Android loaders, the way to go?

Question

I am used to building lists in android using adapters. If I need some long-to-get data, I use an asynctask, or a simple runnable, to update the data structure on which the adapter rely, and call notifyDataChanged on the adapter.

Although it is not straightforward, I finally find this is a simple model and it allows a good separation of logic presentation (in the asynctask, update a data structure) and the view (an adapter acting as a view factory, mostly).

Nevertheless, I read recently about loaders introduced in HoneyComb and included in the backward compatibility support-library, I tried them and find the introduce a lot of complexity. They are difficult to handle and add some kind of magic to this whole process through loader managers, add a lot of code and don't decrease the number of classes or collaborating items but I may be wrong and would like to hear some good points on loaders.

• What are they advantages of loaders in terms of lines of code, clarity and effort ?
• What are they advantages of loaders in terms of role separation during data loading, or more broadly, in terms of design ?
• Are they the way to go, should I replace all my list data loading to implement them through loaders ?

Ok, this is a developers' forum, so here is an example. Please, make it better with loaders :

package com.sof.test.loader;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

import android.app.ListActivity;
import android.os.AsyncTask;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.view.ViewGroup.LayoutParams;
import android.widget.ArrayAdapter;
import android.widget.TextView;

/** The activity. */
public class LoaderTestActivity extends ListActivity {

    private DataSourceOrDomainModel dataSourceOrDomainModel = new DataSourceOrDomainModel();
    private List<Person> listPerson;
    private PersonListAdapter personListAdapter;
    private TextView emptyView;

    /** Called when the activity is first created. */
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        listPerson = new ArrayList<Person>();
        personListAdapter = new PersonListAdapter( listPerson );
        setListAdapter( personListAdapter );
        setUpEmptyView();
        new PersonLoaderThread().execute();
    }

    public void setUpEmptyView() {
        emptyView = new TextView( this );
        emptyView.setLayoutParams( new LayoutParams( LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT, LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT ) );
        emptyView.setVisibility(View.GONE);
         ((ViewGroup)getListView().getParent()).addView(emptyView);
        getListView().setEmptyView(emptyView);
    }

    /** Simulate a long task to get data. */
    private class PersonLoaderThread extends AsyncTask<Void, Integer, List<Person>> {
        @Override
        protected List<Person> doInBackground(Void... params) {
            return dataSourceOrDomainModel.getListPerson( new ProgressHandler());
        }

        @Override
        protected void onProgressUpdate(Integer... values) {
            emptyView.setText( "Loading data :" + String.valueOf( values[ 0 ] ) +" %" );
        }

        @Override
        protected void onPostExecute(List<Person> result) {
            listPerson.clear();
            listPerson.addAll( result );
            personListAdapter.notifyDataSetChanged();
        }

        private class ProgressHandler implements ProgressListener {

            @Override
            public void personLoaded(int count, int total) {
                publishProgress( 100*count / total );
            }

        }
    }

    /** List item view factory : the adapter. */
    private class PersonListAdapter extends ArrayAdapter<Person> {

        public PersonListAdapter( List<Person> listPerson ) {
            super(LoaderTestActivity.this, 0, listPerson );
        }

        @Override
        public View getView(int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {
            if( convertView == null ) {
                convertView = new PersonView( getContext() );
            }
            PersonView personView = (PersonView) convertView;
            personView.setPerson( (Person) getItem(position) );
            return personView;
        }
    }
}

A small callback interface for progress

package com.sof.test.loader;

/** Callback handler during data load progress. */
public interface ProgressListener {
    public void personLoaded(int count, int total );
}

A list item widget

package com.sof.test.loader;

import com.sof.test.loader.R;
import android.content.Context;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.widget.LinearLayout;
import android.widget.TextView;

/** List Item View, display a person */
public class PersonView extends LinearLayout {

    private TextView personNameView;
    private TextView personFirstNameView;

    public PersonView(Context context) {
        super(context);
        LayoutInflater inflater= (LayoutInflater) context.getSystemService(Context.LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);
        inflater.inflate( R.layout.person_view,this );
        personNameView = (TextView) findViewById( R.id.person_name );
        personFirstNameView = (TextView) findViewById( R.id.person_firstname );
    }

    public void setPerson( Person person ) {
      personNameView.setText( person.getName() );   
      personFirstNameView.setText( person.getFirstName() );
    }
}

It's xml : res/person_view.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/person_view"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" >

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/person_name"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/person_firstname"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_toRightOf="@id/person_name" />

</RelativeLayout>

The data source or model, providing data (slowly)

package com.sof.test.loader;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

