Titanium.Android.Service

Android application component that executes in the background.

A service is a component started by an application that runs in the background. The service does not have any application UI associated with it, so the user does not directly interact with it, only your application.

The Titanium SDK gives you the ability to write your own Android Services using JavaScript. The service executes your JavaScript code at intervals you specify. Note that the service may stop running if the application is killed.

To create a service:

Write the JavaScript code you want the service to execute in a separate file. The service can execute any Titanium APIs but you should only use non-UI APIs.
Register the service in your tiapp.xml file. Refer to the example below.
Create a service intent by passing the JavaScript file to the Titanium.Android.createServiceIntent method and set the interval to run the code using the intent's putExtra() method.
Pass the Intent object to either the Titanium.Android.createService method to create a Service object (bound service), where the application can manage the service by invoking methods and binding callbacks on the object, or to the Titanium.Android.startService method to start the service (started service) and the service manages itself.

Use the Titanium.Android.Service API to manage the service.

To get a reference to the Service inside the JavaScript service code, use the Titanium.Android.currentService property to retrieve a reference to the service, then invoke the Titanium.Android.Service APIs on the Service object.

Background Location Service Example

In order to obtain location events while the application is backgrounded a foreground service must be used. Below is an example of a simple background location service.

tiapp.xml:

<android>
    <manifest>
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION"/>
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE"/>
    </manifest>
    <services>
    <service url="locationService.js"/>
    </services>
</android>

locationService.js:

console.log(`Background location service started.`);

// Create foreground service.
Ti.Android.currentService.foregroundNotify(
    123,
    Ti.Android.createNotification({
    contentTitle: "Background Location Service",
    contentText: "Obtaining location data...",
    contentIntent: Ti.Android.createPendingIntent({
        intent: Ti.App.Android.launchIntent || Ti.Android.createIntent(),
    })
    }),
    Ti.Android.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_LOCATION
);

app.js:

const win = Ti.UI.createWindow({ backgroundColor: 'gray', layout: 'vertical' });
const backgroundServiceBtn = Ti.UI.createButton({ title: 'START BACKGROUND SERVICE' });
const listView = Ti.UI.createListView();

let count = 1;
let service = null;

// Set accuracy to high
Ti.Geolocation.accuracy = Ti.Geolocation.ACCURACY_HIGH;

// Enable manual configuration via location providers.
Ti.Geolocation.Android.manualMode = true;

// Define a location provider.
Ti.Geolocation.Android.addLocationProvider(
    Ti.Geolocation.Android.createLocationProvider({
        name: Ti.Geolocation.Android.PROVIDER_GPS,
        minUpdateDistance: 0,
        minUpdateTime: 5000
    })
);

function getLocation () {

    // Create location event listener.
    Ti.Geolocation.addEventListener('location', e => {

        // Create new section for location data.
        let section = Ti.UI.createListSection({ headerTitle: `#${count++} - ${new Date().toTimeString()}` });
        if (e.success) {
            if (e.coords) {
                e = e.coords;
            }

            // Insert location data.
            section.items = [
                { properties: { title: 'LOCATION:\n' + e.latitude + ', ' + e.longitude, color: 'green' } },
                { properties: { title: 'ALTITUDE:\n' + e.altitude, color: 'green' } },
                { properties: { title: 'ACCURACY:\n' + e.accuracy, color: 'green' } }
            ])

        } else {

            // Oops! Something bad happened.
            section.items = [
                { properties: { title: 'ERROR:\n' + e.error, color: 'red' } }
            ];
        }

        // Add section to listView
        listView.appendSection(section);
    });
}

function startBackgroundLocationService() {
    if (service) {
        console.log('Starting background location service...');
        service.start();
        backgroundServiceBtn.title = 'STOP BACKGROUND SERVICE';
    }
}

function stopBackgroundLocationService() {
    if (service) {
        console.log('Stopping background location service...');
        service.stop();
        backgroundServiceBtn.title = 'START BACKGROUND SERVICE';
    }
}

win.addEventListener('open', () => {

    // Request location permissions.
    Ti.Geolocation.requestLocationPermissions(Ti.Geolocation.AUTHORIZATION_ALWAYS, e => {
        if (e.success) {
            getLocation();
        } else {
            alert('Could not obtain location permissions.');
        }
    });
});

backgroundServiceBtn.addEventListener('click', () => {
    if (!service) {

        // Create background location service.
        const intent = Ti.Android.createServiceIntent({ url: 'locationService.js' });
        service = Ti.Android.createService(intent);

        // Android 10+ request background location permissions.
        if (parseInt(Ti.Platform.version.split('.')[0]) >= 10) {
            Ti.Android.requestPermissions([ 'android.permission.ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION' ], e => {
                if (e.success) {
                    startBackgroundLocationService();
                } else {
                    alert('Could not obtain background location permissions.');
                }
            });
        } else {
            startBackgroundLocationService();
        }

    } else {
        stopBackgroundLocationService();
    }
});

win.add([backgroundServiceBtn, listView]);
win.open();

Extends: Titanium.Proxy · Since: 1.5 · Platforms: android

Properties #

apiName#

extended

Type: String

The name of the API that this proxy corresponds to.

