Understanding Looper
Looper是用于给一个线程添加一个消息队列(MessageQueue),并且循环等待,当有消息时会唤起线程来处理消息的一个工具,直到线程结束为止。通常情况下不会用到Looper,因为对于Activity,Service等系统组件,Frameworks已经为我们初始化好了线程(俗称的UI线程或主线程),在其内含有一个Looper,和由Looper创建的消息队列,所以主线程会一直运行,处理用户事件,直到某些事件(BACK)退出。
如果,我们需要新建一个线程,并且这个线程要能够循环处理其他线程发来的消息事件,或者需要长期与其他线程进行复杂的交互,这时就需要用到Looper来给线程建立消息队列。使用Looper也非常的简单,它的方法比较少,最主要的有四个:
- public static prepare();
- public static myLooper();
- public static loop();
- public void quit();
1. 在每个线程的run()方法中的最开始调用Looper.prepare(),这是为线程初始化消息队列。下面来看一个实例
2. 之后调用Looper.myLooper()获取此Looper对象的引用。这不是必须的,但是如果你需要保存Looper对象的话,一定要在prepare()之后,否则调用在此对象上的方法不一定有效果,如looper.quit()就不会退出。
3. 在run()方法中添加Handler来处理消息
4. 添加Looper.loop()调用,这是让线程的消息队列开始运行,可以接收消息了。
5. 在想要退出消息循环时,调用Looper.quit()注意,这个方法是要在对象上面调用,很明显,用对象的意思就是要退出具体哪个Looper。如果run()中无其他操作,线程也将终止运行。
实例
这个例子实现了一个执行任务的服务:
- public class LooperDemoActivity extends Activity {
- private WorkerThread mWorkerThread;
- private TextView mStatusLine;
- private Handler mMainHandler;
- @Override
- public void onCreate(Bundle icicle) {
- super.onCreate(icicle);
- setContentView(R.layout.looper_demo_activity);
- mMainHandler = new Handler() {
- @Override
- public void handleMessage(Message msg) {
- String text = (String) msg.obj;
- if (TextUtils.isEmpty(text)) {
- return;
- }
- mStatusLine.setText(text);
- }
- };
- mWorkerThread = new WorkerThread();
- final Button action = (Button) findViewById(R.id.looper_demo_action);
- action.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
- public void onClick(View v) {
- mWorkerThread.executeTask("please do me a favor");
- }
- });
- final Button end = (Button) findViewById(R.id.looper_demo_quit);
- end.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
- public void onClick(View v) {
- mWorkerThread.exit();
- }
- });
- mStatusLine = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.looper_demo_displayer);
- mStatusLine.setText("Press 'do me a favor' to execute a task, press 'end of service' to stop looper thread");
- }
- @Override
- public void onDestroy() {
- super.onDestroy();
- mWorkerThread.exit();
- mWorkerThread = null;
- }
- private class WorkerThread extends Thread {
- protected static final String TAG = "WorkerThread";
- private Handler mHandler;
- private Looper mLooper;
- public WorkerThread() {
- start();
- }
- public void run() {
- // Attention: if you obtain looper before Looper#prepare(), you can still use the looper
- // to process message even after you call Looper#quit(), which means the looper does not
- //really quit.
- Looper.prepare();
- // So we should call Looper#myLooper() after Looper#prepare(). Anyway, we should put all stuff between Looper#prepare()
- // and Looper#loop().
- // In this case, you will receive "Handler{4051e4a0} sending message to a Handler on a dead thread
- // 05-09 08:37:52.118: W/MessageQueue(436): java.lang.RuntimeException: Handler{4051e4a0} sending message
- // to a Handler on a dead thread", when try to send a message to a looper which Looper#quit() had called,
- // because the thread attaching the Looper and Handler dies once Looper#quit() gets called.
- mLooper = Looper.myLooper();
- // either new Handler() and new Handler(mLooper) will work
- mHandler = new Handler(mLooper) {
- @Override
- public void handleMessage(Message msg) {
- /*
- * Attention: object Message is not reusable, you must obtain a new one for each time you want to use it.
- * Otherwise you got "android.util.AndroidRuntimeException: { what=1000 when=-15ms obj=it is my please
- * to serve you, please be patient to wait!........ } This message is already in use."
- */
- // Message newMsg = Message.obtain();
- StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
- sb.append("it is my please to serve you, please be patient to wait!\n");
- Log.e(TAG, "workerthread, it is my please to serve you, please be patient to wait!");
- for (int i = 1; i < 100; i++) {
- sb.append(".");
- Message newMsg = Message.obtain();
- newMsg.obj = sb.toString();
- mMainHandler.sendMessage(newMsg);
- Log.e(TAG, "workthread, working" + sb.toString());
- SystemClock.sleep(100);
- }
- Log.e(TAG, "workerthread, your work is done.");
- sb.append("\nyour work is done");
- Message newMsg = Message.obtain();
- newMsg.obj = sb.toString();
- mMainHandler.sendMessage(newMsg);
- }
- };
- Looper.loop();
- }
- public void exit() {
- if (mLooper != null) {
- mLooper.quit();
- mLooper = null;
- }
- }
- // This method returns immediately, it just push an Message into Thread's MessageQueue.
- // You can also call this method continuously, the task will be executed one by one in the
- // order of which they are pushed into MessageQueue(they are called).
- public void executeTask(String text) {
- if (mLooper == null || mHandler == null) {
- Message msg = Message.obtain();
- msg.obj = "Sorry man, it is out of service";
- mMainHandler.sendMessage(msg);
- return;
- }
- Message msg = Message.obtain();
- msg.obj = text;
- mHandler.sendMessage(msg);
- }
- }
- }
如果想要终止服务线程,在mLooper对象上调用quit(),就会退出消息循环,因为线程无其他操作,所以整个线程也会终止。
需要注意的是当一个线程的消息循环已经退出后,不能再给其发送消息,否则会有异常抛出"RuntimeException: Handler{4051e4a0} sending message to a Handler on a dead thread"。所以,建议在Looper.prepare()后,调用Looper.myLooper()来获取对此Looper的引用,一来是用于终止(quit()必须在对象上面调用); 另外就是用于接收消息时检查消息循环是否已经退出(如上例)。