How to Define Callbacks in Android?

Question

During the most recent Google IO, there was a presentation about implementing restful client applications. Unfortunately, it was only a high level discussion with no source code of the implementation.

In this diagram, on the return path there are various different callbacks to other methods.

How do I declare what these methods are?

I understand the idea of a callback - a piece of code that gets called after a certain event has happened, but I don't know how to implement it. The only way I've implemented callbacks so far have been overriding various methods (onActivityResult for example).

I feel like I have a basic understanding of the design pattern, but I keep on getting tripped up on how to handle the return path.

Answer 1

No need to define a new interface when you can use an existing one: android.os.Handler.Callback. Pass an object of type Callback, and invoke callback's handleMessage(Message msg).

Answer 2

In many cases, you have an interface and pass along an object that implements it. Dialogs for example have the OnClickListener.

Just as a random example:

// The callback interface
interface MyCallback {
    void callbackCall();
}

// The class that takes the callback
class Worker {
   MyCallback callback;

   void onEvent() {
      callback.callbackCall();
   }
}

// Option 1:

class Callback implements MyCallback {
   void callbackCall() {
      // callback code goes here
   }
}

worker.callback = new Callback();

// Option 2:

worker.callback = new MyCallback() {

   void callbackCall() {
      // callback code goes here
   }
};

I probably messed up the syntax in option 2. It's early.

Answer 3

You can also use LocalBroadcast for this purpose. Here is a quick quide

Create a broadcast receiver:

   LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(this).registerReceiver(
            mMessageReceiver, new IntentFilter("speedExceeded"));

private BroadcastReceiver mMessageReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
        String action = intent.getAction();
        Double currentSpeed = intent.getDoubleExtra("currentSpeed", 20);
        Double currentLatitude = intent.getDoubleExtra("latitude", 0);
        Double currentLongitude = intent.getDoubleExtra("longitude", 0);
        //  ... react to local broadcast message
    }

This is how you can trigger it

Intent intent = new Intent("speedExceeded");
intent.putExtra("currentSpeed", currentSpeed);
intent.putExtra("latitude", latitude);
intent.putExtra("longitude", longitude);
LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(this).sendBroadcast(intent);

unRegister receiver in onPause:

protected void onPause() {
  super.onPause();
  LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(this).unregisterReceiver(mMessageReceiver);
}

Answer 4

to clarify a bit on dragon's answer (since it took me a while to figure out what to do with Handler.Callback):

Handler can be used to execute callbacks in the current or another thread, by passing it Messages. the Message holds data to be used from the callback. a Handler.Callback can be passed to the constructor of Handler in order to avoid extending Handler directly. thus, to execute some code via callback from the current thread:

Message message = new Message();
<set data to be passed to callback - eg message.obj, message.arg1 etc - here>

Callback callback = new Callback() {
    public boolean handleMessage(Message msg) {
        <code to be executed during callback>
    }
};

Handler handler = new Handler(callback);
handler.sendMessage(message);

EDIT: just realized there's a better way to get the same result (minus control of exactly when to execute the callback):

post(new Runnable() {
    @Override
    public void run() {
        <code to be executed during callback>
    }
});

Answer 5

Example to implement callback method using interface.

Define the interface, NewInterface.java.

package javaapplication1;

public interface NewInterface {
    void callback();
}

Create a new class, NewClass.java. It will call the callback method in main class.

package javaapplication1;

public class NewClass {

    private NewInterface mainClass;

    public NewClass(NewInterface mClass){
        mainClass = mClass;
    }

    public void calledFromMain(){
        //Do somthing...

        //call back main
        mainClass.callback();
    }
}

The main class, JavaApplication1.java, to implement the interface NewInterface - callback() method. It will create and call NewClass object. Then, the NewClass object will callback it's callback() method in turn.

package javaapplication1;
public class JavaApplication1 implements NewInterface{

    NewClass newClass;

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        System.out.println("test...");

        JavaApplication1 myApplication = new JavaApplication1();
        myApplication.doSomething();

    }

    private void doSomething(){
        newClass = new NewClass(this);
        newClass.calledFromMain();
    }

    @Override
    public void callback() {
        System.out.println("callback");
    }

}

Answer 6

When something happens in my view I fire off an event that my activity is listening for:

// DECLARED IN (CUSTOM) VIEW

    private OnScoreSavedListener onScoreSavedListener;
    public interface OnScoreSavedListener {
        public void onScoreSaved();
    }
    // ALLOWS YOU TO SET LISTENER && INVOKE THE OVERIDING METHOD 
    // FROM WITHIN ACTIVITY
    public void setOnScoreSavedListener(OnScoreSavedListener listener) {
        onScoreSavedListener = listener;
    }

// DECLARED IN ACTIVITY

    MyCustomView slider = (MyCustomView) view.findViewById(R.id.slider)
    slider.setOnScoreSavedListener(new OnScoreSavedListener() {
        @Override
        public void onScoreSaved() {
            Log.v("","EVENT FIRED");
        }
    });

If you want to know more about communication (callbacks) between fragments see here: http://developer.android.com/guide/components/fragments.html#CommunicatingWithActivity