Pass data from Activity to Service using an Intent

Pass data from Activity to IntentService

This is how I pass data from Activity to IntentService.

One of my application has this scenario.

MusicActivity ------url(String)------> DownloadSongService

1) Send Data (Activity code)

  Intent intent  = new Intent(MusicActivity.class, DownloadSongService.class);
  String songUrl = "something"; 
  intent.putExtra(YOUR_KEY_SONG_NAME, songUrl);
  startService(intent);

2) Get data in Service (IntentService code)
You can access the intent in the onHandleIntent() method

public class DownloadSongService extends IntentService {

    @Override
    protected void onHandleIntent(@Nullable Intent intent) {

        String songUrl = intent.getStringExtra("YOUR_KEY_SONG_NAME");

        //  Download File logic
    
    }

}

This is a much better and secured way. Working like a charm!

   private void startFloatingWidgetService() {
        startService(new Intent(MainActivity.this,FloatingWidgetService.class)
                .setAction(FloatingWidgetService.ACTION_PLAY));
    }

instead of :

 private void startFloatingWidgetService() {
        startService(new Intent(FloatingWidgetService.ACTION_PLAY));
    }

Because when you try 2nd one then you get an error saying : java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Service Intent must be explicit: Intent { act=com.floatingwidgetchathead_demo.SampleService.ACTION_START }

Then your Service be like this :

static final String ACTION_START = "com.floatingwidgetchathead_demo.SampleService.ACTION_START";
    static final String ACTION_PLAY = "com.floatingwidgetchathead_demo.SampleService.ACTION_PLAY";
    static final String ACTION_PAUSE = "com.floatingwidgetchathead_demo.SampleService.ACTION_PAUSE";
    static final String ACTION_DESTROY = "com.yourcompany.yourapp.SampleService.ACTION_DESTROY";

 @SuppressLint("LogConditional")
@Override
public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
    String action = intent.getAction();
    //System.out.println("ACTION: "+action);
    switch (action){
        case ACTION_START:
            Log.d(TAG, "onStartCommand: "+action);
            break;
        case ACTION_PLAY:
            Log.d(TAG, "onStartCommand: "+action);
           addRemoveView();
           addFloatingWidgetView();
            break;
        case ACTION_PAUSE:
            Log.d(TAG, "onStartCommand: "+action);
            break;
        case ACTION_DESTROY:
            Log.d(TAG, "onStartCommand: "+action);
            break;
    }
    return START_STICKY;

}

Service: startservice can cause side affects,best way to use messenger and pass data.

private CallBackHandler mServiceHandler= new CallBackHandler(this);
private Messenger mServiceMessenger=null;
//flag with which the activity sends the data to service
private static final int DO_SOMETHING=1;

private static class CallBackHandler extends android.os.Handler {

private final WeakReference<Service> mService;

public CallBackHandler(Service service) {
    mService= new WeakReference<Service>(service);
}

public void handleMessage(Message msg) {
    //Log.d("CallBackHandler","Msg::"+msg);
    if(DO_SOMETHING==msg.arg1)
    mSoftKeyService.get().dosomthing()
}
}

Activity:Get Messenger from Intent fill it pass data and pass the message back to service

private Messenger mServiceMessenger;
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
mServiceMessenger = (Messenger)extras.getParcelable("myHandler");
}


private void sendDatatoService(String data){
Intent serviceIntent= new 
Intent(BaseActivity.this,Service.class);
Message msg = Message.obtain();
msg.obj =data;
msg.arg1=Service.DO_SOMETHING;
mServiceMessenger.send(msg);
}

If you are using kotlin you can try the following code,

In the sending activity,

  val intent = Intent(context, RecorderService::class.java);
  intent.putExtra("filename", filename);
  context.startService(intent)

In the service,

override fun onStartCommand(intent: Intent, flags: Int, startId: Int): Int {
    super.onStartCommand(intent, flags, startId)

    if (intent != null && intent.extras != null)
       val filename = intent.getStringExtra("filename")

}