android app screen flashing at launch

Question

Hi I have searched everywhere here and on Google, without getting a correct answer. So I post a new question:

I have several Android Apps that were working perfectly with 1.6 up to 2.3...

BUT now, with Android 4.0 (ICS), I have users reporting that the screen is flashing on the homepage when the application is launched and nothing can be done but "home" and Force Stop the App... (then. you can start the app again, and it eventually works... :O)

I have tested the App on the emulator and on several devices including the Galaxy S 3 with Android 4.0.4 and I could never reproduce the issue !! :(( It seems that the issue is mostly on the HTC One...

Here is the simple code of the activity

public class WelcomePage extends Activity {


/** Called when the activity is first created. */
@Override

public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    Eula.show(this);
    //on lui associe le layout 
    setContentView(R.layout.main);

    //on récupère tous les éléments
    Button buttonGuide = (Button)findViewById(R.id.buttonOui);
    Button buttonHotel = (Button)findViewById(R.id.buttonNon);
    Button buttonMap = (Button)findViewById(R.id.buttonMapg);
    Button buttonMaps = (Button)findViewById(R.id.buttonMaps);
    Button buttonMapb = (Button)findViewById(R.id.buttonMapb);
    Button buttonTwitt = (Button)findViewById(R.id.buttonTwitt);
    Button buttonFaceb = (Button)findViewById(R.id.buttonFaceb);
    Button buttonGoogle = (Button)findViewById(R.id.buttonGoogle);
    Button buttonGeoloc = (Button)findViewById(R.id.buttonGeoloc);

