How to Send Employee Information to the Local Server in Android

Introduction

This article explains how to send employee information to the local server in Android.

This application will show you how to send information to the server in Android. First you need a local server; I used WampServer. You can use Wamp or Xamp, whatever you like to use. I have posted an article on how to set up a WampServer on your Desktop.

Here I will show you how to create a database in WampServer.

Step 1

Open Wampserver on your browser by writing localhost or localhost:8080. In your browser, a page will be displayed.

Step 2

Click on "PhPmyadmin" on the left side.

Step 3

Click the Databases on the top of the page.

Step 4

Click on the SQL on the right side of Databases.

Step 5

Here you will create the database by writing a SQL query and click on the "Go" button. Your database will be created and you can see your database name on the left side of the page.

Step 6

Now click on your database name; another page will be shown. Now again click SQL and write a query to create a table in your database.

Now for the coding part.

Step 7

Create PHP files to connect with the server.

db_connect.php

<?php
/**
* A class file to connect to database
*/
class DB_CONNECT
{
// constructor
function __construct()
{
// connecting to database
$this->connect();
}
// destructor
function __destruct()
{
// closing db connection
$this->close();
}
/**
* Function to connect with database
*/
function connect()
{
// import database connection variables
require_once __DIR__ . '/db_config.php';
// Connecting to mysql database
$con = mysql_connect(DB_SERVER, DB_USER, DB_WORD) or die(mysql_error());
// Selecing database
$db = mysql_select_db(DB_DATABASE) or die(mysql_error()) or die(mysql_error());
// returing connection cursor
return $con;
}
/**
* Function to close db connection
*/
function close()
{
// closing db connection
mysql_close();
}
}
?>

db_config.php

<?php
/*
* All database connection variables
*/
define('DB_USER', "root"); // db user
define('DB_WORD', ""); // db word (mention your db word here)
define('DB_DATABASE', "employee"); // database name
define('DB_SERVER', "localhost"); // db server
?>

Create a PHP file to store information on the server.

<?php
/*
* Following code will create a new product row
* All product details are read from HTTP Post Request
*/
// array for JSON response
$response = array();
// check for required fields
if (isset($_POST['id']) && isset($_POST['name'])) {
$id = $_POST['id'];
$name = $_POST['name'];
// include db connect class
require_once __DIR__ . '/db_connect.php';
// connecting to db
$db = new DB_CONNECT();
// mysql inserting a new row
$result = mysql_query("INSERT INTO employe_data(id, name) VALUES('$id', '$name')");
// check if row inserted or not
if ($result) {
// successfully inserted into database
$response["success"] = 1;
$response["message"] = "Product successfully created.";
// echoing JSON response
echo json_encode($response);
} else {
// failed to insert row
$response["success"] = 0;
$response["message"] = "Oops! An error occurred.";
// echoing JSON response
echo json_encode($response);
}
} else {
// required field is missing
$response["success"] = 0;
$response["message"] = "Required field(s) is missing";
// echoing JSON response
echo json_encode($response);
}
?>

Step 8

Create an XML file and write this. In this XML file, you will use two text views, two edittexts, and a button.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<TextView android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Employee_Id"
android:paddingLeft="10dip"
android:paddingRight="10dip"
android:paddingTop="10dip"
android:textSize="17dip"/>
<EditText android:id="@+id/inputId"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_margin="5dip"
android:layout_marginBottom="15dip"
android:singleLine="true"/>
<TextView android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Employee_Name"
android:paddingLeft="10dip"
android:paddingRight="10dip"
android:paddingTop="10dip"
android:textSize="17dip"/>
<EditText android:id="@+id/inputName"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_margin="5dip"
android:layout_marginBottom="15dip"
android:singleLine="true"
/>
<Button android:id="@+id/btnCreateProduct"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Create "/>
</LinearLayout>

Step 9

Create a Java class file MainActivity with the following:

