Question

I have a NotificationManager that successfully creates a Notification:

 private void showNotification() {
    Notification notification = new Notification(R.drawable.snog_icon, getString(R.string.sn_g_entering_beacon_mode_),
            System.currentTimeMillis());

    // The PendingIntent to launch our activity if the user selects this notification
    Intent i = new Intent(this, SnogActivity.class);
    i.putExtra("fromNotification", "yes");

    PendingIntent contentIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(this, 0, i, 0);

    notification.setLatestEventInfo(this, getString(R.string.sn_g_avalanche_buddy),
                   getString(R.string.beacon_mode_activated_), contentIntent);
    notification.flags |= Notification.FLAG_ONGOING_EVENT; // Notification.DEFAULT_ALL 

    // Send the notification.
    // We use a string id because it is a unique number.  We use it later to cancel.
    mNM.notify(R.string.service_started, notification);
}

That part works fine and it shows my notification, and the correct activity is started when I tap the notification. Later in the app I try to notify a simple notification:

Notification not = new Notification(R.drawable.snog_icon, "checker", System.currentTimeMillis());
not.flags |= Notification.DEFAULT_ALL;

mNM.notify(R.string.checker, not);

And that crashes the app in the notify() call with a IllegalArgumentException. I am supposed to use NotificationCompat.Builder according to quite some internet results, but that is not even available.

Answer 1

You could fix this exception, but I would rather do it right from the beginning by using the NotifcationCompat. It is available on the compatibility package, you have to add by Right click on your eclipse project > Android Tools > Add Support Library

after this, you will have the NotificationCompat available in your project…then visit the site: http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/notifiers/notifications.html

there are some great and simple examples there.

Good luck!