Create a stub authenticator

The sync adapter framework assumes that your sync adapter transfers data between device storage associated with an account and server storage that requires login access. For this reason, the framework expects you to provide a component called an authenticator as part of your sync adapter. This component plugs into the Android accounts and authentication framework and provides a standard interface for handling user credentials such as login information.

Even if your app doesn't use accounts, you still need to provide an authenticator component. If you don't use accounts or server login, the information handled by the authenticator is ignored, so you can provide an authenticator component that contains stub method implementations. You also need to provide a bound Service that allows the sync adapter framework to call the authenticator's methods.

This lesson shows you how to define all the parts of a stub authenticator that you need to satisfy the requirements of the sync adapter framework. If you need to provide a real authenticator that handles user accounts, read the reference documentation for AbstractAccountAuthenticator.

Add a stub authenticator component

To add a stub authenticator component to your app, create a class that extends AbstractAccountAuthenticator, and then stub out the required methods, either by returning null or by throwing an exception.

The following snippet shows an example of a stub authenticator class:

Kotlin

/*
 * Implement AbstractAccountAuthenticator and stub out all
 * of its methods
 */
class Authenticator(context: Context) // Simple constructor
    : AbstractAccountAuthenticator(context) {

    // Editing properties is not supported
    override fun editProperties(r: AccountAuthenticatorResponse, s: String): Bundle {
        throw UnsupportedOperationException()
    }

    // Don't add additional accounts
    @Throws(NetworkErrorException::class)
    override fun addAccount(
            r: AccountAuthenticatorResponse,
            s: String,
            s2: String,
            strings: Array<String>,
            bundle: Bundle
    ): Bundle?  = null

    // Ignore attempts to confirm credentials
    @Throws(NetworkErrorException::class)
    override fun confirmCredentials(
            r: AccountAuthenticatorResponse,
            account: Account,
            bundle: Bundle
    ): Bundle?  = null

    // Getting an authentication token is not supported
    @Throws(NetworkErrorException::class)
    override fun getAuthToken(
            r: AccountAuthenticatorResponse,
            account: Account,
            s: String,
            bundle: Bundle
    ): Bundle {
        throw UnsupportedOperationException()
    }

    // Getting a label for the auth token is not supported
    override fun getAuthTokenLabel(s: String): String {
        throw UnsupportedOperationException()
    }

    // Updating user credentials is not supported
    @Throws(NetworkErrorException::class)
    override fun updateCredentials(
            r: AccountAuthenticatorResponse,
            account: Account,
            s: String,
            bundle: Bundle
    ): Bundle {
        throw UnsupportedOperationException()
    }

    // Checking features for the account is not supported
    @Throws(NetworkErrorException::class)
    override fun hasFeatures(
            r: AccountAuthenticatorResponse,
            account: Account,
            strings: Array<String>
    ): Bundle {
        throw UnsupportedOperationException()
    }
}

Java

/*
 * Implement AbstractAccountAuthenticator and stub out all
 * of its methods
 */
public class Authenticator extends AbstractAccountAuthenticator {
    // Simple constructor
    public Authenticator(Context context) {
        super(context);
    }
    // Editing properties is not supported
    @Override
    public Bundle editProperties(
            AccountAuthenticatorResponse r, String s) {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
    }
    // Don't add additional accounts
    @Override
    public Bundle addAccount(
            AccountAuthenticatorResponse r,
            String s,
            String s2,
            String[] strings,
            Bundle bundle) throws NetworkErrorException {
        return null;
    }
    // Ignore attempts to confirm credentials
    @Override
    public Bundle confirmCredentials(
            AccountAuthenticatorResponse r,
            Account account,
            Bundle bundle) throws NetworkErrorException {
        return null;
    }
    // Getting an authentication token is not supported
    @Override
    public Bundle getAuthToken(
            AccountAuthenticatorResponse r,
            Account account,
            String s,
            Bundle bundle) throws NetworkErrorException {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
    }
    // Getting a label for the auth token is not supported
    @Override
    public String getAuthTokenLabel(String s) {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
    }
    // Updating user credentials is not supported
    @Override
    public Bundle updateCredentials(
            AccountAuthenticatorResponse r,
            Account account,
            String s, Bundle bundle) throws NetworkErrorException {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
    }
    // Checking features for the account is not supported
    @Override
    public Bundle hasFeatures(
        AccountAuthenticatorResponse r,
        Account account, String[] strings) throws NetworkErrorException {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
    }
}

Bind the authenticator to the framework

In order for the sync adapter framework to access your authenticator, you must create a bound Service for it. This service provides an Android binder object that allows the framework to call your authenticator and pass data between the authenticator and the framework.

The following snippet shows you how to define the bound Service:

Kotlin

/**
* A bound Service that instantiates the authenticator
* when started.
*/
class AuthenticatorService : Service() {

    // Instance field that stores the authenticator object
    private lateinit var mAuthenticator: Authenticator

    override fun onCreate() {
        // Create a new authenticator object
        mAuthenticator = Authenticator(getApplicationContext())
    }

    /*
     * When the system binds to this