Implementing Google Drive in Android without dedicated Activity

Other Questions Google drive
1

Hey everyone,

I’m stuck on a problem with my Android app. I want to add Google Drive functionality but I don’t want to create a separate activity for it. Is there a way to do this using just the main activity?

Here’s what I’m trying to do:

class DataLoader {
    void fetchFromDrive() {
        // How to handle auth here?
    }
}

class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        DataLoader loader = new DataLoader();
        loader.fetchFromDrive();
    }
}

The problem is, I’m not sure how to handle the authentication part without an activity. The Google Drive samples all use onActivityResult, but my DataLoader class isn’t an activity.

Any ideas on how to keep the Drive stuff separate from the main activity code? Thanks!

2

Using GoogleSignInOptions and GoogleSignInClient can simplify your authentication process. You can initialize these in your MainActivity and then pass the client to your DataLoader so that your sign-in flow remains in a single activity while keeping the Drive operations separate.

Begin by setting up your GoogleSignInOptions, create the GoogleSignInClient instance, and use its silentSignIn() method in your DataLoader. This modular approach avoids a separate activity. Always handle potential exceptions and follow Google’s data access policies.

3

hey mikechen, you could try using a callback interface to handle the auth flow. Create an interface in ur DataLoader class and implement it in MainActivity. Then pass the activity context to DataLoader. This way, you can trigger auth from DataLoader but handle results in MainActivity without mixing concerns. lemme know if u need more details!

4

I’ve actually tackled this issue before in one of my projects. Instead of using a separate activity, you can leverage the GoogleSignInClient for authentication. Here’s what worked for me:

  1. Initialize GoogleSignInClient in your MainActivity.
  2. Pass the GoogleSignInClient instance to your DataLoader.
  3. In DataLoader, use the silentSignIn() method to check if the user is already signed in.
  4. If not, trigger the sign-in process from DataLoader, but handle the result in MainActivity.

This approach keeps your Drive functionality separate while still utilizing the MainActivity for auth. It’s a bit tricky to set up initially, but it’s much cleaner in the long run. Just remember to handle potential exceptions and edge cases.

One caveat: make sure you’re handling the user’s consent properly. Google’s policies on data access are pretty strict, so you’ll want to be transparent about what you’re accessing and why.