/** A source of data, can be a database, a WEB service or a model. */
public class DataSourceOrDomainModel {
    private static final int PERSON_COUNT = 100;

    public List<Person> getListPerson( ProgressListener listener ) {
        List<Person> listPerson = new ArrayList<Person>();
        for( int i=0; i < PERSON_COUNT ; i ++ ) {
            listPerson.add( new Person( "person", "" + i ) );
            //kids, never do that at home !
            pause();
            if( listener != null ) {
                listener.personLoaded(i,PERSON_COUNT);
            }//if
        }
        return listPerson;
    }//met

    private void pause() {
        try {
            Thread.sleep( 100 );
        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

The POJO representing a person :

package com.sof.test.loader;

/** A simple POJO to be displayed in a list, can be manipualted as a domain object. */
public class Person {
    private String name;
    private String firstName;

    public Person(String name, String firstName) {
        this.name = name;
        this.firstName = firstName;
    }

    public String getName() {
        return name;
    }
    public void setName(String name) {
        this.name = name;
    }
    public String getFirstName() {
        return firstName;
    }
    public void setFirstName(String firstName) {
        this.firstName = firstName;
    }
}//class

Answer 1

In case someone is looking for the loader version of my previous example : here it is :

package com.sof.test.loader;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import android.app.LoaderManager;
import java.util.List;

import android.app.ListActivity;
import android.content.AsyncTaskLoader;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Loader;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.view.ViewGroup.LayoutParams;
import android.widget.ArrayAdapter;
import android.widget.TextView;

/** The activity. */
public class LoaderTestActivity2 extends ListActivity implements
        LoaderManager.LoaderCallbacks<List<Person>> {

    private DataSourceOrDomainModel dataSourceOrDomainModel = new DataSourceOrDomainModel();
    private List<Person> listPerson;
    private PersonListAdapter personListAdapter;
    private TextView emptyView;
    private Loader<List<Person>> personLoader;

    /** Called when the activity is first created. */
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        listPerson = new ArrayList<Person>();
        personListAdapter = new PersonListAdapter(listPerson);
        setListAdapter(personListAdapter);
        personLoader = new PersonLoader(this, dataSourceOrDomainModel, new ProgressHandler() );
        setUpEmptyView();
        getLoaderManager().initLoader(0, null, this);
        personLoader.forceLoad();
    }

    public void setUpEmptyView() {
        emptyView = new TextView(this);
        emptyView.setLayoutParams(new LayoutParams(LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT,
                LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT));
        emptyView.setVisibility(View.GONE);
        ((ViewGroup) getListView().getParent()).addView(emptyView);
        getListView().setEmptyView(emptyView);
    }

    public void publishProgress(int progress) {
        emptyView.setText("Loading data :" + String.valueOf(progress) + " %");
    }

    @Override
    public Loader<List<Person>> onCreateLoader(int arg0, Bundle arg1) {
        return personLoader;
    }

    @Override
    public void onLoadFinished(Loader<List<Person>> personLoader, List<Person> result) {
        listPerson.clear();
        listPerson.addAll(result);
        personListAdapter.notifyDataSetChanged();
    }

    @Override
    public void onLoaderReset(Loader<List<Person>> arg0) {
        listPerson.clear();
        personListAdapter.notifyDataSetChanged();
    }

    /** List item view factory : the adapter. */
    private class PersonListAdapter extends ArrayAdapter<Person> {

        public PersonListAdapter(List<Person> listPerson) {
            super(LoaderTestActivity2.this, 0, listPerson);
        }

        @Override
        public View getView(int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {
            if (convertView == null) {
                convertView = new PersonView(getContext());
            }
            PersonView personView = (PersonView) convertView;
            personView.setPerson((Person) getItem(position));
            return personView;
        }
    }

    private class ProgressHandler implements ProgressListener {

        @Override
        public void personLoaded(final int count, final int total) {
            runOnUiThread( new Runnable() {
                @Override
                public void run() {
                    publishProgress(100 * count / total);                   
                }
            });
        }
    }
}

 class PersonLoader extends AsyncTaskLoader<List<Person>> {

    private DataSourceOrDomainModel dataSourceOrDomainModel;
    private ProgressListener progressHandler;

    public PersonLoader(Context context, DataSourceOrDomainModel dataSourceOrDomainModel, ProgressListener progressHandler ) {
        super(context);
        this.dataSourceOrDomainModel = dataSourceOrDomainModel;
        this.progressHandler = progressHandler;
    }

    @Override
    public List<Person> loadInBackground() {
        return dataSourceOrDomainModel.getListPerson( progressHandler );
    }
}

It would be more difficult to add support (support librairy) to this example as there is no equivalent of ListAcitivity in the support librairy. I would have either to create a ListFragment or create an FragmentActivity and give it a layout including a list.