Android Cloud2Device Messaging

2012 Copyright M-STAT SA 2012 Copyright M-STAT SA

Mando Stamelaki M-STAT – Mobile Application Developer

Android Cloud2Device Messaging

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Communicate with your app!

Google Service for pushing messages to Android devices.

Android Cloud to Device Messaging (C2DM) is

– a service that helps developers send data from servers to their applications on Android devices.

The service provides a:

– simple,

– lightweight

mechanism that servers can use to:

– tell mobile applications to contact the server directly,

– fetch updated application or user data.

The C2DM service handles

– all aspects of queuing of messages and

– delivery to the target application running on the target device.

What is Android C2DM Framework?

(AC2DM)

Android Cloud to Device Messaging Framework

Mando Stamelaki | Android Cloud2Device Messaging

Introduction to AC2DM

Push Notifications for Android Phones, Tablets and other devices.

AC2DM

• 3rd party application servers send lightweight messages to their Android applications.

• An application on an Android device doesn’t need to be running to receive messages.

• Uses an existing connection for Google services, with the set up Google account on mobile device.

Android Cloud to device Messaging, provided free by Google Servers

• C2DM makes no guarantees about delivery or the order of messages.

• Does not provide built-in user interface or other handling for message data.

• Requires devices running Android 2.2 or higher that also have the Market application installed.

Advantages Disadvantages


M-STAT Service

• No need to setup a server in order to send notification messages.

• User friendly environment.

• Cross-platform push notifications

(iOS supported, Windows Phone on the way!)

In the role of 3rd party server

• Easy integration in your Application

• Full documentation for developers

• Documented code examples

• Easy customizable to your app needs.

• Application ability to inform M-STAT server when a push message is received

• Library provides a built-in handler for messages

Server-side Mobile Application Encountering C2DM disadvantages


coming soon

Android Application (Device)

Servers (C2DM | Client Login)

Notification Server

request register

registration id

registration id [tags]

key id

registration id message

authorization

send id | error

Push message

requests authorization

authorization

C2DM communication Communication flow between M-STAT (3rd party server) and Google


M-STAT Server HTTP Communication protocol

• A device for push notifications

• Update an existing device

REGISTER

• Registration status and tags if any

CURRENT STATUS

• Remove a device from the list

UNREGISTER


Preferences

Preferences

• Enable / Disable C2DM service • Register/Unregister from Google • Register/Unregister from M-STAT

• Register to specific notification tags • An app can let users receive notifications for specific

things (up to each developer) and not everything

• Retrieve registration status


Software Development Kit for M-STAT Notification Service

• Library • Mobile App • Examples

The SDK contains:


SDK

• Implementing the process to register and

unregister from Google servers.

• Connect to M-STAT’s servers and pass the registration id, and other preferences.

Library


SDK

• Representing the usage of library

• Helping developers to test the service without having to implement their own application.

Mobile Helping App


Let’s CODE!!!

Start with . . . adding the Library to your project


Integrate M-STAT’s library AndroidManifest.xml (1 of 2)

<xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"

package="gr.mstat.example"

android:versionCode="1" android:versionName="1.0" >



<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="8" />



<permission android:name="gr.mstat.example.permission.C2D_MESSAGE“

android:protectionLevel="signature" />

<uses-permission

android:name="gr.mstat.example.permission.C2D_MESSAGE" />

<uses-permission

android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE" />

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WAKE_LOCK" />




Integrate M-STAT’s library AndroidManifest.xml (2 of 2)

<application>

<service android:name="gr.mstat.c2dm.C2DMReceiver" />

<receiver android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.C2DMBroadcastReceiver"

android:permission="com.google.android.c2dm.permission.SEND">

<intent-filter> 

<action android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.intent.RECEIVE"/>

<category android:name="gr.mstat.example" />

</intent-filter>

<intent-filter> 

<action android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.intent.REGISTRATION" />

<category android:name="gr.mstat.example" />

</intent-filter>

</receiver>

</application>



</manifest>


Single line initialization // this refers to a Context object

// OPTION 1:

// Starts up the service according to a preference from application preferences

PushNotification.registerAuto(this);

// OPTION 2:

// Manual register or unregister to the service

PushNotification.register(this, true);

PushNotification.register(this, false);

// OPTION 3:

// Registration to specific tag notifications

ArrayList<String> tags = new ArrayList<String>();

tags.add("tag_name_1");

// ... any other tags developer wants

tags.add("tag_name_v");

PushNotification.register(this, tags);

// choose according to your needs!

Still under “deep thought” but will look to something like…

Startup class or any class where you want the notification service being initialized


Calling the library

Customized preferences

Library does the dirty job!

Different ways of initialization

BUT ALL WITH:

As less coding as possible!!!

Any Questions?

Resources

1. Google Projects for Android: C2DM http://code.google.com/android/c2dm/

2. Android Cloud To Device Messaging http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2010/05/android-cloud-to-device-messaging.html

3. Android C2DM Push Notification http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6276342/android-c2dm-push-notification

4. Android C2DM server and client implementation working http://markmelive.com/2011/04/android-c2dm-server-and-client-implementation-working/

5. C2DM Tutorial Send push notifications to your applications with Android C2DM | Cloud To Device Messaging Tutorial

http://www.hightechno.info/2011/08/c2dm-tutorial-send-push-notifications.html

6. Android Cloud to Device Messaging (C2DM) - Tutorial http://www.vogella.de/articles/AndroidCloudToDeviceMessaging/article.html

7. Cloud to device messaging http://www.androidkit.com/cloud-to-device-messaging

Resources


http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2010/05/android-cloud-to-device-messaging.html











http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6276342/android-c2dm-push-notification









http://markmelive.com/2011/04/android-c2dm-server-and-client-implementation-working/


























http://www.vogella.de/articles/AndroidCloudToDeviceMessaging/article.html



http://www.androidkit.com/cloud-to-device-messaging









THANK YOU Mando Stamelaki Mobile Application Developer [email protected]

M-STAT | Android Clould2Device Messaging

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Android Cloud2Device Messaging