    OnClickListener onClickLister = new OnClickListener() {

        public void onClick(View v){
            Intent intent;
            switch(v.getId()){
            //si on a cliqué sur le button Oui
            case R.id.buttonOui:
                Bundle objetbunble = new Bundle();
                objetbunble.putString("titre", "Phuket");
                String lurl;
                if (getString(R.string.lnguserlook).equals("en")) { lurl = "phuketen"; } else { lurl = "phuket"; }
                objetbunble.putString("url", lurl);
                intent = new Intent(WelcomePage.this, AfficheGuide.class);
                Toast.makeText(WelcomePage.this, getString(R.string.titguid)+" Phuket "+getString(R.string.titguid2), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                ((MyApplication)getApplicationContext()).setIsPagehelp(false);  // pas Help en globale
                //On affecte à l'Intent le Bundle que l'on a créé
                intent.putExtras(objetbunble);
                startActivity(intent);
                break;
            case R.id.buttonNon:
              Toast.makeText(WelcomePage.this, getString(R.string.hotellist), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                //On créé l'Intent qui va nous permettre d'afficher l'autre Activity
                intent = new Intent(WelcomePage.this, ListeDestinationAll.class);
                startActivity(intent);
                break;
            case R.id.buttonGeoloc:
                if (!(Extras.Internet.isOnline())){ 
                    AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(WelcomePage.this);
                    builder.setMessage(getString(R.string.txtoffline))
                           .setPositiveButton("Ok", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                               public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int id) {
                                    dialog.cancel();
                               }
                           }).create().show(); }        
                else {  Toast.makeText(WelcomePage.this, "Geolocalisation", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                        intent = new Intent(WelcomePage.this, AfficheGeoloc.class);
                        startActivity(intent); 
                }
                break;
            case R.id.buttonMapg:
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), getString(R.string.map1), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                if (!(Extras.Internet.isOnline())){ 
                    AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(WelcomePage.this);
                    builder.setMessage(getString(R.string.txtoffline))
                           .setPositiveButton("Ok", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                               public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int id) {
                                    dialog.cancel();
                               }
                           }).create().show(); }        
                else { 
                        Toast.makeText(WelcomePage.this, "Phuket", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                        objetbunble = new Bundle();
                        //Cela fonctionne plus ou moins comme une HashMap, on entre une clef et sa valeur en face
                        objetbunble.putString("titre", "Phuket");
                        objetbunble.putString("url", "phuket&titre=Phuket");
                        intent = new Intent(WelcomePage.this, AfficheMaps.class);
                        //On affecte à l'Intent le Bundle que l'on a créé
                        intent.putExtras(objetbunble);
                        startActivity(intent); 
                }
                break;
            case R.id.buttonMaps:
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), getString(R.string.map2), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                Bundle objetbunblemap = new Bundle();
                objetbunblemap.putString("titre", getString(R.string.map2));
                objetbunblemap.putString("url", "pic");
                final Intent intentm;
                intentm = new Intent(WelcomePage.this, ImageViewerJP.class); 
                intentm.putExtras(objetbunblemap);
                startActivity(intentm);
                break;
            case R.id.buttonMapb:
                if (!(Extras.Internet.isOnline())){ 
                    AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(WelcomePage.this);
                    builder.setMessage(getString(R.string.txtoffline))
                           .setPositiveButton("Ok", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                               public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int id) {
                                    dialog.cancel();
                               }
                           }).create().show(); }        
                else {  //On créé un objet Bundle, c'est ce qui va nous permetre d'envoyer des données à l'autre Activity
                    objetbunble = new Bundle();
                    objetbunble.putString("titre", getString(R.string.titevent3)+" Phuket");
                    objetbunble.putString("url", getString(R.string.urlevent2)+"phuket");
                    intent = new Intent(WelcomePage.this, AfficheEvents.class);
                    Toast.makeText(WelcomePage.this, getString(R.string.titevent3)+" Phuket", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                    //On affecte à l'Intent le Bundle que l'on a créé
                    intent.putExtras(objetbunble);
                    startActivity(intent);
                }
                break;
            case R.id.buttonTwitt:
                if (!(Extras.Internet.isOnline())){ 
                    AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(WelcomePage.this);
                    builder.setMessage(getString(R.string.txtoffline))
                           .setPositiveButton("Ok", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                               public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int id) {
                                    dialog.cancel();
                               }
                           }).create().show(); }        
                else { Toast.makeText(WelcomePage.this, "Twitter", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                    //On créé l'Intent qui va nous permettre d'afficher l'autre Activity
                    intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
                    intent.setData(Uri.parse("http://mobile.twitter.com/#!/ResaHotelThai"));
                    startActivity(intent);
                }
                break;
            case R.id.buttonGoogle:
                if (!(Extras.Internet.isOnline())){ 
                    AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(WelcomePage.this);
                    builder.setMessage(getString(R.string.txtoffline))
                           .setPositiveButton("Ok", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                               public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int id) {
                                    dialog.cancel();
                               }
                           }).create().show(); }        
                else { Toast.makeText(WelcomePage.this, "Google+", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                    //On créé l'Intent qui va nous permettre d'afficher l'autre Activity
                    intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
                    intent.setData(Uri.parse("https://plus.google.com/114371498756127408275/posts"));
                    startActivity(intent);
                }
                break;
            case R.id.buttonFaceb:
                if (!(Extras.Internet.isOnline())){ 
                    AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(WelcomePage.this);
                    builder.setMessage(getString(R.string.txtoffline))
                           .setPositiveButton("Ok", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                               public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int id) {
                                    dialog.cancel();
                               }
                           }).create().show(); }        
                else { Toast.makeText(WelcomePage.this, "Facebook", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                    //On créé l'Intent qui va nous permettre d'afficher l'autre Activity
                    intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
                    intent.setData(Uri.parse("http://m.facebook.com/ResaHotelThai"));
                    startActivity(intent);
                }
                break;
            }
        }

    };

    //on affecte aux Button l'écouteur d'évènement
    buttonGuide.setOnClickListener(onClickLister);
    buttonHotel.setOnClickListener(onClickLister); 
    buttonMap.setOnClickListener(onClickLister); 
    buttonMaps.setOnClickListener(onClickLister); 
    buttonMapb.setOnClickListener(onClickLister); 
    buttonTwitt.setOnClickListener(onClickLister); 
    buttonFaceb.setOnClickListener(onClickLister); 
    buttonGoogle.setOnClickListener(onClickLister);
    buttonGeoloc.setOnClickListener(onClickLister);
}

//Méthode qui se déclenchera lorsque vous appuierez sur le bouton menu du téléphone
public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {

    //Création d'un MenuInflater qui va permettre d'instancier un Menu XML en un objet Menu
    MenuInflater inflater = getMenuInflater();
    //Instanciation du menu XML spécifier en un objet Menu
    inflater.inflate(R.layout.menu, menu);

