SharedPreferences: when created?

Question

I try to access SharedPreferences inside Service. But when it's started first time and I try to read preferences, I get only default values, as if preferences don't exist. But after I open my preference Activity at first time, Service gets values. Is that normal?

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<PreferenceScreen xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

    <PreferenceCategory 
       android:key="CATEGORY_UPDATE"
       android:title="@string/autoUpdateCategory_title">
       <CheckBoxPreference 
          android:key="PREF_AUTO_UPDATE" 
          android:title="@string/preferences_autoUpdate_title" 
          android:summary="@string/preferences_autoUpdate_summary" 
          android:defaultValue="true">
       </CheckBoxPreference>
       <ListPreference 
          android:key="PREF_UPDATE_FREQ" 
          android:title="@string/preferences_updateFreq_title" 
          android:summary="@string/preferences_updateFreq_summary" 
          android:dialogTitle="@string/preferences_updateFreq_title" 
          android:entryValues="@array/updateFreq_values" 
          android:entries="@array/updateFreq_options" 
          android:defaultValue="30">
        </ListPreference>
    </PreferenceCategory>
</PreferenceScreen>


public class Preferences extends PreferenceActivity {

    public static final String PREF_AUTO_UPDATE = "PREF_AUTO_UPDATE";
    public static final String PREF_UPDATE_FREQ = "PREF_UPDATE_FREQ";

    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState){
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        addPreferencesFromResource(R.xml.preferences);
    }
}


/* INSIDE SERVICE */
       Context context = getApplicationContext();
        SharedPreferences prefs = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);

        boolean autoUpdate = 
              prefs.getBoolean(Preferences.PREF_AUTO_UPDATE, false);
        int updateFreq =Integer.parseInt(prefs.getString(Preferences.PREF_UPDATE_FREQ, "0"));

During first Service launch I get 0 and false, despite default values. And after going to preference Activity everything is ok.

Answer 1

I'm pretty sure the default values provided in the XML are meant for the UI, not for creating a "default preferences file". If you want your default values to be returned when your preferences file has not been created yet, just retrieve them specifying the values you want:

    boolean autoUpdate = 
       prefs.getBoolean(Preferences.PREF_AUTO_UPDATE, true); 
    int updateFreq =Integer.parseInt(
       prefs.getString(Preferences.PREF_UPDATE_FREQ, "30"));

Answer 2

normal behavious is once you committed into sharedPreferences , You can always read it later , no matter whether from activity or a service . Possible issue here might be 1) Yor are clearing your preferences somewhere , den re-inserting preference into activity ,so now service can read it . or
2) Preference name is not matching .