Developing Android REST

Client Applications
Virgil Dobjanschi
5/20/2010
Developing Android REST Client Applications
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REST Client Applications

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REST Client Applications
• REST: A broadly adopted architecture style

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REST Client Applications
• REST: A broadly adopted architecture style
• A large number of REST APIs are available

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REST Client Applications
• REST: A broadly adopted architecture style
• A large number of REST APIs are available
• Why develop them if mobile friendly web sites already exist?

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Incorrect Implementation of REST Methods
“I haven’t failed, I’ve found 10,000 ways that don’t work.”
- Thomas Alva Edison
The Incorrect Implementation of REST Methods

Activity 1. Get, create, CursorAdapter

update, delete
Worker thread
3. Process
REST Method data Processor
2. GET/POST/
PUT/DELETE
4. Save data
structure

Memory Storage

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What’s wrong with this approach?

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What’s wrong with this approach?
• The operating system may shut down the process

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What’s wrong with this approach?
• The operating system may shut down the process
• Data is not persistently stored

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Implementing REST Methods
“There’s a way to do it better ... find it.”
- Thomas Alva Edison
REST Method Implementation Patterns

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REST Method Implementation Patterns
• Introducing three design patterns to handle REST methods
– Use a Service API
– Use the ContentProvider API
– Use the ContentProvider API and a SyncAdapter

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Implementing REST Methods
Option A: Use a Service API
 Option A: Use a Service API

Activity CursorAdapter
1. initiate(param) 11. Callback to registered activities
8’. ContentObserver 8”. requery
Service Helper notification

2. startService(Intent) 10. Binder callback

Service
3. start(param) 9. Operation complete callback
4.insert/update
Processor Content Provider
8.insert/update
5. start(param) 7. REST method complete callback

REST Method
11 6. GET/POST/PUT/DELETE
 REST Method
The REST Method

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 REST Method
The REST Method

• An entity which:
– Prepares the HTTP URL & HTTP request body
– Executes the HTTP transaction
– Processes the HTTP response

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 REST Method
The REST Method

• An entity which:
– Prepares the HTTP URL & HTTP request body
– Executes the HTTP transaction
– Processes the HTTP response
• Select the optimal content type for responses
– Binary, JSON, XML
– New in Froyo: JSON parser (same org.json API)

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 REST Method
The REST Method

• An entity which:
– Prepares the HTTP URL & HTTP request body
– Executes the HTTP transaction
– Processes the HTTP response
• Select the optimal content type for responses
– Binary, JSON, XML
– New in Froyo: JSON parser (same org.json API)
• Enable the gzip content encoding when possible

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 REST Method
The REST Method

• An entity which:
– Prepares the HTTP URL & HTTP request body
– Executes the HTTP transaction
– Processes the HTTP response
• Select the optimal content type for responses
– Binary, JSON, XML
– New in Froyo: JSON parser (same org.json API)
• Enable the gzip content encoding when possible
• Run the REST method in a worker thread

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 REST Method
The REST Method

• An entity which:
– Prepares the HTTP URL & HTTP request body
– Executes the HTTP transaction
– Processes the HTTP response
• Select the optimal content type for responses
– Binary, JSON, XML
– New in Froyo: JSON parser (same org.json API)
• Enable the gzip content encoding when possible
• Run the REST method in a worker thread
• Use the Apache HTTP client

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 Option A: Use a Service API

Activity CursorAdapter
1. initiate(param) 11. Callback to registered activities
8’. ContentObserver 8”. requery
Service Helper notification

2. startService(Intent) 10. Binder callback

Service
3. start(param) 9. Operation complete callback
4.insert/update
Processor Content Provider
8.insert/update
5. start(param) 7. REST method complete callback

REST Method
13 6. GET/POST/PUT/DELETE
 Processor
The Processor (POST & PUT)
POST
4.insert
(set STATE_POSTING)
Processor Content Provider
8.update
(clear STATE_POSTING)

REST Method

PUT
4.update
(set STATE_UPDATING)
Processor Content Provider
8.update
(clear STATE_UPDATING)

REST Method
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 Processor
The Processor (DELETE & GET)
DELETE
4.update
(set STATE_DELETING)
Processor Content Provider
8.delete

REST Method

GET

Processor Content Provider

8.insert new resources

REST Method
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 Option A: Use a Service API

Activity CursorAdapter
1. initiate(param) 11. Callback to registered activities
8’. ContentObserver 8”. requery
Service Helper notification

2. startService(Intent) 10. Binder callback

Service
3. start(param) 9. Operation complete callback
4.insert/update
Processor Content Provider
8.insert/update
5. start(param) 7. REST method complete callback

REST Method
16 6. GET/POST/PUT/DELETE
 Service
The Service

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 Service
The Service

• The role of the service

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 Service
The Service

• The role of the service

• Forward path: receives the Intent sent by the Service Helper
and starts the corresponding REST Method

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 Service
The Service

• The role of the service

• Forward path: receives the Intent sent by the Service Helper
and starts the corresponding REST Method
• Return path: handles the Processor callback and invokes the
Service Helper binder callback