The value of this property is the fully qualified name of the API. For example, Button
returns Ti.UI.Button.

bubbleParent#

extended

Type: Boolean

Indicates if the proxy will bubble an event to its parent.

Some proxies (most commonly views) have a relationship to other proxies, often
established by the add() method. For example, for a button added to a window, a
click event on the button would bubble up to the window. Other common parents are
table sections to their rows, table views to their sections, and scrollable views
to their views. Set this property to false to disable the bubbling to the proxy's parent.

intent#

Type: Titanium.Android.Intent

The intent used to start or bind to the Service.

lifecycleContainer#

extended

Type: Titanium.UI.Window, Titanium.UI.TabGroup

The Window or TabGroup whose Activity lifecycle should be triggered on the proxy.

If this property is set to a Window or TabGroup, then the corresponding Activity lifecycle event callbacks
will also be called on the proxy. Proxies that require the activity lifecycle will need this property set
to the appropriate containing Window or TabGroup.

serviceInstanceId#

Type: Number

A service can be started more than once -- this number (based on an incrementing integer)
indicates which "start number" in the sequence the current service instance is.

Methods #

addEventListener #

extended

Adds the specified callback as an event listener for the named event.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Summary	Optional
`name`	`String`	Name of the event.	No
`callback`	`Callback<Titanium.Event>`	Callback function to invoke when the event is fired.	No

applyProperties #

extended

Applies the properties to the proxy.

Properties are supplied as a dictionary. Each key-value pair in the object is applied to the proxy such that
myproxy[key] = value.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Summary	Optional
`props`	`Dictionary`	A dictionary of properties to apply.	No

fireEvent #

extended

Fires a synthesized event to any registered listeners.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Summary	Optional
`name`	`String`	Name of the event.	No
`event`	`Dictionary`	A dictionary of keys and values to add to the Titanium.Event object sent to the listeners.	Yes

foregroundCancel #

Puts the service into the "background" state and removes its foreground notification.

If you call the foregroundNotify() method to
put the service into the "foreground" state, then you call this method to put the service
back into the "background" state. This will also automatically remove the foreground service's
notification that was put into the status bar.

Note that stopping a foreground service will remove its foreground notification from
the status bar as well. So, you do not have to call this method to remove it. This method
is only intended to be used by services that need to dynamically change states.

foregroundNotify #

Puts the service into the "foreground" state and displays a notification.

Calling this method will change the service from the "background" state (the default)
to the "foreground" state. It will also post a notification to the status bar to notify the
end-user that the app is doing work, even while backgrounded. This feature is typically
used by apps that play music, monitor current location, or perform large downloads while
the app is in the background.

Note that a foreground service is far less likely to be terminated by the operating system
while the app is in the background. A foreground service is also needed if the app
needs to acquire location data since Android 8.0 and higher throttles location acquisition
while the app is in the background.

See Android 8.0 "Background Execution Limits":

https://developer.android.com/about/versions/oreo/background

You can call this method before or after the service has been started. If you need to
change the displayed notification, then you can call this method again with the same
notification ID and with an updated [notification]Titanium.Android.Notification object.

The notification will be automatically removed from the status bar when the service has
been stopped or if you call the foregroundCancel()
method.

This method will fail on Android 9.0 and above unless you set the following Android manifest
permission in your "tiapp.xml" file.

<ti:app>
    <android xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
        <manifest>
            <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE"/>
        </manifest>
    </android>
</ti:app>

Parameters:

Name	Type	Summary	Optional
`id`	`Number`	Unique integer ID to be assigned to the notification. Cannot be zero.	No
`notification`	`Titanium.Android.Notification`	Notification to display in the status bar. Cannot be null.	No
`foregroundServiceType`	`Number`	Notification service type specified by <Titanium.Android.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_*>.	Yes

removeEventListener #

extended

Removes the specified callback as an event listener for the named event.

Multiple listeners can be registered for the same event, so the
callback parameter is used to determine which listener to remove.