package com.example.adddatatotheserver;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.List;
import org.apache.http.NameValuePair;
import org.apache.http.message.BasicNameValuePair;
import org.json.JSONArray;
import org.json.JSONException;
import org.json.JSONObject;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.app.ListActivity;
import android.app.ProgressDialog;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.AsyncTask;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
import android.view.inputmethod.EditorInfo;
import android.widget.AdapterView;
import android.widget.AdapterView.OnItemClickListener;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.EditText;
import android.widget.ListAdapter;
import android.widget.ListView;
import android.widget.SimpleAdapter;
import android.widget.TextView;
public class MainActivity extends Activity
{
// Progress Dialog
private ProgressDialog pDialog;
// Create the object of JsonParser class
JSONParser jParser = new JSONParser();
EditText inputName;
EditText inputId;
// url to create send data. This contains the ip address of my machine on which the local server is running. You will write the IP address of your machine
private static String url = "http://192.168.1.135:8080/connect_php/create_product.php";
// JSON Node names
private static final String TAG_SUCCESS = "success";
@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
{
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
// Edit Text
inputName = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.inputName);
inputId = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.inputId);
// Create button
Button btnCreateProduct = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnSend);
// button click event
btnCreateProduct.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener()
{
/*on button click you will call the execute() method with the object of CreateNewId class and onPreExecute() will be called where we start the progress dialogue. After the execution of
onPreExecute(), doInBackGround method will be called automatically which sends the data to the JsonParser class. In JsonParser class I have created the Http Client to send the data to the server. */
@Override
public void onClick(View view)
{
// creating new product in background thread
new CreateNewId().execute();
}
});
}
/**
* Background Async Task to Create new product
* */
class CreateNewId extends AsyncTask < String, String, String >
{
/**
* Before starting background thread Show Progress Dialog
* */
@SuppressWarnings("unused")
@Override
protected void onPreExecute()
{
super.onPreExecute();
pDialog = new ProgressDialog(MainActivity.this);
pDialog.setMessage("Creating Data..");
pDialog.setIndeterminate(false);
pDialog.setCancelable(true);
pDialog.show();
}
/**
* Creating product
* */
protected String doInBackground(String...args)
{
String name = inputName.getText().toString();
String id = inputId.getText().toString();
// Building Parameters
List < NameValuePair > params = new ArrayList < NameValuePair > ();
params.add(new BasicNameValuePair("name", name));
params.add(new BasicNameValuePair("id", id));
// getting JSON Object
// Note that create product url accepts POST method
JSONObject json = jParser.makeHttpRequest(url,
"POST", params);
// check log cat fro response
Log.d("Create Response", json.toString());
// check for success tag
try
{
int success = json.getInt(TAG_SUCCESS);
if (success == 1)
{
// successfully created product
// Intent i = new Intent(getApplicationContext(), AllProductsActivity.class);
//startActivity(i);
finish();
// closing this screen
}
else
{
// failed to create product
}
}
catch (JSONException e)
{
e.printStackTrace();
}
return null;
}
/**
* After completing background task Dismiss the progress dialog
* **/
protected void onPostExecute(String file_url)
{
// dismiss the dialog once done
pDialog.dismiss();
}
}
}

Step 10

Create another Java class file JsonParser with the following:

package com.example.adddatatotheserver;
import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;
import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
import java.util.List;
import org.apache.http.HttpEntity;
import org.apache.http.HttpResponse;
import org.apache.http.NameValuePair;
import org.apache.http.client.ClientProtocolException;
import org.apache.http.client.entity.UrlEncodedFormEntity;
import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpGet;
import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpPost;
import org.apache.http.client.utils.URLEncodedUtils;
import org.apache.http.impl.client.DefaultHttpClient;
import org.json.JSONException;
import org.json.JSONObject;
import android.util.Log;
public class JSONParser
{
static InputStream inputStream = null;
static JSONObject jObject = null;
static String jsonString = "";
// constructor
public JSONParser()
{
}
// function get json from url
// by making HTTP POST or GET mehtod
public JSONObject makeHttpRequest(String url, String method, List < NameValuePair > params)
{
// Making HTTP request
try
{
// check for request method
if (method == "POST")
{
// request method is POST
// defaultHttpClient
DefaultHttpClient client = new DefaultHttpClient();
HttpPost post = new HttpPost(url);
post.setEntity(new UrlEncodedFormEntity(params));
HttpResponse httpResponse = client.execute(post);
HttpEntity entity = httpResponse.getEntity();
inputStream = entity.getContent();
}
else if (method == "GET")
{
// request method is GET
DefaultHttpClient httpClient = new DefaultHttpClient();
String paramString = URLEncodedUtils.format(params, "utf-8");
url += "?" + paramString;
HttpGet httpGet = new HttpGet(url);
HttpResponse httpResponse = httpClient.execute(httpGet);
HttpEntity httpEntity = httpResponse.getEntity();
inputStream = httpEntity.getContent();
}
}
catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e)
{
e.printStackTrace();
}
catch (ClientProtocolException e)
{
e.printStackTrace();
}
catch (IOException e)
{
e.printStackTrace();
}
try
{
BufferedReader bufferedReader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(
inputStream, "iso-8859-1"), 8);
StringBuilder stringBuilder = new StringBuilder();
String line = null;
while ((line = bufferedReader.readLine()) != null)
{
stringBuilder.append(line + "\n");
}
inputStream.close();
jsonString = stringBuilder.toString();
}
catch (Exception e)
{
Log.e("Buffer Error", "Error converting result " + e.toString());
}
Log.d("debug", "string: " + jsonString);
// try parse the string to a JSON object
try
{
jObject = new JSONObject(jsonString);
}
catch (JSONException e)
{
Log.e("JSON Parser", "Error parsing data " + e.toString());
}
// return JSON String
return jObject;
}
}

Step 11

Android Manifest.Xml file

In the Android Manifest.xml file give the internet permission as in the following:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="com.example.adddatatotheserver"
android:versionCode="1"
android:versionName="1.0" >
<uses-sdk
android:minSdkVersion="8"
android:targetSdkVersion="18" />
<application
android:allowBackup="true"
android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
android:label="@string/app_name"
android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
<activity
android:name="com.example.adddatatotheserver.MainActivity"
android:label="@string/app_name" >
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
</intent-filter>
</activity>
</application>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"></uses-permission>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
</manifest>

Step 12

Enter data to send

Progress

Data on the Server

2 Comments

Join the conversation! Your thoughts help the community grow.

Angus Cameron5y ago
Amir, this is a very helpful article but there is some detail I would like please, eg the field names you have created or the SQL query. Also the names of all the php files and the xml file. Finally the location of the php files. Thanks
Safdar Iqbal9y ago
You are using xamp server , but i have make windows form .net application , then how can i make connection?