Android: Prevent notfying Parent/Descendent uri's in ContentProvider while using CursorLoader? - uri

Question

I have a CursorLoader that observes a directory with this URI:
uriDirectory = content://com.myapp.stocks/stocks
and another CursorLoader that observes an item with this URI:
uriItem = content://com.myapp.stocks/stocks/GOOG
When I update uriItem and call getContext().getContentResolver().notifyChange(uriItem , null); in my ContentProvider, how can I prevent it from notifying uriDirectory as well?
Thanks!
Edit: So my solution so far is just to have a boolean that is set to true when I notify a uriItem. Then when it notifies the parent, uriDirectory, it will see that the boolean is true and won't perform any operations. After, I set the boolean back to false.

Answer 1

You can write your own CursorLoader. The default cursor loaders register a content observer via Cursor.RegisterContentObserver(ContentObserver observer). Instead, we want to use registerContentObserver(Uri uri, boolean notifyForDescendants, ContentObserver observer).
I'm not sure if you are using the support library CursorLoader but for the greatest applicability, that's what I'm using.
The only changes from the stock android versions are in loadInBackground(). You should create an entire class instead of just extending android's and overriding loadInBackground because it protects you from future changes made to Android. Be advised that this will not use any notification url you set for the cursor in your ContentProvider unless you the device is KitKat or newer
Uri notificationUri;
if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT) {
notificationUri = cursor.getNotificationUri();
} else {
notificationUri = mUri;
}
getContext().getContentResolver().registerContentObserver(
notificationUri != null ? notificationUri : mUri,
false, //don't notify for descendants
mObserver
);
Full class descendantChangeIgnoringCursorLoader.java:
package com.innomatixdata.busscan.utils;
import android.content.ContentResolver;
import android.content.Context;
import android.database.Cursor;
import android.net.Uri;
import android.support.v4.content.AsyncTaskLoader;
import android.support.v4.content.ContentResolverCompat;
import android.support.v4.content.Loader;
import java.io.FileDescriptor;
import java.io.PrintWriter;
import java.util.Arrays;
public class DescendantChangeIgnoringCursorLoader extends AsyncTaskLoader<Cursor> {
final Loader.ForceLoadContentObserver mObserver;
Uri mUri;
String[] mProjection;
String mSelection;
String[] mSelectionArgs;
String mSortOrder;
Cursor mCursor;
android.support.v4.os.CancellationSignal mCancellationSignal;
/* Runs on a worker thread */
#Override
public Cursor loadInBackground() {
synchronized (this) {
if (isLoadInBackgroundCanceled()) {
throw new android.support.v4.os.OperationCanceledException();
}
mCancellationSignal = new android.support.v4.os.CancellationSignal();
}
try {
Cursor cursor = ContentResolverCompat.query(getContext().getContentResolver(),
mUri, mProjection, mSelection, mSelectionArgs, mSortOrder,
mCancellationSignal);
if (cursor != null) {
try {
// Ensure the cursor window is filled.
cursor.getCount();
Uri notificationUri;
if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT) {
notificationUri = cursor.getNotificationUri();
} else {
notificationUri = mUri;
}
getContext().getContentResolver().registerContentObserver(
notificationUri != null ? notificationUri : mUri,
false, //don't notify for descendants
mObserver
);
} catch (RuntimeException ex) {
cursor.close();
throw ex;
}
}
return cursor;
} finally {
synchronized (this) {
mCancellationSignal = null;
}
}
}
#Override
public void cancelLoadInBackground() {
super.cancelLoadInBackground();
synchronized (this) {
if (mCancellationSignal != null) {
mCancellationSignal.cancel();
}
}
}
/* Runs on the UI thread */
#Override
public void deliverResult(Cursor cursor) {
if (isReset()) {
// An async query came in while the loader is stopped
if (cursor != null) {
cursor.close();
}
return;
}
Cursor oldCursor = mCursor;
mCursor = cursor;
if (isStarted()) {
super.deliverResult(cursor);
}
if (oldCursor != null && oldCursor != cursor && !oldCursor.isClosed()) {
oldCursor.close();
}
}
/**
* Creates an empty unspecified CursorLoader. You must follow this with
* calls to {#link #setUri(Uri)}, {#link #setSelection(String)}, etc
* to specify the query to perform.
*/
public DescendantChangeIgnoringCursorLoader(Context context) {
super(context);
mObserver = new Loader.ForceLoadContentObserver();
}
/**
* Creates a fully-specified CursorLoader. See {#link ContentResolver#query(Uri, String[],
* String, String[], String) ContentResolver.query()} for documentation on the meaning of the
* parameters. These will be passed as-is to that call.
*/
public DescendantChangeIgnoringCursorLoader(Context context, Uri uri, String[] projection, String selection,
String[] selectionArgs, String sortOrder) {
super(context);
mObserver = new Loader.ForceLoadContentObserver();
mUri = uri;
mProjection = projection;
mSelection = selection;
mSelectionArgs = selectionArgs;
mSortOrder = sortOrder;
}
/**
* Starts an asynchronous load of the contacts list data. When the result is ready the callbacks
* will be called on the UI thread. If a previous load has been completed and is still valid
* the result may be passed to the callbacks immediately.
*
* Must be called from the UI thread
*/
#Override
protected void onStartLoading() {
if (mCursor != null) {
deliverResult(mCursor);
}
if (takeContentChanged() || mCursor == null) {
forceLoad();
}
}
/**
* Must be called from the UI thread
*/
#Override
protected void onStopLoading() {
// Attempt to cancel the current load task if possible.
cancelLoad();
}
#Override
public void onCanceled(Cursor cursor) {
if (cursor != null && !cursor.isClosed()) {
cursor.close();
}
}
#Override
protected void onReset() {
super.onReset();
// Ensure the loader is stopped
onStopLoading();
if (mCursor != null && !mCursor.isClosed()) {
mCursor.close();
}
mCursor = null;
}
public Uri getUri() {
return mUri;
}
public void setUri(Uri uri) {
mUri = uri;
}
public String[] getProjection() {
return mProjection;
}
public void setProjection(String[] projection) {
mProjection = projection;
}
public String getSelection() {
return mSelection;
}
public void setSelection(String selection) {
mSelection = selection;
}
public String[] getSelectionArgs() {
return mSelectionArgs;
}
public void setSelectionArgs(String[] selectionArgs) {
mSelectionArgs = selectionArgs;
}
public String getSortOrder() {
return mSortOrder;
}
public void setSortOrder(String sortOrder) {
mSortOrder = sortOrder;
}
#Override
public void dump(String prefix, FileDescriptor fd, PrintWriter writer, String[] args) {
super.dump(prefix, fd, writer, args);
writer.print(prefix); writer.print("mUri="); writer.println(mUri);
writer.print(prefix); writer.print("mProjection=");
writer.println(Arrays.toString(mProjection));
writer.print(prefix); writer.print("mSelection="); writer.println(mSelection);
writer.print(prefix); writer.print("mSelectionArgs=");
writer.println(Arrays.toString(mSelectionArgs));
writer.print(prefix); writer.print("mSortOrder="); writer.println(mSortOrder);
writer.print(prefix); writer.print("mCursor="); writer.println(mCursor);
}
}