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 Service
The Service

• The role of the service

• Forward path: receives the Intent sent by the Service Helper
and starts the corresponding REST Method
• Return path: handles the Processor callback and invokes the
Service Helper binder callback
• It can implement a queue of downloads

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 Option A: Use a Service API

Activity CursorAdapter
1. initiate(param) 11. Callback to registered activities
8’. ContentObserver 8”. requery
Service Helper notification

2. startService(Intent) 10. Binder callback

Service
3. start(param) 9. Operation complete callback
4.insert/update
Processor Content Provider
8.insert/update
5. start(param) 7. REST method complete callback

REST Method
18 6. GET/POST/PUT/DELETE
 Service Helper
The Service Helper

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 Service Helper
The Service Helper
• Singleton which exposes a simple asynchronous API to be used
by the user interface

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 Service Helper
The Service Helper
• Singleton which exposes a simple asynchronous API to be used
by the user interface
• Prepare and send the Service request
– Check if the method is already pending
– Create the request Intent
– Add the operation type and a unique request id
– Add the method specific parameters
– Add the binder callback
– Call startService(Intent)
– Return the request id

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 Service Helper
The Service Helper
• Singleton which exposes a simple asynchronous API to be used
by the user interface
• Prepare and send the Service request
– Check if the method is already pending
– Create the request Intent
– Add the operation type and a unique request id
– Add the method specific parameters
– Add the binder callback
– Call startService(Intent)
– Return the request id
• Handle the callback from the service
– Dispatch callbacks to the user interface listeners
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 Option A: Use a Service API

Activity CursorAdapter
1. initiate(param) 11. Callback to registered activities
8’. ContentObserver 8”. requery
Service Helper notification

2. startService(Intent) 10. Binder callback

Service
3. start(param) 9. Operation complete callback
4.insert/update
Processor Content Provider
8.insert/update
5. start(param) 7. REST method complete callback

REST Method
20 6. GET/POST/PUT/DELETE
Handling the REST Method in an Activity &
Activity CursorAdapter

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Handling the REST Method in an Activity &
Activity CursorAdapter
• Add an operation listener in onResume and remove it in onPause

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Handling the REST Method in an Activity &
Activity CursorAdapter
• Add an operation listener in onResume and remove it in onPause
• Consider these cases:
– The Activity is still active when the request completes
– The Activity is paused then resumed and then the request
completes
– The Activity is paused when the request completes and then
Activity is resumed

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Handling the REST Method in an Activity &
Activity CursorAdapter
• Add an operation listener in onResume and remove it in onPause
• Consider these cases:
– The Activity is still active when the request completes
– The Activity is paused then resumed and then the request
completes
– The Activity is paused when the request completes and then
Activity is resumed
• The CursorAdapter handles the ContentProvider notification by
implementing a ContentObserver

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 Option A: Use a Service API

Activity CursorAdapter
1. initiate(param) 11. Callback to registered activities
8’. ContentObserver 8”. requery
Service Helper notification

2. startService(Intent) 10. Binder callback

Service
3. start(param) 9. Operation complete callback
4.insert/update
Processor Content Provider
8.insert/update
5. start(param) 7. REST method complete callback

REST Method
22 6. GET/POST/PUT/DELETE
Implementing REST Methods
Option B: Use the ContentProvider API
Option B: Use the ContentProvider API

Activity & CursorAdapter

1. query, insert, 7’. ContentObserver
update, delete notification 7”. query

Content Provider
2. start(Intent)

Service Helper
3. startService(Intent)

7. insert/update
Service
4. start(param)

6. Process data
REST Method Processor
5. GET/POST/
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PUT/DELETE
A Simple Pattern for the REST of us
Option C: Use a ContentProvider API and a SyncAdapter
“To have a great idea, have a lot of them.”
-Thomas Alva Edison
 A Simple Pattern Using the ContentProvider API
Use a sync adapter to initiate all your REST methods

Activity & CursorAdapter

query, insert, update, delete 6. ContentObserver notification 6’. requery

Content Provider
1.Get items that need to be synced
5. insert/
Sync Adapter update/delete

2. start(param)

4. Process
REST Method data Processor
3. GET/POST/
PUT/DELETE

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Conclusions
“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.”
- Thomas Alva Edison
Conclusions

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Conclusions
• Do not implement REST methods inside Activities

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Conclusions
• Do not implement REST methods inside Activities
• Start long running operations from a Service

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Conclusions
• Do not implement REST methods inside Activities
• Start long running operations from a Service
• Persist early & persist often

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Conclusions
• Do not implement REST methods inside Activities
• Start long running operations from a Service
• Persist early & persist often
• Minimize the network usage

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Conclusions
• Do not implement REST methods inside Activities
• Start long running operations from a Service
• Persist early & persist often
• Minimize the network usage
• Use a sync adapter to execute background operations which
are not time critical
– New in Froyo: Android Cloud to Device Messaging

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Developing Android REST Client Applications
• View live notes and ask questions about this session on
Google Wave:

–http://bit.ly/bHNnTm

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