Android - Multiple services don't run as expec

Question

I have this service:

public class AAAService extends Service {

private Intent requestService;
private Intent calendarService;
private SharedPreferences servicePreferences;

private static final String REQUEST_DELAY = "request_interval";
private static final int REQUEST_DELAY_DEFAULT = 900000;
private static final String SERVICE = "service";
private static final String SOUND = "sound";
private static final String VIBRATE = "vibrate";

@Override
public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
    // TODO Auto-generated method stub
    return null;
}

@Override
public void onCreate(){
    super.onCreate();
    Log.i("daim", "AAAService has started ...");
    requestService = new Intent(this, RequestService.class);
    calendarService = new Intent(this, CalendarService.class);
    servicePreferences = getSharedPreferences(SERVICE, MODE_PRIVATE);
    long delay = Long.valueOf(servicePreferences.getInt(REQUEST_DELAY, REQUEST_DELAY_DEFAULT));
    if(delay > 0){
        startRequestService();
    }
    startCalendarService();
}

@Override
public void onDestroy(){
    super.onDestroy();
    Log.i("daim", "AAAService has stopped ...");
    stopRequestService();
    stopCalendarService();
}

public void startRequestService(){
    startService(requestService);
}

public void stopRequestService(){
    stopService(requestService);
}

public void startCalendarService(){
    startService(calendarService);
}

public void stopCalendarService(){
    stopService(calendarService);
}

}

And this two other Services:

public class RequestService extends AAAService
public class CalendarService extends AAAService

Both these has onCreate and onDestroy method, in order to start and stop the service. The problem I'm facing here, is that when I start my AAAService from the an Activity it gets started, and yes it starts the other two services, but right after that it get stopped (onDestroy method), and I don't know why! This is what I do from my Activity:

Intent service = new Intent(this, AAAService.class);
startService(service);

Any help is appreciated! Thanks.

My two other services:

public class CalendarService extends AAAService{

private CalendarApi calendarApi;

@Override
public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
    // TODO Auto-generated method stub
    return null;
}

@Override 
public void onCreate() {
    super.onCreate();
    Log.i("daim", "CalendarService has started ...");
    calendarApi = AAALifestyleApplication.calendarApi;
    startService(); 
}

@Override
public void onDestroy() {
    super.onDestroy();
    Log.e("daim", "CalendarService has stopped ...");    
}

public void startService(){
    Log.d("daim", "UPDATING EVENTS FROM CALENDAR SERVICE!!!");
    ArrayList<Long> dates = new ArrayList<Long>();
    dates.add(0L);
    dates.add(System.currentTimeMillis() * 2);
    calendarApi.getEventsFromDrupal(dates, this, null);
    stopSelf();
}

}

public class RequestService extends AAAService implements RequestListener{

private Timer timer;
private CommonApi commonApi;
private NotificationManager nManager;
private Notification notification;
private PendingIntent pIntent;
private Intent intent;
private Context context;
private SharedPreferences sharedPref;
private long delay;
private boolean sound, vibrate;

private static final int INTERVAL_DEFAULT = 900000;
private static final String SERVICE_NAME = "service";
private static final String INTERVAL_KEY = "request_interval";
private static final String SOUND = "sound";
private static final String VIBRATE = "vibrate";

@Override
public IBinder onBind(Intent arg0) {
    // TODO Auto-generated method stub
    return null;
}

@Override 
public void onCreate() {
    super.onCreate();
    Log.i("daim", "RequestService has started ...");
    sharedPref = getSharedPreferences(SERVICE_NAME, MODE_PRIVATE);
    startService();
}

@Override
public void onDestroy() {
    super.onDestroy();
    Log.e("daim", "RequestService has stopped ...");
    if(timer != null){
        timer.cancel();
    }
}

public void startService(){
    Log.d("daim", "UPDATING REQUESTS FROM REQUEST SERVICE!!!");
    int intervalInteger = sharedPref.getInt(INTERVAL_KEY, INTERVAL_DEFAULT);
    delay = Long.valueOf(intervalInteger);
    sound = sharedPref.getBoolean(SOUND, true);
    vibrate = sharedPref.getBoolean(VIBRATE, true);
    Log.d("daim", "sound: " + sound);
    Log.d("daim", "vibrate: " + vibrate);
    Log.d("daim", "delay: " + delay);
    commonApi = AAALifestyleApplication.commonApi;
    timer = new Timer();
    if(delay > 0){
        timer.scheduleAtFixedRate(new TimerTask() {     
            @Override
            public void run() {
                if(commonApi.isLoggedIn()){
                    commonApi.getRequests(RequestService.this, false);
                }       
            }
        }, 0, delay);
    }
}

@Override
public void onRequestResult(ArrayList<Request> requests) {
    for(Request r : requests){
        if(!commonApi.hasRequest(r)){
            sendNotification();
        }
    }
}

@Override
public void onAuthenticationError() {
    // TODO Auto-generated method stub

}

@Override
public void onConnectionError() {
    // TODO Auto-generated method stub

}

private void sendNotification(){
    context = getApplicationContext();
    nManager = (NotificationManager) context.getSystemService(Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
    notification = new Notification(R.drawable.icon, "You received new requests", System.currentTimeMillis());
    intent = new Intent(getBaseContext(), RequestsActivity.class);
    pIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(getBaseContext(), 0, intent, android.content.Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
    notification.setLatestEventInfo(context, "Request notification", "Click here to see your requests", pIntent);
    notification.flags |= Notification.FLAG_AUTO_CANCEL;
    if(vibrate){
        notification.defaults |= Notification.DEFAULT_VIBRATE;
    }
    if(sound){
        notification.defaults |= Notification.DEFAULT_SOUND;
    }
    nManager.notify(0, notification);
}

}

Answer 1

correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you starting the CalendarService from AAAService 's onCreate? and that's why your CalendarService is started when you start AAAService

Answer 2

In my CalendarService i had the method stopSelf(); which I thought stopped itself, but did also stop AAAService which will stop the RequestService as well. Problem solved!

Answer 3

Your service inheritance/polymorphism hierarchy mess up all your services creation lifecycle. Take CalendarService as an example, the first thing in CalendarService.onCreate() is calling its super.onCreate(), in the super service onCreate method(your AAAService.onCreate()) it start the concrete service (your CalendarService), so both your AAAService and CalendarService get recursively created many times.

If the only thing AAAService does is created its child service, You should drop your AAAService and directly create/start your CalendarService and RequestService in your Activity.

Alternatively, you can simply try break your inheritance/polymorphism and make all your services independent. it should fix your problem.