How to optimize getting data from mysql via php / android?

Question

Introduction

I have an app and want to force the user to update it, if a new version is at the google play market. This is working fine with the following code but is not very stable. I am doing it via AsyncTask and getting data from the php file. But it gives me a feeling that there must be a better way or a way that makes it much more stable.

Question

How can I set a timeout to the procedure, for example because of a very low internetconnection from the user?

Code

get_newest_apk.php

<?PHP

    /*  GET APK VERSION FROM ANDROID DEVICE
        Example: [PATH]/get_newest_apk.php?apkversion=6
    */
    if($_GET["apkversion"]){
        $apkversion= $_GET["apkversion"];

        //MYSQL LOGIN PARAMETERS
        $host = '*****';
        $user = '*****';
        $pass = '*****';
        $db =   '*****';

        $mysqli = new mysqli($host, $user, $pass, $db);

            $result = $mysqli->query("SELECT MAX(VERSION) FROM TBL_APK");
            $row = $result->fetch_row();
            $count = $row[0];

            if($count > $apkversion){
                //Newer APK is avaiable
                echo "1";
            }else{
                //There is no never APK avaiable
                echo "2";
            }

    }else{
        //Error by GETTING apkversion from Android device
        echo "3";
    }
?>

AsyncTask Class

class checkForNewAPK extends AsyncTask<Void, Void, String> {
    @Override
    protected void onPreExecute() {
        //Do not show the user a progress because he don't want to see it in every onResume
    }

    @Override
    protected void onPostExecute(String s) {
        super.onPostExecute(s);
        int intResult = Integer.parseInt(s);

        //strResult as intResult; 1 = Newer APK avaiable, 2 = No newer APK avaiable, 3 = Error at $_GET["apkversion"] line 6
        if(intResult == 1){
            //Force to Update App
            Log.v("APKResult: ", "1");
        }else if(intResult == 2){
            //No update needed
            Log.v("APKResult: ", "2");
        }else if(intResult == 3){
            //Error in PHP-File
            Log.v("APKResult: ", "3");
        }else{
            //Unknown error
            Log.v("APKResult: ", "Unkown Error");
        }
    }

    //in this method we are fetching the json string
    @Override
    protected String doInBackground(Void... voids) {
        try {
            int intApkVersion = getApplication().getPackageManager().getPackageInfo(getPackageName(), 0).versionCode;
            URL url = new URL(strUrlGetNewestAPK+"?apkversion="+intApkVersion);
            String strResultFromEcho;

            HttpURLConnection con = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection();
            StringBuilder strResult = new StringBuilder();

            BufferedReader bufferedReader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(con.getInputStream()));
            while ((strResultFromEcho = bufferedReader.readLine()) != null) {
                strResult.append(strResultFromEcho + "\n");
            }

            return strResult.toString().trim();
        } catch (Exception e) {
            return null;
        }
    }
}

Pledgee

Please edit the question to limit it to a specific problem with enough detail to identify an adequate answer. Avoid asking multiple distinct questions at once. See the How to Ask page for help clarifying this question. Question is currently under the risk of being close-voted as Too Broad – Com

I did edit the question. Thanks! – Pledgee

Answer 1

How can I set a timeout to the procedure, for example because of a very low internetconnection from the user?

You need to use setConnectTimeout and setReadTimeout

setConnectTimeout

• Sets a specified timeout value, in milliseconds, to be used when opening a communications link to the resource referenced by this URLConnection. If the timeout expires before the connection can be established, a java.net.SocketTimeoutException is raised. A timeout of zero is interpreted as an infinite timeout.

setReadTimeout

• Sets the read timeout to a specified timeout, in milliseconds. A non-zero value specifies the timeout when reading from Input stream when a connection is established to a resource. If the timeout expires before there is data available for read, a java.net.SocketTimeoutException is raised. A timeout of zero is interpreted as an infinite timeout.

SAMPLE CODE

   HttpURLConnection con = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection();
   con.setConnectTimeout(3000); //set connection time out in milliseconds
   con.setReadTimeout(3000); // set read time out in milliseconds

Make below changes in your code

class checkForNewAPK extends AsyncTask<Void, Void, String> {
    @Override
    protected void onPreExecute() {
        //Do not show the user a progress because he don't want to see it in every onResume
    }

    @Override
    protected void onPostExecute(String s) {
        super.onPostExecute(s);
        int intResult = Integer.parseInt(s);

        //strResult as intResult; 1 = Newer APK avaiable, 2 = No newer APK avaiable, 3 = Error at $_GET["apkversion"] line 6
        if(intResult == 1){
            //Force to Update App
            Log.v("APKResult: ", "1");
        }else if(intResult == 2){
            //No update needed
            Log.v("APKResult: ", "2");
        }else if(intResult == 3){
            //Error in PHP-File
            Log.v("APKResult: ", "3");
        }else{
            //Unknown error
            Log.v("APKResult: ", "Unkown Error");
        }
    }

    //in this method we are fetching the json string
    @Override
    protected String doInBackground(Void... voids) {
        try {
            int intApkVersion = getApplication().getPackageManager().getPackageInfo(getPackageName(), 0).versionCode;
            URL url = new URL(strUrlGetNewestAPK+"?apkversion="+intApkVersion);
            String strResultFromEcho;

            HttpURLConnection con = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection();
            con.setConnectTimeout(3000); //set connection time outt in milliseconds
            con.setReadTimeout(3000); // set read time outt in milliseconds

            StringBuilder strResult = new StringBuilder();

            BufferedReader bufferedReader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(con.getInputStream()));
            while ((strResultFromEcho = bufferedReader.readLine()) != null) {
                strResult.append(strResultFromEcho + "\n");
            }

            return strResult.toString().trim();
        } catch (SocketTimeoutException e) {
            // this block code execute when time out exception is occur
            // you need to perform your logic here when time out exception occur
            return "Request timeout occur.\nTap on \'TRY AGAIN\' to retry";
        }
    }
}

Note : You can also use library for API Calling

You can use Volley library

• Volley is an HTTP library that makes networking for Android apps easier and most importantly, faster. Volley is available on GitHub.

FROM DOCS

Volley offers the following benefits:

• Automatic scheduling of network requests.

• Multiple concurrent network connections.

• Transparent disk and memory response caching with standard HTTP cache coherence. Support for request prioritization.

• Cancellation request API. You can cancel a single request, or you can set blocks or scopes of requests to cancel.

• Ease of customization, for example, for retry and backoff.

• Strong ordering that makes it easy to correctly populate your UI with data fetched asynchronously from the network.

• Debugging and tracing tools.

You can use Retrofit library

• Type-safe HTTP client for Android and Java by Square, Inc. Retrofit Github link

Retrofit vs Volley

Please read this post Comparison of Android networking libraries: OkHTTP, Retrofit, and Volley

Sultry

My question apart from this post, i am using Magento 1.9 soap v2 api, the values i getting like objects how can i convert into xml for Andriod Application Development. My code: justpaste.it/43kpl Thanks. @Nilesh Rathod – Osmosis