源码路径可以参考:http://androidxref.com/9.0.0_r3/
Handler的注释很精彩:
/**
* A Handler allows you to send and process {@link Message} and Runnable
* objects associated with a thread's {@link MessageQueue}. Each Handler
* instance is associated with a single thread and that thread's message
* queue. When you create a new Handler, it is bound to the thread /
* message queue of the thread that is creating it -- from that point on,
* it will deliver messages and runnables to that message queue and execute
* them as they come out of the message queue.
*
* <p>There are two main uses for a Handler: (1) to schedule messages and
* runnables to be executed as some point in the future; and (2) to enqueue
* an action to be performed on a different thread than your own.
*
* <p>Scheduling messages is accomplished with the
* {@link #post}, {@link #postAtTime(Runnable, long)},
* {@link #postDelayed}, {@link #sendEmptyMessage},
* {@link #sendMessage}, {@link #sendMessageAtTime}, and
* {@link #sendMessageDelayed} methods. The <em>post</em> versions allow
* you to enqueue Runnable objects to be called by the message queue when
* they are received; the <em>sendMessage</em> versions allow you to enqueue
* a {@link Message} object containing a bundle of data that will be
* processed by the Handler's {@link #handleMessage} method (requiring that
* you implement a subclass of Handler).
*
* <p>When posting or sending to a Handler, you can either
* allow the item to be processed as soon as the message queue is ready
* to do so, or specify a delay before it gets processed or absolute time for
* it to be processed. The latter two allow you to implement timeouts,
* ticks, and other timing-based behavior.
*
* <p>When a
* process is created for your application, its main thread is dedicated to
* running a message queue that takes care of managing the top-level
* application objects (activities, broadcast receivers, etc) and any windows
* they create. You can create your own threads, and communicate back with
* the main application thread through a Handler. This is done by calling
* the same <em>post</em> or <em>sendMessage</em> methods as before, but from
* your new thread. The given Runnable or Message will then be scheduled
* in the Handler's message queue and processed when appropriate.
*/
简单概括下就是,Handler有两个用处:可以暂存消息(Message)或者Runnable对象,使得它们可以在未来(基于时间)的时候被处理或者执行;可以把消息(Message)或者Runnable对象放到其他的线程(Thread)上面去执行。
每个 Handler实例和一个线程以及线程上的消息队列(MessageQueue)相关联. 当创建一个新的Handler的时候,它就和创建它的线程以及消息队列绑在一起,并向线程上的消息队列发送消息或者Runnable对象,在消息或者Runnable对象出消息队列的时候被处理或者被运行。
Handler自己无法完成这个功能,必须和Looper一起来完成。
在Handler的几个构造函数中,Looper可以通过参数传递,如果没有通过参数传递,则使用Looper.myLooper()调用返回的Looper。
Looper很特别,它是绑定在thread上面,并且read上面只有一个Looper实例,在这个thread上面发起loop循环。
回到上面Handler的Looper,如果这个Looper是其他thread上面创建的,则Looper在其他的thread上面发起loop循环;如果没有指定这个Looper实例,则在当前thread上面发起loop循环。
Looper有一个MessageQueue mQueue,也会传递给Handler。
Handler把Message的target设置成当前这个Handler, 然后把Message放到这个Messageueue上面。Looper的loop循环会收到这个Message,并调用Message的callback或者调用Handler子类定义的handleMessage(注意,这个callback或者handleMessage是在创建Looper的thread上面运行的,如果这个thread不是UI thread,则在 callback或者handleMessage中不能访问UI元素)。
Handler在发送Message的时候可以设置delay时间,在处理的时候是转换成绝对时间,传递到C代码中,使用epoll_wait,设置其timeout时间来实现的。
从上面可以发现,Looper是一个背后英雄。