I am attempting to connect to my XAMPP server and interact with the MySQL database with the classes below. However, the error notes that I receive a NullPointerException at the line:
result = imService.createNewGroup(newGroupName);
In the CreateGroup class. It should be noted that the CreateGroup class is also called right after a user inputs text into a Dialog and the service is started from there. I am fairly new to services and network connections, but is there something I'm missing that should allow to at least verify that the service is connected before trying to send the .createGroup command?
CreateGroup Class:
public class CreateGroup extends Activity {
private static final String SERVER_RES_RES_SIGN_UP_SUCCESFULL = "1";
private static final String SERVER_RES_SIGN_UP_USERNAME_CRASHED = "2";
private Manager imService;
private Handler handler = new Handler();
String newGroupName;
public ServiceConnection mConnection = new ServiceConnection() {
public void onServiceConnected(ComponentName className, IBinder service) {
imService = ((MessagingService.IMBinder) service).getService();
}
public void onServiceDisconnected(ComponentName className) {
imService = null;
Toast.makeText(CreateGroup.this, R.string.local_service_stopped,
Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
}
};
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
bindService(new Intent(CreateGroup.this, MessagingService.class),
mConnection, Context.BIND_AUTO_CREATE);
// Getting intent and info from the dialog
Intent i = getIntent();
Bundle extras = i.getExtras();
newGroupName = extras.getString("groupName");
Thread thread = new Thread() {
String result = new String();
@Override
public void run() {
// Send group name to the messaging
// service
try {
result = imService.createNewGroup(newGroupName);
} catch (NullPointerException e) {
// TODO Auto-generated catch block
e.printStackTrace();
} catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
// TODO Auto-generated catch block
e.printStackTrace();
}
Log.d("problem", "The value of result is " + result.toString());
handler.post(new Runnable() {
@Override
public void run() {
if (result == null) {
Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),
"It's null, not working", Toast.LENGTH_LONG)
.show();
}
if (result != null
&& result
.equals(SERVER_RES_RES_SIGN_UP_SUCCESFULL)) {
Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),
R.string.signup_successfull,
Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
// showDialog(SIGN_UP_SUCCESSFULL);
} else if (result != null
&& result
.equals(SERVER_RES_SIGN_UP_USERNAME_CRASHED)) {
Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),
R.string.signup_username_crashed,
Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
// showDialog(SIGN_UP_USERNAME_CRASHED);
} else // if
// (result.equals(SERVER_RES_SIGN_UP_FAILED))
{
Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),
R.string.signup_failed, Toast.LENGTH_LONG)
.show();
// showDialog(SIGN_UP_FAILED);
}
}
});
}
};
thread.start();
}
Server Case for "createGroup" method:
case "createGroup":
$SQLtest = "insert into groups(groupName, uniqueGroup, createTime)
VALUES('TestGroup', 1234567891, NOW())";
error_log("$SQLtest", 3 , "error_log");
if($result = $db -> query($SQLtest))
{
$out = SUCCESSFUL;
}
else
{
$out = FAILED;
}
break;
Messaging Service and createGroup method:
public class MessagingService extends Service implements Manager, Updater {
// private NotificationManager mNM;
public static String USERNAME;
public static final String TAKE_MESSAGE = "Take_Message";
public static final String FRIEND_LIST_UPDATED = "Take Friend List";
public static final String MESSAGE_LIST_UPDATED = "Take Message List";
public ConnectivityManager conManager = null;
private final int UPDATE_TIME_PERIOD = 15000;
private String rawFriendList = new String();
private String rawMessageList = new String();
SocketerInterface socketOperator = new Socketer(this);
private final IBinder mBinder = new IMBinder();
private String username;
private String password;
private boolean authenticatedUser = false;
// timer to take the updated data from server
private Timer timer;
private StorageManipulater localstoragehandler;
private NotificationManager mNM;
public class IMBinder extends Binder {
public Manager getService() {
return MessagingService.this;
}
}
@Override
public void onCreate() {
mNM = (NotificationManager) getSystemService(NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
localstoragehandler = new StorageManipulater(this);
// Display a notification about us starting. We put an icon in the
// status bar.
// showNotification();
conManager = (ConnectivityManager) getSystemService(CONNECTIVITY_SERVICE);
new StorageManipulater(this);
// Timer is used to take the friendList info every UPDATE_TIME_PERIOD;
timer = new Timer();
Thread thread = new Thread() {
@Override
public void run() {
Random random = new Random();
int tryCount = 0;
while (socketOperator.startListening(10000 + random
.nextInt(20000)) == 0) {
tryCount++;
if (tryCount > 10) {
// if it can't listen a port after trying 10 times, give
// up...
break;
}
}
}
};
thread.start();
}
@Override
public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
return mBinder;
}
@Override
public String createNewGroup(String groupName) throws NullPointerException, UnsupportedEncodingException {
String params = "action=createGroup";
String result = socketOperator.sendHttpRequest(params);
return result;
}
}
Because your code has an inherent race condition. And an evil one.
Change to something like this:
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
bindService(new Intent(CreateGroup.this, MessagingService.class),
mConnection, Context.BIND_AUTO_CREATE);
// but do not start thread here!
}
public ServiceConnection mConnection = new ServiceConnection() {
public void onServiceConnected(ComponentName className, IBinder service) {
imService = ((MessagingService.IMBinder) service).getService();
startCommunicationThread(); // <----------------------- only here can you start comm. thread
}
public void onServiceDisconnected(ComponentName className) {
imService = null;
Toast.makeText(CreateGroup.this, R.string.local_service_stopped,
Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
}
};
void startCommunicationThread() {
Thread thread = new Thread() {
String result = new String();
@Override
public void run() {
try {
result = imService.createNewGroup(newGroupName);
..........
}
If you want your code to be even more secure, use a connection state field:
public ServiceConnection mConnection = new ServiceConnection() {
volatile boolean isConnected;
public void onServiceConnected(ComponentName className, IBinder service) {
isConnected = true; // <---------------------
imService = ((MessagingService.IMBinder) service).getService();
startCommunicationThread();
}
public void onServiceDisconnected(ComponentName className) {
isConnected = false; // <---------------
imService = null;
Toast.makeText(CreateGroup.this, R.string.local_service_stopped,
Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
}
};
And poll isConnected from within startCommunicationThread to make sure no sudden disconnects.