Android Activity.getParent() always returning null

Question

I have this little function here:

public Activity getRootActivity()
{
    Activity a = this;
    while (a.getParent() != null)
        a = a.getParent();
    return a;
}

But a.getParent() always returns null. It doesn't seem to matter how deep into my UI I go, it will always return null.

Anybody have any idea as to why?

EDIT

Here is how I am starting Activities (within other activities)

startActivity(new Intent(this, activityname.class));

Apparently that means I'm not 'embedding' them? How does one 'embed' them?

right. a becoming null is not a problem, only a.getParent() returns null. — Peanut, May 23 '11 at 20:52

score 11 · Accepted Answer · answered May 23 '11 at 20:45

11

Documentation says: public final Activity getParent () Since: API Level 1

Return the parent activity if this view is an embedded child.

Is your Activity an embedded child?

answered May 23 '11 at 20:45

Hyperboreus

It shouldn't matter, because initially `a != null` and it can't become null due to while loop condition. – Mikita Belahlazau May 23 '11 at 20:49
1

Not exactly sure what you mean by 'embedded child'. – Peanut May 23 '11 at 20:50
The most common case of embedded activities are members of an ActivityGroup. http://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/ActivityGroup.html – Hyperboreus May 23 '11 at 20:55
@Nikita. He is reassigning a with each step of the loop. – Hyperboreus May 23 '11 at 20:56

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered May 23 '11 at 20:46

2

Return the parent activity if this view is an embedded child.

Is the activity an embedded child? If not, getParent() will return null.

answered May 23 '11 at 20:46

Matt Ball

2 Answers2