B4A Library DebugOverlay v1.0.0 (show the overlay even on desktop when called from a service)

This is a wrapper for this Github project.

A quote from the Github project site:

A logcat alike overlay to display log messages in your app as independent overlay.
Typically in android you would log some app internals for debugging puropose by using Log.d(). However, sometimes you may need to display that logging messages right on the screen to make them visible for non developers that have to verify certain app internals, like tracking.

DebugOverlay
Author: DonManfred <[email protected]>
Version: 1.01

• DebugOverlay
  Methods:
  • Initialize (EventName As String, height As Int)
  • IsInitialized As Boolean
  • clear
  • enqueueMessage (fortmatedMsg As String, paramters() As Object)
    Enqueue a message. Will be dispatched directly to the {@link DebugOverlayService} if service
    is already bound or enqueued into a message queue and be dispatched once the {@link
    DebugOverlayService} is connected
    msg: The message to dispatch
  • log (msg As String)

If you use the DebugOverlay from a service then you can show the overlay even if your app is in background. Or you are on the "Desktop"... As long as the Overlay is initialized once it can reappear on a new output.

See a Snapshot from my Devicedesktop

NOTE: The project is discontinued. There is a new (better!) alternative available in the pro-bundle from @Informatix ... See here for more infos.

 

[Informatix]

I did not understand the benefit over logging these messages until I read the readme of the github project. Here it is:

Typically in android you would log some app internals for debugging puropose by using Log.d(). However, sometimes you may need to display that logging messages right on the screen to make them visible for non developers that have to verify certain app internals, like tracking.

I doubt that I will demand to users to debug for me but I understand now the usefulness.

 

[DonManfred]

I should copy more text from the github project in future

 

[Erel]

This can be very useful for developers who use B4A-Bridge. Starting from Android 4.1 B4A-Bridge can only show the logs when running in debug mode.

With this library the developer can see the logs in release mode as well.

 

[DonManfred]

Yes. But yesterday i did something that could bring some problems..

I manually stopped the service (which is used for the overlay and which is added to manifest) with the taskmanager ...
Seems that the library does not work anymore now. URGS...
The additional service will not run again it seems.



I´m investigating... But i think i ned to open a new thread for it

 

[DonManfred]

I´m investigating...

Got it working again. For the lib to get running i initial used a fixed height hardcoded.

Yesterday i wanted to try to make it flexible (changleable by code)...

I found out that the problem was not that the service was not running.
The problem was that the calculated height of the view was 0!

So, the view WAS VISIBLE; just with a height of 0

 

[aidymp]

This can be very useful for developers who use B4A-Bridge. Starting from Android 4.1 B4A-Bridge can only show the logs when running in debug mode.

With this library the developer can see the logs in release mode as well.

That explains my total lack of debug messages! in the end I used USB debugging, but this is going to help me a lot!!!

Thank you @DonManfred

Aidy

 

[somed3v3loper]

Can we have the ability to customize the "Donmanfred present DebugOverlay" message and the Overlay height ?
Thanks in advance

 

[DonManfred]

The message is empty by now and the height i made editable yesterday. Will update the lib today

 

[DonManfred]

Updated the lib to V1.0.1
Removed the hardcoded text.
Added possibility to change the height of the overlay.

Updated library you can find in post #1

 

[Jaames]

Nice one, it can be useful in many situations where we can't use standard debugging and logging. Thanks !

 

[somed3v3loper]

Sorry for asking a lot .
Can we have source code ? It seems I need to get more customizations
Thanks in advance

 

[DonManfred]

The sourcecode is available on github. Feel free to create a wrapper for this...

 

[JordiCP]

Have just seen it! I see many uses for it, thanks!

 

[demasi]

Fantastic, DonManfred! Very useful.
I was looking for something like this.
Thank you very much.

 

[demasi]

Is there a way to include a set visible atribute of the overlay window?
I think it will be nice to use, lets say, a toggle button to show or hide the overlay.
Sometimes the overlay blocks some application's controls.

 

[DonManfred]

The librarydevelopment has stopped as you can read in post #1
There is a better alternative from informatix.

 

[demasi]

@DonManfred I tried the other lib, but it works different of yours.
Wiuth your lib we can just use as a log window, we don´t need to create views, listviews, etc. It not adds more code to our apps.
The only thing I miss in your lib its a show and hide method.
I know you stopped the development, but can´t you just add this?
Unfortunately my java knowledge is not enough to create a wrapper or change the code.
I think this will be a good contribution for the community.
Thank you.