Parse SDK implement custom BroadcastReceiver for push notifications in android

Question

I am trying to get started with Parse push notification on Android, but I could not find any way to implement my own BroadcastReceiver which would perform action in response to a push notification.

In their "getting started", they give a program sample where the receiver and the intent service is contained in the jar file (and not implemented in the code, so that I could try and play with it). A similar question has been asked here, but it's two years old and the answer has 11 downvotes.

There are a few other blog posts, e.g. as in here, but none of them work properly (the one in that link was two years old).

So please kindly suggest a step by step way to implement the same.

EDIT:

I tried the code as suggested by droidx. But it does not work. I am sending my AndroidManifest.xml (rest of the code is exactly as he suggested):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.rahulserver.parsenotificationdemo" >
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WAKE_LOCK" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.VIBRATE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.GET_ACCOUNTS" />
    <uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE" />

    <!--
      IMPORTANT: Change "com.parse.starter.permission.C2D_MESSAGE" in the lines below
      to match your app's package name + ".permission.C2D_MESSAGE".
    -->
    <permission android:protectionLevel="signature"
        android:name="com.rahulserver.parsenotificationdemo.permission.C2D_MESSAGE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="com.rahulserver.parsenotificationdemo.permission.C2D_MESSAGE" />
    <application
        android:name=".ParseNotification"
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
        <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="com.parse.PushService" />
        <receiver android:name="com.parse.ParseBroadcastReceiver">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED" />
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.USER_PRESENT" />
            </intent-filter>
        </receiver>
        <receiver android:name=".MyCustomParsePushReceiver"
            android:exported="false">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="com.parse.push.intent.RECEIVE" />
                <action android:name="com.parse.push.intent.DELETE" />
                <action android:name="com.parse.push.intent.OPEN" />
            </intent-filter>
        </receiver>
        <receiver android:name="com.parse.GcmBroadcastReceiver"
            android:permission="com.google.android.c2dm.permission.SEND">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.intent.RECEIVE" />
                <action android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.intent.REGISTRATION" />

                <!--
                  IMPORTANT: Change "com.parse.starter" to match your app's package name.
                -->
                <category android:name="com.rahulserver.parsenotificationdemo" />
            </intent-filter>
        </receiver>
    </application>

</manifest>

Answer 1

Here's an example!

public class ParseCustomBroadcastReceiver extends ParsePushBroadcastReceiver {

    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
        try {

            JSONObject json = new JSONObject(intent.getExtras().getString("com.parse.Data"));
            Log.d(TAG, json.getString("alert").toString());

            final String notificationTitle = json.getString("title").toString();
            final String notificationContent = json.getString("alert").toString();
            final String uri = json.getString("uri");             

            Intent resultIntent = null;
            TaskStackBuilder stackBuilder = TaskStackBuilder.create(context);


                resultIntent = new Intent(context, HomeScreen.class);
                stackBuilder.addParentStack(HomeScreen.class);

            stackBuilder.addNextIntent(resultIntent);
            PendingIntent resultPendingIntent =
                    stackBuilder.getPendingIntent(0, PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);


//Customize your notification - sample code
            NotificationCompat.Builder builder =
                    new NotificationCompat.Builder(context)
                            .setSmallIcon(R.mipmap.ic_notification_icon)
                            .setContentTitle(notificationTitle)
                            .setContentText(notificationContent);

            int mNotificationId = 001;
            NotificationManager mNotifyMgr =
                    (NotificationManager) context.getSystemService(Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
            mNotifyMgr.notify(mNotificationId, builder.build());


        } catch (JSONException e) {
            Log.d(TAG, e.getMessage());
        }

    }
}

Following this guide, replace android name for the receiver to the path of your custom broadcastreceiver

<receiver
            android:name=".receivers.ParseCustomBroadcastReceiver"
            android:exported="false" >
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="com.parse.push.intent.RECEIVE" />
                <action android:name="com.parse.push.intent.DELETE" />
                <action android:name="com.parse.push.intent.OPEN" />
            </intent-filter>
        </receiver>

In your application class, make sure to have subscribed to Parse Push like this

Parse.initialize(this, ParseUtils.PARSE_APPLICATION_ID_DEV, ParseUtils.PARSE_CLIENT_KEY_DEV);
        ParseObject.registerSubclass(Article.class);

        ParsePush.subscribeInBackground("", new SaveCallback() {
            @Override
            public void done(ParseException e) {
                if (e == null) {
                    Log.d(TAG, "successfully subscribed to the broadcast channel.");
                } else {
                    Log.e(TAG, "failed to subscribe for push", e);
                }
            }
        });

Update:

The above broadcast receiver expects to send a json object notification from parse dashboard usually consists of three name value pairs:

{ "alert": "Alert message", "title": "Title", "uri": "bla bla" } 

When you use only plain string for eg: hello world! in parse push dashboard, internally it goes as only alert tag. something like this : {"alert" : "hello world!, "title" = null/"", "uri" = null/""}

The broadcast receiver code above doesn't have this null checks, so it's caught in the catch with exception No title/uri.

So you can add some null checks based on what you are expecting from the push notification.

Something like this:

JSONObject json = new JSONObject(intent.getExtras().getString("com.parse.Data"));
            Log.d(TAG, json.getString("alert").toString());

            if (json.has("title")) {
                 notificationTitle = json.getString("title").toString();
            }
            if (json.has("alert")) {
                 notificationAlert = json.getString("alert").toString();
            }

            if(json.has("uri")) {
                notificationURI = json.getString("uri");
            }

Then set appropriate contentTitle and contentText in notification

 NotificationCompat.Builder builder =
                    new NotificationCompat.Builder(context)
                            .setSmallIcon(R.mipmap.ic_launcher)
                            .setContentTitle(notificationAlert)
                            .setContentText(notificationAlert);

Hope this helps!