I don’t know much about Android multitasking but I thought I’d ask the question before I attempt my project.
Is there a way I can program an Android application (aimed at Android 4.0+ only) to always be open in the background and keep all the network connections alive and the UI “drawn” so that when I open it, it ALWAYS opens instantly and I can use it instantly even if the tablet is doing something else?
Thanks.
Most likely, you want to create a foreground service. A foreground service is a service that the user is aware of and is not considered a candidate to kill if Android is running out of memory. It is associated to a persistent notification bar, that the user can tap to bring to the foreground an activity. To make sure that the network connection are not switched off, your service should acquire a wake lock.
However, please remember that a long running process that potentially kills the battery is considered a bad practice, and you should avoid doing this unless you have really really strong reasons to do it.