Versions Compared

Key

  • This line was added.
  • This line was removed.
  • Formatting was changed.

Streaming Measurement in Android

This chapter describes the basic use of the sensor for the measurement of streaming content.

 


Properties of the Library

PropertyDefaultDescription
trackingtrue

If this property is set to false, no requests are sent to the measuring system  

offlineModefalse

If this property is set to true, requests to the measuring system pass through a persistent ringbuffer.

debugfalseIf the value is set to true, the debug messages are issued by the library.
timeout10Timeout Setting for the HTTP-Request.

...


Lifecycle of the Measurement

...

When you start the app the sensor must be instantiated once. It is not possible to change the site name or the application name after this call.

 


Code Block
languagejava
String site = ...;    // will delivered by the measurement provider
Spring appName = ...; // will delivered by the measurement provider
SpringStreams sensor = SpringStreams.getInstance(site, appName, getApplicationContext());

...

Note

The site name and application name is specified by the operator of the measurement system.

...


Implementation of the Adapter

...

Code Block
languagejava
package de.spring.mobile;

/**
 * This adapter must be used to support some players by the library.
 * 
 * @see Meta
 * @see SpringStreams
 * @see SpringStreams#track(StreamAdapter, java.util.Map)
 * 
 * @author <a href="mailto:support@spring.de">spring GmbH &amp; Co.KG</a>
 */
public interface StreamAdapter {

	public interface Meta {
		public String getPlayerName();
		public String getPlayerVersion();
		public int getScreenWidth();
		public int getScreenHeight();
	}
	
	public Meta getMeta();
	
	public int getPosition();
	
	public int getDuration();
	
	public int getWidth();
	
	public int getHeight();	
}

...

 



Beginning of the Measurement

This chapter explains step by step how a streaming content is transferred to the library for the measurement. 


Info

In the library an adapter for class android.widget.VideoView

The source code for this implementation can be found in Appendix A and in the library.

...


The following code block shows an example for the use of the library.

...

  Then an NSDictionary is generated in order to formulate more detailed information about the stream.   Therefore the attribute stream must always be specified 


Info

The attribute stream is always required and must be specified for each measurement

...

Info

A stream is measured as long as the Activity is in the foreground. When the Activity goes into the background, the current status is transmitted to the measurement system and the measurement stopsIf the stream should be measured again, when the application will come back to the foreground, the method track must be called again.

 


End of the Measurement

After the measurement of a stream has been started, this stream is measured by the sensor. The measurement can be stopped by calling the method stop on the stream object. All measurements will be automatically stopped by the library, when the application goes into the background.

Code Block
languagejava
// start streaming measurement
Stream *stream = sensor.track(adapter, atts);
...
// stop measurement programmatically
stream.stop();

...



Info

If the stream should be measured again, when the Activity comes to the foreground or after the method stop has been called, the method track must be called again.

...


Ending the application

If the application is closed, the method unload can be called. This call sends the current state of the measurements to the measuring system and then terminates all measurements. This method is automatically called by the library, when the application goes into the background.

Code Block
languagejava
...
sensor.unload();

 


Using the SpringStreamsActivity

In the library is a  SpringStreamsActivity included, that can be used to largely automate the measurement. The source code of this class can be found in Appendix B and in the library. 


Code Block
java
java
public class VideoPlayer extends SpringStreamsActivity {

	VideoView videoView;

	/**
	 * 
	 */
	public VideoPlayer() {
		super("test", "Streaming Test App");
	}
	
	
	public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
		super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
		
		videoView = ...; 
	}

	@Override
	protected void onStart() {
		Map<String, Object> atts = new HashMap<String, Object>();
		atts.put("stream", "android/teststream");
		super.track(new VideoViewAdapter(this.videoView), atts);
		super.onStart();
	}
}

...