Android Static ArrayList

Question

I am building an Android application and I am using a static arraylist which I populate during the Splash Activity so that I can use it throughout my whole application. But when I am exiting and re-enter the application, this array remains full with its previous contents. What is happening please?

use ArrayList.clear() in either onCreate() or onPause() of Activity to remove all previous contents from ArrayList — ρяσѕρєя K
– ρяσѕρєя K, Commented Jan 3, 2013 at 17:52
It would make more sense to do that in onFinish() after checking isFinishing(). Otherwise you would get rid of the data on orientation change. — dmon
– dmon, Commented Jan 3, 2013 at 17:54

dmon · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-03 17:53:01Z

5

If it's static it will only be deleted if the class that holds it is completely unloaded from memory. That probably won't happen immediately, but will at some point in the future. You should manually clear it when you know you don't need it anymore. Or store the data somewhere else.

If you were to really kill your process via ADB (not just by exiting your activities), you will notice that the data will be gone.

edited Jan 3, 2013 at 17:53

answered Jan 3, 2013 at 17:47

dmon

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2 Comments

ρяσѕρєя K Over a year ago

if OP clear application data from Application Manager then also data will be gone

dmon Over a year ago

Oh, "Stop" it you mean? Yes, that's also true.

sradforth · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-03 17:52:05Z

1

Without more details it's hard to say for sure but my guess is you may have a reference to your context somewhere so you application is never being closed hence when you rerun it you're seeing the same data there as it's using the same object.

You can probably confirm this by going into the running processes part on the phone or via the adb to see the process still there. The usual reason is having a drawable and not cleared it's callbacks before exiting which keep a reference to the context which will therefore keep a link to your Application. If your static variable is declared in your activity it will mean it remains there.

answered Jan 3, 2013 at 17:52

sradforth

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