How does one animate the Android sync status icon?

Question

I simply want to start and stop the sync icon that is in the status bar. I thought it would be a simple call using NotificationManager, but I cannot find the documentation or sample Q&A on the web or SO.

Answer 1

I found my answer ...

http://libs-for-android.googlecode.com/svn-history/r46/trunk/src/com/google/android/accounts/AbstractSyncService.java

This shows how to set and cancel the stat_notify_sync icon.

private void showNotification(String authority) {
    Object service = getSystemService(NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
    NotificationManager notificationManager = (NotificationManager) service;
    int icon = android.R.drawable.stat_notify_sync;
    String tickerText = null;
    long when = 0;
    Notification notification = new Notification(icon, tickerText, when);
    Context context = this;
    CharSequence contentTitle = "mobi"; //createNotificationTitle();
    CharSequence contentText = "bob"; //createNotificationText();
    PendingIntent contentIntent = createNotificationIntent();
    notification.when = System.currentTimeMillis();
    notification.flags |= Notification.FLAG_ONGOING_EVENT;
    notification.setLatestEventInfo(context, contentTitle, contentText, contentIntent);
    notificationManager.notify(mNotificationId, notification);
}

private void cancelNotification() {
    Object service = getSystemService(NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
    NotificationManager nm = (NotificationManager) service;
    nm.cancel(mNotificationId);
}

Answer 2

To get an animated sync icon you can use android.R.drawable.ic_popup_sync icon. For instance, using the more recent notification builder, you'd use something like:

Notification notification = new NotificationCompat.Builder(mContext)
        .setContentTitle("my-title")
        .setContentText("Loading...")
        .setSmallIcon(android.R.drawable.ic_popup_sync)
        .setWhen(System.currentTimeMillis())
        .setOngoing(true)
.build();

Answer 3

Thanks for your example, it saved me some time. I created a static method in my Application so I can easily turn the icon on/off from anywhere in my code. I still can't get it to animate though.

In MyApplication.java:

private static Context context;
private static NotificationManager nm;

public void onCreate(){
        context = getApplicationContext();
        nm = (NotificationManager)getSystemService(Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
...
}

public static void setNetworkIndicator(boolean state) {    
    if (state == false) {
        nm.cancel(NETWORK_ACTIVITY_ID);
        return;
    }

   PendingIntent contentIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(context, 0, new Intent(), PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);
    Notification n = new Notification(android.R.drawable.stat_notify_sync, null, System.currentTimeMillis());
    n.setLatestEventInfo(context, "SMR7", "Network Communication", contentIntent);
    n.flags |= Notification.FLAG_ONGOING_EVENT;
    n.flags |= Notification.FLAG_NO_CLEAR;
    nm.notify(NETWORK_ACTIVITY_ID, n);
}

And then from anywhere in my application:

MyApplication.setNetworkIndicator(true);

MyApplication.setNetworkIndicator(false);