Question

I need to know if it is possible to create a new thread to handle setting local notifications.

My app depends heavily on these notifications, so I want to make the app work while the phone sets the notifications.

Example:

(now)

you launch the app, the app hangs at the splash screen to set the local notifications, then it launches.

(I want)

The app launches and is usable while the Local notifications are set.

I need some sample code, too, please 🙂

(for the record, i am setting 60 local notifications each time the app enters foreground for my own reasons…)

Thanks!!

Answer 1

Yes this can be done, I do it all the time:

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions {
    // Add the navigation controller's view to the window and display.
    [NSThread detachNewThreadSelector:@selector(scheduleLocalNotifications) toTarget:self withObject:nil];
    [window addSubview:navigationController.view];
    [window makeKeyAndVisible];

    return YES;
}

-(void) scheduleLocalNotifications
{

    NSAutoreleasePool *pool = [[NSAutoreleasePool alloc] init];

    for (int i = 0; i < 60; i++)
    {
        UILocalNotification *localNotif = [[UILocalNotification alloc] init];
        if (localNotif == nil)
            return;
        NSDate *sleepDate = [[NSDate date] dateByAddingTimeInterval:i * 60];
        NSLog(@"Sleepdate is: %@", sleepDate);

        localNotif.fireDate = sleepDate;    

        NSLog(@"fireDate is %@",localNotif.fireDate);
        localNotif.timeZone = [NSTimeZone defaultTimeZone];
        localNotif.alertBody = [NSString stringWithFormat:NSLocalizedString(@"This is local notification %i"), i];

        localNotif.alertAction = NSLocalizedString(@"View Details", nil);
        localNotif.soundName = UILocalNotificationDefaultSoundName;
        localNotif.applicationIconBadgeNumber = 1;

        [[UIApplication sharedApplication] scheduleLocalNotification:localNotif];
        NSLog(@"scheduledLocalNotifications are %@", [[UIApplication sharedApplication] scheduledLocalNotifications]);
        [localNotif release];

    }

    [pool release];
}

Taken from a project I am working on now, I can confirm that It works as expected.

EDIT:
Example was leaking in scheduleLocalNotifications because handling the NSAutoreleasePool was missing – now it’s added to the example.