    //Il n'est pas possible de modifier l'icône d'entête du sous-menu via le fichier XML on le fait donc en JAVA
    menu.getItem(0).getSubMenu().setHeaderIcon(R.drawable.language);

    return true;
 }

//Méthode qui se déclenchera au clic sur un item
public boolean onOptionsItemSelected(MenuItem item) {
      Intent intent;
     //On regarde quel item a été cliqué grâce à son id et on déclenche une action
     switch (item.getItemId()) {
        case R.id.option:
           Toast.makeText(WelcomePage.this, getString(R.string.language), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
           return true;
        case R.id.french:
            Locale locale = new Locale("fr"); 
            Locale.setDefault(locale);
            Configuration config = new Configuration();
            config.locale = locale;
            getBaseContext().getResources().updateConfiguration(config, getBaseContext().getResources().getDisplayMetrics());
            ((MyApplication)getApplicationContext()).setState("fr");    // passe langue en globale
            Toast.makeText(WelcomePage.this, "Français", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            intent = new Intent(WelcomePage.this, WelcomePage.class);
            //On redémarre l'Activity
            startActivity(intent);
            finish();
            return true;
        case R.id.english:
            Locale locale2 = new Locale("en"); 
            Locale.setDefault(locale2);
            Configuration config2 = new Configuration();
            config2.locale = locale2;
            getBaseContext().getResources().updateConfiguration(config2, getBaseContext().getResources().getDisplayMetrics());
            ((MyApplication)getApplicationContext()).setState("en");    // passe langue en globale
            Toast.makeText(WelcomePage.this, "English", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            intent = new Intent(WelcomePage.this, WelcomePage.class);
            //On redémarre l'Activity
            startActivity(intent);
            finish();
            return true;
       case R.id.about:
            // Assigne un Layout particulier a la dialogue Box
            LayoutInflater inflater = (LayoutInflater) WelcomePage.this.getSystemService(LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);
            View layout = inflater.inflate(R.layout.afficheabout,
                                           (ViewGroup) findViewById(R.id.layout_root));
            // Traitement du texte a afficher + linkify pour que le lien soit cliquable
            TextView text = (TextView) layout.findViewById(R.id.text);
            final SpannableString s = new SpannableString("Version 1.1.0\n\n\nwww.bloodico.com\n\nCopyright ©2011/2012\nBloodico Co Ltd");
            text.setText(s);
            Linkify.addLinks(text, Linkify.ALL);
            // Traitement de l'image a afficher a gauche
            ImageView image = (ImageView) layout.findViewById(R.id.image);
            image.setImageResource(R.drawable.sawadi);
            // Construction de la dialogbox
            AlertDialog.Builder adb = new AlertDialog.Builder(WelcomePage.this);
            adb.setView(layout);
            adb.setTitle("GuidePhuket");
            adb.setIcon(R.drawable.ic_launcher);
            //on indique que l'on veut le bouton ok à notre boite de dialogue
            adb.setPositiveButton("Ok", null);
            adb.show();
           return true;
        case R.id.help:
           Toast.makeText(WelcomePage.this, getString(R.string.helptitle), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            //On créé un objet Bundle, c'est ce qui va nous permetre d'envoyer des données à l'autre Activity
            Bundle objetbunble = new Bundle();

            //Cela fonctionne plus ou moins comme une HashMap, on entre une clef et sa valeur en face
            objetbunble.putString("titre", getString(R.string.helptitle));
            objetbunble.putString("url", getString(R.string.helpurl));
            intent = new Intent(WelcomePage.this, AfficheGuide.class);
            //On affecte à l'Intent le Bundle que l'on a créé
            intent.putExtras(objetbunble);
                startActivity(intent);
           return true;
        case R.id.morapp:
            Toast.makeText(WelcomePage.this, getString(R.string.morapp), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
           Intent marketIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW).setData(Uri.parse("market://search?q=pub:Bloodico+Co+Ltd"));
           startActivity(marketIntent);
           return true;
      }
      return super.onOptionsItemSelected(item);
  }

}

And here is the Layout used

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:gravity="center"
android:background="@drawable/fond"
>
  <ImageView  android:id="@+id/imageintro"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:src="@drawable/logocompanyfr"
    android:gravity="center_horizontal"
    android:contentDescription="@string/app_name"
    />

