How send data from application to AppWidgetProvider?

Question

I am stuck in a particular scenario. I need to get my widget updated as soon as the user update the time from the app. I did try Broadcast by sending the data through Intent Extras but fail to do so. Currently, I have my data in AppWidgetProvider and I need to send this data to service

public class CountdownWidget extends AppWidgetProvider {
    // SharedPreferences userDefaults;

    // update rate in milliseconds
    public static final int UPDATE_RATE = 1800000; // 30 minute

    public static String nameOne = "";

    @Override
    public void onDeleted(Context context, int[] appWidgetIds) {
        for (int appWidgetId : appWidgetIds) {
            setAlarm(context, appWidgetId, -1);
        }
        super.onDeleted(context, appWidgetIds);
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub

        Bundle extras = intent.getExtras();
        nameOne = extras.getString("NAME_ONE");

        Log.e("Name: ", nameOne);

        super.onReceive(context, intent);
    }

    @Override
    public void onUpdate(Context context, AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager,
                         int[] appWidgetIds) {

        for (int appWidgetId : appWidgetIds) {
            setAlarm(context, appWidgetId, UPDATE_RATE);
        }
        super.onUpdate(context, appWidgetManager, appWidgetIds);
    }

    public static void setAlarm(Context context, int appWidgetId, int updateRate) {

        // Log.e("", "Updating Widget Service");

        PendingIntent newPending = makeControlPendingIntent(context,
                CountdownService.UPDATE, appWidgetId);
        AlarmManager alarms = (AlarmManager) context
                .getSystemService(Context.ALARM_SERVICE);
        if (updateRate >= 0) {
            alarms.setRepeating(AlarmManager.ELAPSED_REALTIME,
                    SystemClock.elapsedRealtime(), updateRate, newPending);
        } else {
            // on a negative updateRate stop the refreshing
            alarms.cancel(newPending);
        }
    }

    public static PendingIntent makeControlPendingIntent(Context context,
                                                         String command, int appWidgetId) {
        Intent active = new Intent(context, CountdownService.class);
        active.setAction(command);
        active.putExtra(AppWidgetManager.EXTRA_APPWIDGET_ID, appWidgetId);
        // this Uri data is to make the PendingIntent unique, so it wont be
        // updated by FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT
        // so if there are multiple widget instances they wont override each
        // other
        Uri data = Uri.withAppendedPath(
                Uri.parse("countdownwidget://widget/id/#" + command
                        + appWidgetId), String.valueOf(appWidgetId));
        active.setData(data);
        return (PendingIntent.getService(context, 0, active,
                PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT));
    }
}

As you see nameOne is a static variable. I can receive data on the onReceive method using getExtras, but I am not unable to pass this data to my CountdownService Service.

I did try CountdownWidget.nameOne but still fails to fet the data in the service.

Any help will be highly appreciated.

Answer 1

You have to create a service that updates the widget,check this tutorial (the 4th section), you may try to transfer the data through static variables.