Parcelable over AIDL

Steps to Implement the Parcelable over AIDL: Here I am giving some steps to implement the Parcelable.

Step1 : Create a different  .aidl file that will be used for define the Student class (Parcelable class).

(Student.aidl)

           package com.aidl; 

           parcelable Student;

we write this because aidl can detect Student class.

Step 2: Define the class as Parcelable by Implement the Parcelable.

(Student.java)

package com.aidl;

import android.os.Parcel;

import android.os.Parcelable;

public class Student implements Parcelable {

                public String name;

                public String father_name;

                public Student(Parcel source)

                {

                                name = source.readString();

                                father_name = source.readString();

                }

                public Student()

                {}

                public void setName(String name)

                {

                                this.name = name;

                }

                public void setFatherName(String father_name)

                {

                                this.father_name = father_name;

                }

                @Override

                public int describeContents() {

                                // TODO Auto-generated method stub

                                return 0;

                }

                @Override

                public void writeToParcel(Parcel dest, int flags) {

                                // TODO Auto-generated method stub

                                dest.writeString(name);

                                dest.writeString(father_name);

                               

                }

public static final Parcelable.Creator<Student> CREATOR = new Parcelable.Creator<Student>() {

                                @Override

                                public Student createFromParcel(Parcel source) {

                                                // TODO Auto-generated method stub

                                                return new Student(source);

                                }

                                @Override

                                public Student[] newArray(int size) {

                                                // TODO Auto-generated method stub

                                                return new Student[size];

                                }

                };

               

}

Explanation:

Yellow Color code : Parcelable interface has two abstract methods that we need to implement in class Student

1.   describeContent()  : It is used for provide additional hint , on how the Parcelable will be received.
2.  writeToParcel(Parcel dest, int flag) : This is the main method where we add data member to parcel using writeInt(), writeStirng () etc methods.

 "Green color code":  In any class which is implementing Parcelable have to provide CREATOR field. The type of CREATOR must be Parcelable.Creator<T>. Here in place of T we write the name of our class eg. Student. CREATOR is used during UnMarshalling of the object.

It has two methods –

1-      T createFromParcel(Parcel parcel) :This method is called when UnMarshalling happen during receiving the data. Keep care that  we receive the data member in same sequence as we write in writeToPacel(). Here we create a  constructor in which we demarshalling the data.

2-      NewArray(int size) : Here we just create an array of given size and return.

               

 For set the data in class I write setter methods setName() and setFatherName(). Its optional.

(Folder Structure)

Note : Better to keep this Student.java and Student.aidl in same package. And both should be copied in service side as well as client side.

Step 3: In the IRemoteInterface.aidl we change the argument type of methods

Student getName();

            void setName(in Student st);

When we are passing any User defined object in AIDL then we need to specify in/out with argument

        in – when the object is an IN Parameter

        out – when the object is an OUT Parameter

Change should be in both side client as well as service.

Step 4: client side, we create the T (Student) type object , set  the name and father name. And send using setName(Student ) method.

@Override

public void onServiceConnected(ComponentName name, IBinder service) {

                  // TODO Auto-generated method stub

      Log.i("RemoteClient","In onServicen binded...");

      try {

            serviceInterface = IRemoteInterface.Stub.asInterface(service);

            Student st1 = new Student();

            st1.setName("Rahul");

            st1.setFatherName("Nand Kishor Kushwaha");

            serviceInterface.setName(st1);

      Log.i("RemoteClient","User Name = "+serviceInterface.getName().name);

      Toast.makeText(localContext, ""+serviceInterface.getName().name, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();

            } catch (RemoteException e) {

            // TODO Auto-generated catch block

                  e.printStackTrace();

            }

      }

};

Step 5: Client side, In the next line I am getting the class Student from service using getName().

Log.i("RemoteClient","User Name = "+serviceInterface.getName().name);

Step 6: : Service Side, Here simply we receive the Student object in setName(). In getName() I alter the name field of object and return it.

private IRemoteInterface.Stub mBinder = new IRemoteInterface.Stub() {

            @Override

            public  Student getName() throws RemoteException {

                  // TODO Auto-generated method stub

                  stuInfo.name = stuInfo.name.toUpperCase();

                  return stuInfo;

            }

            @Override

            public void setName(Student st) throws RemoteException {

                  // TODO Auto-generated method stub

                  stuInfo = st;

                 

            }

      };

Thus we pass the user defined Object (Student object) from client to server and vice versa. 

NOTE : AIDL also not able to send Date type object. In the next Post I will show How to send Date Type object.

It simply copied from another site , wanted to have stuff in my blog :)