Android Service application

Question

I'm writing a software suite for Android devices that will keep track of call times and various other call info. I'd like one of the applications to run as a Service without being started from an Activity, and I'd like it to initialize immediately when the phone boots, and stay running constantly, listening for phone calls, logging information to a database as necessary. The Service will need to present a dialog to the user at the end of each call.

2 questions:

1. How do I get the program (Service) to initialize at boot automatically with no user setting or interaction required?

2. I was under the impression that you cannot instantiate and display dialogs without using an Activity. I would like the dialogs to appear laid over whatever the user currently has on the screen, and display a dialog. Is there a way to make an Activity completely transparent over the current Activity or is there a way to display dialogs from a Service?

thanks in advance.

Answer 1

How do I get the program (Service) to initialize at boot automatically with no user setting or interaction required?

Add this permission to your manifest:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED" />

Then add a receiver to your manifest:

<receiver android:name="your.package.BootReceiver">
    <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.HOME" />
    </intent-filter>
</receiver>

Create a receiver in Java code:

public class BootReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {
    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
        // start the service from here
    }
}

I was under the impression that you cannot instantiate and display dialogs without using an Activity. I would like the dialogs to appear laid over whatever the user currently has on the screen, and display a dialog. Is there a way to make an Activity completely transparent over the current Activity or is there a way to display dialogs from a Service?

Yes, that's true. You have to have an activity that pops up the dialog. To create a transparent activity add the following style in your res/values/styles.xml file (if you don’t have one, create it.) Here’s a complete file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
  <style name="Theme.Transparent" parent="android:Theme">
    <item name="android:windowIsTranslucent">true</item>
    <item name="android:windowBackground">#00000000</item>
    <item name="android:windowContentOverlay">@null</item>
    <item name="android:windowNoTitle">true</item>
    <item name="android:windowIsFloating">true</item>
    <item name="android:backgroundDimEnabled">false</item>
  </style>
</resources>

Then apply the style to your activity, for example:

<activity android:name=".TransparentActivity" android:theme="@style/Theme.Transparent">
...
</activity>