Activities, Intents, Tasks, and the Back Stack Matt Logan 

Activities class HomeActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
 
 override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
 super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
 setContentView(R.layout.activity_home)
 }
 } 

Activities class HomeActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
 
 override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
 super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
 setContentView(R.layout.activity_home)
 }
 } Entry point 

Activities class HomeActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
 
 override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
 super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
 setContentView(R.layout.activity_home)
 }
 } UI 

Activities class HomeActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
 
 override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
 super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
 setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)
 }
 
 @OnClick(R.id.view_trip_button) fun onViewTripButtonClicked() {
 val tripActivity = Intent(this, TripActivity!::class.java)
 startActivity(tripActivity)
 }
 }
 

Activities class HomeActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
 
 override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
 super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
 setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)
 }
 
 @OnClick(R.id.view_trip_button) fun onViewTripButtonClicked() {
 val tripActivity = Intent(this, TripActivity!::class.java)
 startActivity(tripActivity)
 }
 }
 Navigation 

Activities • Entry point to your app • UI building block • Navigation 

How do activities handle navigation? 

Intents @OnClick(R.id.view_trip_button)
 fun onViewTripButtonClicked() {
 val tripActivity = Intent(this, TripActivity!::class.java)
 startActivity(tripActivity)
 } 

Intents @OnClick(R.id.view_trip_button)
 fun onViewTripButtonClicked() {
 val tripActivity = Intent(this, TripActivity!::class.java)
 startActivity(tripActivity)
 } 

Intents Intent(Context packageContext, Class cls) Package context (where to look) Class of activity to start 

Intents class TripActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
 
 override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
 super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
 setContentView(R.layout.activity_trip)
 }
 
 @OnClick(R.id.open_camera_button)
 fun onOpenCameraButtonClicked() {
 val cameraIntent = Intent(MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE)
 startActivity(cameraIntent)
 }
 } 

Intents class TripActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
 
 override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
 super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
 setContentView(R.layout.activity_trip)
 }
 
 @OnClick(R.id.open_camera_button)
 fun onOpenCameraButtonClicked() {
 val cameraIntent = Intent(MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE)
 startActivity(cameraIntent)
 }
 } 

Intents Intent(String action) Action to fulfill, like capturing an image 

Intents • Navigation within your app • Navigation between apps • Can also pass data (we didn’t cover this) 

What if we want to navigate backward? 

Tasks Home Trip details Camera 

Tasks Home Trip details Camera 

Tasks HomeActivity TripActivity WeatherService TripProvider CameraActivity UploadService DownloadService GalleryActivity Travel app APK Camera app APK 

Tasks HomeActivity TripActivity WeatherService TripProvider CameraActivity UploadService DownloadService GalleryActivity Travel app APK Camera app APK 

Tasks • Collection of activities • Associated with a “back stack” of UI history • Can span multiple processes & APKs • Customized with intent flags & manifest attributes 

Launch modes @OnClick(R.id.open_camera_button)
 fun onOpenCameraButtonClicked() {
 val cameraIntent = Intent(MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE) 
 startActivity(cameraIntent)
 } 

Launch modes @OnClick(R.id.open_camera_button)
 fun onOpenCameraButtonClicked() {
 val cameraIntent = Intent(MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE)
 cameraIntent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK)
 startActivity(cameraIntent)
 } 

Launch modes • FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK • Starts activity in a new task • If activity is already running in a task, will reuse existing task • Unless paired with FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK 

Launch modes Home Trip details Camera Task A Task B 

Launch modes Home Trip Details Camera Task A Task B 

Launch modes intent.addFlags(
 FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK or FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK) Kotlin: intent.addFlags(
 FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK | FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK); Java: 

Launch modes intent.addFlags(
 FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK or FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK) Kotlin: intent.addFlags(
 FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK | FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK); Java: Bitwise “or” operator 

Launch modes public static final int FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK = 0x10000000; public static final int FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK = 0x08000000; val flags = FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK or FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK 

Launch modes = 0000 1000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 = 0001 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 public static final int FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK = 0x10000000; public static final int FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK = 0x08000000; val flags = FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK or FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK 

Launch modes public static final int FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK = 0x10000000; = 0000 1000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 = 0001 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 public static final int FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK = 0x08000000; val flags = FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK or FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK = 0001 1000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 = 402,653,184 Result Result 

Launch modes @OnClick(R.id.open_camera_button)
 fun onOpenCameraButtonClicked() {
 val cameraIntent = Intent(MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE)
 cameraIntent.addFlags(FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK or FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK)
 startActivity(cameraIntent)
 } 

Launch modes @OnClick(R.id.open_camera_button)
 fun onOpenCameraButtonClicked() {
 val cameraIntent = Intent(MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE)
 cameraIntent.addFlags(402_653_184) 
 startActivity(cameraIntent)
 } Don't do this! 