        <LinearLayout
      xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:orientation="horizontal"
      android:layout_marginTop="20dp"
      >
      <Button android:id="@+id/buttonOui"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:layout_marginRight="20dp"
        android:background="@drawable/titreguidebutton" />

     <Button android:id="@+id/buttonNon"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:layout_marginRight="20dp"
        android:background="@drawable/titrehotelbutton" />

      <Button android:id="@+id/buttonGeoloc"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:background="@drawable/titregeolocbutton" />

    </LinearLayout>

    <LinearLayout
      xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:orientation="horizontal"
      android:paddingTop="5dp"
      >
     <Button android:id="@+id/buttonMapg"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:layout_marginRight="20dp"
        android:background="@drawable/titreinfobutton" />

      <Button android:id="@+id/buttonMaps"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:layout_marginRight="20dp"
        android:background="@drawable/titremapsbutton" />

      <Button android:id="@+id/buttonMapb"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:background="@drawable/titremapbbutton" />

    </LinearLayout>
    <LinearLayout
        xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="100dp"
        android:orientation="horizontal" >

      <Button android:id="@+id/buttonFaceb"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:layout_marginRight="20dp"
        android:background="@drawable/titrefacebbutton" />

      <Button android:id="@+id/buttonTwitt"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:layout_marginRight="20dp"
        android:background="@drawable/titretwittbutton" />

      <Button android:id="@+id/buttonGoogle"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:background="@drawable/titregooglebutton" />
    </LinearLayout>

</LinearLayout>

And here is an excerpt of the manifest file

<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="4" android:targetSdkVersion="8" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE" />

<supports-screens android:smallScreens="true" android:normalScreens="true" android:largeScreens="true" android:anyDensity="true" />
<application android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher" android:label="@string/app_name" android:name=".MyApplication" android:allowBackup="true" android:screenOrientation="portrait">
    <activity android:name=".WelcomePage" 
              android:screenOrientation="portrait"                
              android:label="@string/app_name" android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher" android:theme="@android:style/Theme.NoTitleBar">
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
        </intent-filter>
    </activity>

Any help would be grantly appreciated, as i have more and more users concerned and can not find a way where to search.

Answer 1

FINALLY FOUND THE ERROR AND THE PROPER SOLUTION !!

Actually, The problem occurred only when people first launched the App from a screen on land mode... The App is forced to be portrait in the Manifest, but, nevertheless, I realised that Android still executes the onConfigurationChanged at launch (when passing from Land to Portrait, e.g)

The problem is that the App is in 2 languages and to keep the right language on screen orientation I had increment my own Myapplication (to extend Application) to manage onConfigurationChanged and set the correct Locale default throughout the App!!

Even after forcing the App to Portrait in the Manifest (for some reasons some time ago), the onConfigurationChanged from MyApplication.java was still executed in some circomstances...

THE PROBLEM :

The code in the MyApplication.java was

public void onConfigurationChanged(Configuration newConfig)
  {
      super.onConfigurationChanged(newConfig);
      // Set correct language (default or chosen)
      Locale locale = new Locale(getState()); 
      Locale.setDefault(locale);
      newConfig.locale = locale;
      getBaseContext().getResources().updateConfiguration(newConfig, getBaseContext().getResources().getDisplayMetrics());
  }

THE SOLUTION:

Do not use directly newConfig, but make a Modifiable Configuration object, instead, as adviced by Android Developper, and work with it

public void onConfigurationChanged(Configuration newConfig)
  {
      super.onConfigurationChanged(newConfig);
      // Set correct language (default or chosen)
      Locale locale = new Locale(getState()); 
      Locale.setDefault(locale);
      Configuration config = new Configuration(newConfig); // get Modifiable Config from actual config changed
      config.locale = locale;
      getBaseContext().getResources().updateConfiguration(config, getBaseContext().getResources().getDisplayMetrics());
  }

The former solution to load directly the newConfog objest was working until Android v2.3 but was not accepted any more in the Android Version >= 4.0

EVERYTHING IS OK NOW !!

(Special Thanks to Frédéric Espiau alias Apollidore, as the solution came reading his excellent book "Créez des applications pour Android")