When adding a listener, you must save a reference to the callback function
in order to remove the listener later:

var listener = function() { Ti.API.info("Event listener called."); }
window.addEventListener('click', listener);

To remove the listener, pass in a reference to the callback function:

window.removeEventListener('click', listener);

Parameters:

Name	Type	Summary	Optional
`name`	`String`	Name of the event.	No
`callback`	`Callback<Titanium.Event>`	Callback function to remove. Must be the same function passed to `addEventListener`.	No

start #

Starts the Service.

Effective only if this instance of Titanium.Android.Service was created
with Titanium.Android.createService.

stop #

Stops this running instance of the Service.

Events #

pause #

For Javascript-based services that you create, pause fires after each time the JavaScript
code executes.

The resume and pause events occur in pairs, with resume firing just before your
JavaScript service code executes, and pause just after.

Event Properties:

Name	Type	Summary
`iteration`	`Number`	Incrementing integer indicating which iteration of an interval-based Service is pausing. For example, if you have an interval-based Service running every 10 seconds, iteration 3 would occur at about 30 seconds after you start the instance (assuming your service code runs quickly).

resume #

For JavaScript-based Services which you create, resume fires each time the JavaScript
code executes.

For example, if your Service runs on an interval of 10000 (10 seconds), you would expect
to see resume fired every 10 seconds, just as the JavaScript service code you wrote is
about to execute.

Event Properties:

Name	Type	Summary
`iteration`	`Number`	Incrementing integer indicating which iteration of an interval-based Service is pausing. For example, if you have an interval-based Service running every 10 seconds, iteration 3 would occur at about 30 seconds after you start the instance (assuming your service code runs quickly).

start #

Fired when the bound service instance starts.

Bound service instances are created via Titanium.Android.createService.

stop #

Fired when the bound service instance stops.

The service stops when Titanium.Android.Service.stop or
Titanium.Android.stopService is called and there are no more bound,
un-stopped clients.

taskremoved #

Fired when the task that comes from the service's application has been removed.

This event is fired if the service is currently running and the user has removed a task
that comes from the service's application, e.g. the user swipes the application away from
the recent applications list. It only works for unbound service which is
started using Titanium.Android.startService.

Examples #

Hello World Service

This example shows how to create a service in JavaScript. Your service code is included in its own JavaScript file. In this example, the service reads data from the <Titanium.Android.Intent> which created it, to see what it should say besides "Hello World". File: myservice.js:

var service = Titanium.Android.currentService;
var intent = service.intent;
var message = intent.getStringExtra("message_to_echo");
Titanium.API.info("Hello World!  I am a Service.  I have this to say: " + message);

<ti:app>
    <android xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
        <services>
            <service url="myservice.js" type="interval"/>
        </services>
    </android>
</ti:app>

var intent = Titanium.Android.createServiceIntent( { url: 'myservice.js' } );
// Service should run its code every 2 seconds.
intent.putExtra('interval', 2000);
// A message that the service should 'echo'
intent.putExtra('message_to_echo', 'Titanium rocks!');

var service = Titanium.Android.createService(intent);
service.addEventListener('resume', function(e) {
    Titanium.API.info('Service code resumes, iteration ' + e.iteration);
});
service.addEventListener('pause', function(e) {
    Titanium.API.info('Service code pauses, iteration ' + e.iteration);
    if (e.iteration === 3) {
        Titanium.API.info('Service code has run 3 times, will now stop it.');
        service.stop();
    }
});
service.start();

[INFO] [29,1942] Service code resumes, iteration 1
[INFO] [70,2029] Hello World! I am a Service. I have this to say: Titanium rocks!
[INFO] [3,2070] Service code pauses, iteration 1
[INFO] [2,3915] Service code resumes, iteration 2
[INFO] [31,3961] Hello World! I am a Service. I have this to say: Titanium rocks!
[INFO] [5,3968] Service code pauses, iteration 2
[INFO] [2,5917] Service code resumes, iteration 3
[INFO] [27,5961] Hello World! I am a Service. I have this to say: Titanium rocks!
[INFO] [16,5980] Service code pauses, iteration 3
[INFO] [1,5981] Service code has run 3 times, will now stop it.

Notificationchannels

Launchoptionstype

Notificationparams

Usernotificationattachment

Usernotificationsettings

Mediascannerresponse

Clipboarditemstype

Systemimageparameters

Titanium.Android.Service ​

Background Location Service Example ​

Properties #

apiName#

bubbleParent#

intent#

lifecycleContainer#

serviceInstanceId#

Methods #

addEventListener #

applyProperties #

fireEvent #

foregroundCancel #

foregroundNotify #

removeEventListener #

start #

stop #

Events #

pause #

resume #

start #

stop #

taskremoved #

Examples #

Hello World Service

Titanium.Android.Service

Background Location Service Example