ContentObserver onChange() repeats multiple times

Question

I'm trying to query the data from the CallLog and insert in DB. For that, I've created a COntentObserver as inner class in a Service, and inside onChange() method, I call my method that goes to the specified URI and query the data that has changed.

But, lets say, I received a call, so the observer was notified. So, my method goes to the call log content provider, query and insert, but it is inserting two, three times the same register.

Here is the code of my service.

public class RatedCallsService extends Service 

private Handler handler = new Handler();
    private SQLiteDatabase db;
    private OpenHelper helper;
    private String theDate;
    private String theMonth_;
    private String theYear_;
    private String theDay_;
    public static boolean servReg = false;

    class RatedCallsContentObserver extends ContentObserver {

            public RatedCallsContentObserver(Handler h) {

                super(h);
                //helper = new OpenHelper(getApplicationContext());
                //db = helper.getWritableDatabase();

            }

            @Override
            public boolean deliverSelfNotifications() {

                return true;

            }

            @Override
            public void onChange(boolean selfChange) {

                super.onChange(selfChange);
                Log.i(LOG_TAG, "Inside on Change. selfChange " + selfChange);
                searchInsert();
            }
        }

        @Override
        public IBinder onBind(Intent arg0) {

            return null;

        }

        @Override

        public void onCreate() {
            servReg = true;
            db = DataHandlerDB.createDB(this);
            registerContentObserver();

        }

        @Override
        public void onDestroy() {

            super.onDestroy();
            db.close();
            this.getApplicationContext().getContentResolver().unregisterContentObserver(new RatedCallsContentObserver(handler));

        }

        private void searchInsert() { 

                    Cursor cursor = getContentResolver().query(
            android.provider.CallLog.Calls.CONTENT_URI, null, null, null,
            android.provider.CallLog.Calls.DATE + " DESC ");

    if (cursor.moveToFirst()) {

        int numberColumnId = cursor
                .getColumnIndex(android.provider.CallLog.Calls.NUMBER);
        int durationId = cursor
                .getColumnIndex(android.provider.CallLog.Calls.DURATION);
        int contactNameId = cursor
                .getColumnIndex(android.provider.CallLog.Calls.CACHED_NAME);
        int numTypeId = cursor
                .getColumnIndex(android.provider.CallLog.Calls.CACHED_NUMBER_TYPE);
        int callTypeId = cursor
                .getColumnIndex(android.provider.CallLog.Calls.TYPE);

        Date dt = new Date();
        int hours = dt.getHours();
        int minutes = dt.getMinutes();
        int seconds = dt.getSeconds();
        String currTime = hours + ":" + minutes + ":" + seconds;

        SimpleDateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("M/d/yyyy");

        Date date = new Date();

        cursor.moveToFirst();

        String contactNumber = cursor.getString(numberColumnId);
        String contactName = (null == cursor.getString(contactNameId) ? ""
                : cursor.getString(contactNameId));
        String duration = cursor.getString(durationId);
        String numType = cursor.getString(numTypeId);
        String callType = cursor.getString(callTypeId);

        seconds = Integer.parseInt(duration);

        theDate = dateFormat.format(date);

        if (theDate.length() == 9) {

            theMonth_ = theDate.substring(0, 1);
            theDay_ = theDate.substring(2, 4);
            theYear_ = theDate.substring(5, 9);

        } else if (theDate.length() == 10) {

            theMonth_ = theDate.substring(0, 2);
            theDay_ = theDate.substring(3, 4);
            theYear_ = theDate.substring(6, 10);

        } else if (theDate.length() == 8) {

            theMonth_ = theDate.substring(0, 1);
            theDay_ = theDate.substring(2, 3);
            theYear_ = theDate.substring(4, 8);

        }

        ContentValues values = new ContentValues();
        ContentValues values2 = new ContentValues();

        values.put("contact_id", 1);
        values.put("contact_name", contactName);
        values.put("number_type", numType);
        values.put("contact_number", contactNumber);
        values.put("duration", Utilities.convertTime(seconds));
        values.put("date", dateFormat.format(date));
        values.put("current_time", currTime);
        values.put("cont", 1);
        values.put("type", callType);

        values2.put("month",
                Utilities.monthName(Integer.parseInt(theMonth_)));
        values2.put("duration", Utilities.convertTime(seconds));
        values2.put("year", theYear_);
        values2.put("month_num", Integer.parseInt(theMonth_));

        if (!db.isOpen()) {
            db = getApplicationContext()
                    .openOrCreateDatabase(
                            "/data/data/com.project.myapp/databases/myDb.db",
                            SQLiteDatabase.OPEN_READWRITE, null);
        }           
        if (duration != "") {               
            if (Integer.parseInt(duration) != 0) {

                String existingMonthDuration = DataHandlerDB
                        .selectMonthsDuration(theMonth_, theYear_, this);
                Integer newMonthDuration;


                if (existingMonthDuration != "") {

                    newMonthDuration = Integer
                            .parseInt(existingMonthDuration)
                            + Integer.parseInt(duration);                       

                    values2.put("duration",
                            Utilities.convertTime(newMonthDuration));
                    db.update(DataHandlerDB.TABLE_NAME_3, values2,
                            "year = ?", new String[] { theYear_ });

                } else {

                    db.insert(DataHandlerDB.TABLE_NAME_3, null, values2);

                }

                db.insert(DataHandlerDB.TABLE_NAME_2, null, values);

            }
        }
        cursor.close();

    }

            }

    public void registerContentObserver() {

            this.getApplicationContext()
                    .getContentResolver()
                    .registerContentObserver(
                            android.provider.CallLog.Calls.CONTENT_URI, false,
                            new RatedCallsContentObserver(handler));

        }
    }

I've tried everything. unregistering the observer, etc. but nothing.

Answer 1

I selected the timestamp of the call from android.provider.CallLog.Calls.DATE and before I insert I check if there is some timestamp like that one, if there is I dont insert, if there isnt I insert the data. This values are unique, so never will have some like each other.

Answer 2

This happens to me when I suscribe tot he SMS content provider. I think is they way Android handles messages and calls that makes this behavior, I get the call 2 times whenever I send an SMS so I'm guessing is due to the message being put in the outbox table ? first, and then moved to the sent table. Perhaps something similar happens with the calls provider? Maybe this call is placed to a temporary table inside the provider and then once you receive it or miss it this call goes to the proper table (received/missed). What I do is, I check the Id of the message everytime my observer gets called and I keep the Id of the previous message so I can check If the observer is being calld due to the same ID I just handled.

does the selfChange vary ?

Hint. do not rely on this provider to monitor all your calls. Once android decides to terminate your application you will notice that your provider won't receive anymore calls. Try to schedule the attachment of the content observer every once in a while using AlarmManager.