer.setText(str_time);

        }
    };

    @Override
    protected void onResume() {
        super.onResume();
        registerReceiver(broadcastReceiver,new IntentFilter(Timer_Service.str_receiver));

    }

    @Override
    protected void onPause() {
        super.onPause();
        unregisterReceiver(broadcastReceiver);
    }
}

Timer_Service.java

package playstore.com.a02backgroundtimer;

import android.app.Service;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.content.SharedPreferences;
import android.os.Handler;
import android.os.IBinder;
import android.preference.PreferenceManager;
import android.support.annotation.Nullable;
import android.util.Log;

import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.Calendar;
import java.util.Date;
import java.util.Timer;
import java.util.TimerTask;
import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;

public class Timer_Service extends Service {

    public static String str_receiver = "com.countdowntimerservice.receiver";

    private Handler mHandler = new Handler();
    Calendar calendar;
    SimpleDateFormat simpleDateFormat;
    String strDate;
    Date date_current, date_diff;
    SharedPreferences mpref;
    SharedPreferences.Editor mEditor;

    private Timer mTimer = null;
    public static final long NOTIFY_INTERVAL = 1000;
    Intent intent;

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

    @Override
    public void onCreate() {
        super.onCreate();

        mpref = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(getApplicationContext());
        mEditor = mpref.edit();
        calendar = Calendar.getInstance();
        simpleDateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("HH:mm:ss");

        mTimer = new Timer();
        mTimer.scheduleAtFixedRate(new TimeDisplayTimerTask(), 5, NOTIFY_INTERVAL);
        intent = new Intent(str_receiver);
    }


    class TimeDisplayTimerTask extends TimerTask {

        @Override
        public void run() {
            mHandler.post(new Runnable() {

                @Override
                public void run() {

                    calendar = Calendar.getInstance();
                    simpleDateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("HH:mm:ss");
                    strDate = simpleDateFormat.format(calendar.getTime());
                    Log.e("strDate", strDate);
                    twoDatesBetweenTime();

                }

            });
        }

    }

    public String twoDatesBetweenTime() {


        try {
            date_current = simpleDateFormat.parse(strDate);
        } catch (Exception e) {

        }

        try {
            date_diff = simpleDateFormat.parse(mpref.getString("data",""));
        } catch (Exception e) {

        }

        try {


            long diff = date_current.getTime() - date_diff.getTime();
            int int_hours = Integer.valueOf(mpref.getString("hours", ""));

            long int_timer = TimeUnit.HOURS.toMillis(int_hours);
            long long_hours = int_timer - diff;
            long diffSeconds2 = long_hours / 1000 % 60;
            long diffMinutes2 = long_hours / (60 * 1000) % 60;
            long diffHours2 = long_hours / (60 * 60 * 1000) % 24;


            if (long_hours > 0) {
                String str_testing = diffHours2 + ":" + diffMinutes2 + ":" + diffSeconds2;

                Log.e("TIME", str_testing);

                fn_update(str_testing);
            } else {
                mEditor.putBoolean("finish", true).commit();
                mTimer.cancel();
            }
        } catch (Exception e) {
            mTimer.cancel();
            mTimer.purge();


        }

        return "";

    }

    @Override
    public void onDestroy() {
        super.onDestroy();
        Log.e("Service finish", "Finish");
    }

    private void fn_update(String str_time) {

        intent.putExtra("time", str_time);
        sendBroadcast(intent);
    }
}

Once the app starts you need to mention the hours you want timer for ... Then also after killing the app when you restarts the app it will show the start time of the timer ... Now you customize you application a per your requirement .

Answer 2

you need to start your service in the onStop() method in your activity like this:

@Override
    protected void onStop() {
        super.onStop();
       //write your code here to start your service
    }