Launch modes • FLAG_ACTIVITY_SINGLE_TOP • Activity won’t be launched if already at top • Intent will be delivered to existing activity via onNewIntent(Intent) callback 

Launch modes Home Trip details onNewIntent() FLAG_ACTIVITY_SINGLE_TOP 

Launch modes override fun onNewIntent(intent: Intent) {
 super.onNewIntent(intent)
 
 !// Get data from new intent 
 val newTripName = intent.extras.getString(EXTRA_TRIP_NAME)
 
 !// Clear existing UI and repopulate with new data
 refreshUi(newTripName)
 } 

Launch modes • FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP • Destroys everything on top if it already exists • Can be used with FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK • Locates activity in any task • Destroys all activities on top • Activity is brought to foreground 

Launch modes Home Trip details FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP | FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK Weather home Weather details Weather forecast 

Launch modes Home Trip details Weather home Weather details onNewIntent() FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP | FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK 

Launch modes 

Launch modes • "standard" — new instance in current task • "singleTop" — won’t be launched if already at top • "singleTask" — creates new task for activity • "singleInstance" — no other activities can be launched into same task • Can be overridden with intent flags 

Task affinity 

Task affinity af·fin·i·ty noun a spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something. “Matt has an affinity for pizza.” 

Task affinity af·fin·i·ty noun an indication of which task an activity prefers to belong to. 

Task affinity • Useful with FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK • Activity gets launched into task of activities with the same affinity 

Task affinity Home Trip details taskAffinity="tripTask" Weather details taskAffinity="tripTask" Weather home 

Task affinity • Relevant when allowTaskReparenting="true" • Activity can be reassigned tasks as needed 

Task affinity Home Trip details Weather home Weather details allowTaskReparenting="true" 

Task affinity Home Trip details Weather home Weather details allowTaskReparenting="true" 

Task affinity • One more use case • Two “apps” in one APK • Use affinities to separate activities into tasks 

Task affinity 
 

Clearing the back stack • Default behavior: • After some amount of time, system clears all activities in task except the root • User has likely abandoned that task • Modified with more manifest attributes 

Clearing the back stack Prevents clearing of activities from task 

Clearing the back stack Removes all activities except root when user returns to task 

Clearing the back stack Same as clearTaskOnLaunch but only operates on a single activity 

Task helpers • NavUtils has some navigation helper methods • navigateUpTo(Activity, Intent) • navigateUpFromSameTask(Activity) • getParentActivityIntent(Activity) 

Task helpers • TaskStackBuilder lets you create a back stack manually • Useful when starting activity in a new task with no UI history • Lets build the typical UI history that would lead the user to that point 

Recents • Back button should never traverse tasks • User can switch tasks with “recents” system UI • Basically a view of all tasks • Special behavior added in Lollipop for “documents” 

How does all of this work? 

How’s it work? • Intents are handled by ActivityManagerService • One of several system services • Orchestrates activities, including tasks and their respective back stacks 

How’s it work? val activityManager =
 getSystemService(ACTIVITY_SERVICE) as ActivityManager What about this activity manager? 

How’s it work? • ActivityManagerService is a system service • ActivityManager is for app developers 

How’s it work? • ActivityManager • Some methods are broadly useful: • isLowRamDevice() • clearApplicationUserData() • Apps can interact with its task stack via: • ActivityManager.AppStack • ActivityManager.RecentTaskInfo 

Why does Android work this way? 

Design considerations • Android OS operates on modular components • Enforces separation of concerns at application level and at device level • Navigation is handled by the OS, not your app • Allows for navigation model involving activities in separate APKs 

What if we want to handle navigation without involving the Android OS? 

In-app navigation • Official, supported solution: fragments • FragmentManager & FragmentTransaction take the place of ActivityManagerService & intents • Lifecycle methods very similar to Activity • Fragment back stack similar to task back stack • Built in state restoration • Support for animated transitions 

In-app navigation • Non-fragment solutions • Can avoid some complexity of fragments • Manually add & remove views to & from a root view group • You have to maintain a navigation stack yourself! 

Resources Android “Activities — Tasks and Back Stack” developer guide https://developer.android.com/guide/components/activities/tasks-and-back-stack.html Dan Morrill’s 2008 Google I/O talk: Inside the Android Application Framework https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkPiXRNee7A Anatomy of Android: Activity Manager https://anatomyofandroid.com/2013/10/16/activity-manager/ The Cheese Factory: Understand Android Activity’s launchMode https://inthecheesefactory.com/blog/understand-android-activity-launchmode/en Android Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide https://www.bignerdranch.com/books/android-programming/ Square Engineering Blog: Advocating Against Android Fragments https://medium.com/square-corner-blog/advocating-against-android-fragments-81fd0b462c97 

Thanks! @_mattlogan Twitter mattlogan.me Blog & links github.com/mattlogan Open source