PendingIntent.getBroadcast() never returns null

Question

I am trying to find the PendingIntent of my BroadcastReceiver that was called using an AlarmManager.

I am using PendingIntent.getBroadcast() using the very same arguments that it was called with, however it never returns null.

public MyObject(Context context, AnotherObject object) {

    Intent i;
    i = new Intent(context, MyReceiver.class);
    i.putExtra(AnotherObject.SOMETHING, "string");
    i.putExtra(AnotherObject.SOME_BOOL, true);

    PendingIntent pi = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(context, 0, i, PendingIntent.FLAG_NO_CREATE);

    if (pi == null) {
        Log.v("help", "PendingIntent is null");
    }
    else {
        Log.v("help", "PendingIntent is not null");
    }
}

Here is my test driver:

that = new MyObject(this, object);

LogUtil.startAlarm(this, object);

that = new LogUtil(this, object);

This is startAlarm:

public static void startAlarm(Context that, AnotherObject object) {

    Intent i;
    i = new Intent(that, MyReceiver.class);
    i.putExtra(AnotherObject.SOMETHING, "string");
    i.putExtra(AnotherObject.SOME_BOOL, true);

    long interval = 60 * 1000; // Minute
    long first = SystemClock.elapsedRealtime() + interval;

    PendingIntent pi = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(that, 0, i, PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);

    // Schedule the alarm
    AlarmManager am2 = (AlarmManager) that.getSystemService(Context.ALARM_SERVICE);
    am2.setRepeating(AlarmManager.ELAPSED_REALTIME_WAKEUP, first, interval, pi);
    Log.v("help", "Started alarm");
}

Here is my log output:

09-02 11:18:54.330: VERBOSE/help(9621): PendingIntent is not null
09-02 11:18:54.330: VERBOSE/help(9621): Started alarm
09-02 11:18:54.330: VERBOSE/help(9621): PendingIntent is not null

Why does it say it's never null, even before I start the alarm? Shouldn't getBroadcast() return null?

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 01 '11 at 16:26

3

I am trying to find the PendingIntent of my BroadcastReceiver that was called using an AlarmManager.

Um, why?

I am using PendingIntent.getBroadcast() using the very same arguments that it was called with, however it never returns null.

It's not supposed to. It will create a PendingIntent if there is not already one for an equivalent underlying Intent. One could argue that the method name ought to be createBroadcast() to make that point clearer.

answered Sep 01 '11 at 16:26

CommonsWare

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I am doing this to see if my alarm has been scheduled. Could you please explain 'Returns an existing or new PendingIntent matching the given parameters. May return null only if FLAG_NO_CREATE has been supplied.' from the [Android reference](http://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/PendingIntent.html) of getBroadcast()? I thought that it would return null if it does not exist. – Tyler Sep 01 '11 at 17:47
@Styler: "I am doing this to see if my alarm has been scheduled." -- make note of this in your own persistent store, such as a file or database. "I thought that it would return null if it does not exist" -- I would agree, though in the source code, I do not see where it actually has this behavior. :-( Tracking your alarm yourself via a file or database will be more reliable IMHO. – CommonsWare Sep 01 '11 at 18:00

PendingIntent.getBroadcast() never returns null

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