AlarmManagerAl

AlarmManagerAl is a cross-platform library designed to manage time-based alarms and scheduled tasks within software applications. It provides a centralized API for creating, persisting, and triggering alarms, with the goal of decoupling scheduling logic from business logic. The library supports one-time alarms and repeating schedules, time zone awareness, and graceful restoration after application restarts or interruptions.

Core concepts in AlarmManagerAl include an AlarmScheduler, which maintains a priority queue of alarms; an AlarmStore, a persistent backing store for alarms; an AlarmReceiver, an interface for user-defined callbacks; and an AlarmRunner, the execution context that invokes callbacks with controlled concurrency and error handling. Developers interact with a simple API to schedule alarms, for example scheduleAlarm(targetTime, payload, options) and scheduleRepeating(interval, options). There are also methods to cancel alarms and query the active set.

Timing semantics distinguish between exact and inexact alarms. Exact alarms aim to deliver as close as possible to the requested time, subject to platform constraints and power management policies. Inexact alarms allow the system to batch deliveries for efficiency. AlarmManagerAl handles time zones and daylight saving time by normalizing scheduled times to a standard reference and converting on delivery, reducing drift across regions.

Architecture emphasizes modular adapters and platform integration. The library relies on OS-level facilities for background execution and wake behavior, with adapters that encapsulate platform-specific details. It emphasizes persistence, fault tolerance, and predictable error handling to maintain reliability across restarts and suspends.

Use cases include reminders, periodic maintenance tasks, data synchronization, and cache invalidation. Limitations arise from reliance on the underlying operating system’s scheduling and power-management policies, which can affect precision and delivery guarantees. Security considerations focus on safely handling payloads and ensuring callbacks run within appropriate app contexts.