Very slow loading when adding widget to homescreen

[FriederHannenheim]

When I try to create a widget the app shows loading. I can tap the loading icon away but can't choose a hackerspace.

[niccokunzmann]

Could you say what you would like to see happening instead?
I found that if I waited, the widget fills up.

[FriederHannenheim]

Oh. It loads for maybe a minute and then it works. Why does it load that long? Couldn't you just use the list of hackerspaces that is shown when you open the app normally?

[niccokunzmann]

Hm. This looks like several issues. Can you make a list for clarity?

[dbrgn]

Can confirm that loading seems to be very slow. If someone could debug (and maybe fix) the loading behavior, that would be very welcome.

[niccokunzmann]

Hm. I was looking at Widget.java, line 303.

my-hackerspace/app/src/main/java/io/spaceapi/community/myhackerspace/Widget.java

Line 303 in a05089e

Log.i(TAG, "Update widgetid " + widgetId + " with url " + url);

This appeared a while AFTER the widget was created. It seems that the UpdateService

my-hackerspace/app/src/main/java/io/spaceapi/community/myhackerspace/Widget.java

Line 287 in cd8e02d

public static class UpdateService extends IntentService {

is not used until it is triggered by some event.

In the AndroidManifest.xml we have this:

my-hackerspace/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml

Line 76 in cd8e02d

<service android:name=".Widget$UpdateService" />

As well as the different receiver -> intent-filter:

• my-hackerspace/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml

  Line 64 in cd8e02d

  <action android:name="android.appwidget.action.APPWIDGET_UPDATE" />

• my-hackerspace/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml

  Line 68 in cd8e02d

  <action android:name="android.intent.action.ACTION_BOOT_COMPLETED" />

My guess is that these trigger the update service. When the widget is first created, this does not take place.

Here is the update mechanism:

my-hackerspace/app/src/main/java/io/spaceapi/community/myhackerspace/Widget.java

Line 305 in cd8e02d

.post(() -> new GetApiTask(ctxt, widgetId).execute(url));

I would guess that once the widget is successfully created either

• The activity that creates it (probably closed by then) can notify the widget internally inside the app
• There is a receiver on creation of the widget that can be triggered.

... Researching ....

https://developer.android.com/reference/android/appwidget/AppWidgetManager#summary

• ACTION_APPWIDGET_ENABLED
  Sent when an instance of an AppWidget is added to a host for the first time.
  SEEMS GOOD
• ACTION_APPWIDGET_CONFIGURE
  Sent when it is time to configure your AppWidget while it is being added to a host.
  MAYBE
• ACTION_APPWIDGET_HOST_RESTORED
  Sent to widget hosts after AppWidget state related to the host has been restored from backup.
  PROBABLY NO
• ACTION_APPWIDGET_UPDATE
  Sent when it is time to update your AppWidget.
  IN USE!
• ACTION_APPWIDGET_OPTIONS_CHANGED
  Sent when the custom extras for an AppWidget change.
  MAYBE ADDITIONALLY

---

The most important AppWidgetProvider callback is onUpdate() because it is called wheneach App Widget is added to a host (unless you use a configuration Activity). Ifyour App Widget accepts any user interaction events, then you need to registerthe event handlers in this callback. If your App Widget doesn't create temporaryfiles or databases, or perform other work that requires clean-up, then onUpdate() may be the only callbackmethod you need to define. For example, if you want an App Widget with a buttonthat launches an Activity when clicked, you could use the followingimplementation of AppWidgetProvider:

• https://intrepidgeeks.com/tutorial/android-app-widgets

According to this, my first guess was correct... Looking into it.

[niccokunzmann]

It seems to me that Widget_config calls updateAlarm and that creates the system alarm for update with a 50ms delay. This is but a rough estimation and might go wrong - it might not be updated after 50ms. That might be the problem here.

So, I had a look and I add the direct update without the redirection through the Android operating system...
And it is there! Instantly....

PR in progress... #34

[dbrgn]

When adding the widget, the list of spaces needs to be loaded (in order to choose a space). Sometimes this is still slow, but there is an issue with loading of the directory that I'm currently investigating. It's probably an IPv6 issue on the directory server (which sometimes runs into a timeout, causing a 30-60 loading time).

However, the main issue was probably resolved with #34, so we can probably close this.