Using Offline Mode in Android

Offline mode in Liferay Screens lets your apps function when connectivity is unavailable or intermittent. Even though the steady march of technology makes connections more stable and prevalent, there are still plenty of places the Internet has trouble reaching. Areas with complex terrain, including cities with large buildings, often lack stable connections. Remote areas typically don’t have connections at all. Using Screens’s offline mode in your apps gives your users flexibility in these situations.

This tutorial shows you how to use offline mode in Screenlets. For an explanation of how offline mode works, see the tutorial Architecture of Offline Mode in Liferay Screens. Offline mode’s architecture is the same on iOS and Android, although its use on these platforms differs.

Configuring Screenlets for Offline Mode

If you want to enable offline mode in any of your screenlets, you must configure the offlinePolicy attribute when inserting the Screenlet’s XML in a layout. This attribute can take four possible values:

• REMOTE_ONLY
• CACHE_ONLY
• REMOTE_FIRST
• CACHE_FIRST

For a description of these values, see the section Using Policies with Offline Mode in the offline mode architecture tutorial. Note that each Screenlet behaves a bit differently with offline mode. For specific details, see the Screenlet reference documentation.

Handling Synchronization

Under some scenarios, values stored in the local cache need to be synchronized with the portal. To do this, you need to use the CacheSyncService class. This class sends information from the local cache to the portal. To register CacheSyncService with your app, you must add the following code to your AndroidManifest.xml file:

<receiver android:name=".CacheReceiver">
    <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="com.liferay.mobile.screens.auth.login.success"/>
        <action android:name="com.liferay.mobile.screens.cache.resync"/>
        <action android:name="android.net.conn.CONNECTIVITY_CHANGE"/>
    </intent-filter>
</receiver>

<service
    android:name=".CacheSyncService"
    android:exported="false"/>

This code registers the CacheReceiver and CacheSyncService components. The CacheReceiver is invoked in the following scenarios:

• When a connectivity change occurs (for example, when the network connection is restored).
• When Login Screenlet successfully completes the login.
• When a specific resync intent is broadcasted. In this case, use context.sendBroadcast(new Intent("com.liferay.mobile.screens.cache.resync"));.

The CacheSyncService performs the synchronization process when invoked from the above receiver. This is currently an unassisted process. Future versions will include some kind of control mechanism.

Related Topics

Architecture of Offline Mode in Liferay Screens

Using Screenlets in Android Apps

Using Offline Mode in iOS

Using Screenlets in iOS Apps