how to keep an Intent service running

Question

I have two examples of Intentservice. One is the Download example in the commonsware book. the other is at http://www.vogella.com/articles/AndroidServices/article.html#servicecommunication_handler. Both of these examples show the service executing a finite task and they both apparently destroy themselves by running to the end of the scope of the onHandleIntent event.

The service I am writing has to have events and listen for things. One is a LocationListener listening for GPS movement. Another makes Posts to a REST service and listens for replys. I want it to run until a time has elapsed or until it was told to quit by the activity that started it.

How do I keep it running? Where, for instance, do I put my implementation of LocationListener? Thanks, Gary

Answer 1

How do I keep it running?

You don't. IntentService is designed to do a piece of work (or perhaps a few off a queue, if commands happen to come in rapidly), then shut down.

The service I am writing has to have events and listen for things.

Then you should not be using an IntentService. Use a regular Service, with your own background thread(s) as needed.