How to make my widgets individual from each other?

Question

I have created a command prompt widget for Android using Xamarin, and I'm trying to figure out how to set up my ListViewFactory class and RemoteViewsService class to have individual data per widget.

From my understanding, the RemoteViewsService class returns the ListViewFactory object to be displayed to the user. The problem is I have user input for my list, and I don't know how to get reference to the ListViewFactory object that is returned from the RemoteViewsService.

WidgetProvider:

namespace CommAndroid
{

[BroadcastReceiver(Label = "CommAndroid", Exported = false, Enabled = true, Name = "com.company.CommAndroid.WidgetProvider",Icon ="@mipmap/terminalappicon")]
[IntentFilter(new string[] { "android.appwidget.action.APPWIDGET_UPDATE"  })]
[MetaData("android.appwidget.provider", Resource = "@xml/my_widget")]


//Class to inflate and show the widget
public class WidgetProvider : AppWidgetProvider
{
    //Initialize Global Vars for Class
    public static ListViewFactory listViewFactory;
    private Handler handler;


    //Update method for a widget
    public override void OnUpdate(Context context, AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager, int[] appWidgetIds)
    {
        base.OnUpdate(context, appWidgetManager, appWidgetIds);

        foreach (int appwidgetId in appWidgetIds)
        {
            // Build the remote views for the widget
            var widgetView = BuildRemoteViews(context);




            // Update all instances of the widget with the new remote views
            appWidgetManager.NotifyAppWidgetViewDataChanged(appwidgetId, Resource.Id.listView1);
            appWidgetManager.UpdateAppWidget(appwidgetId, widgetView);
   



        }






    }


    //Build the widget view, returns to the update method
    public RemoteViews BuildRemoteViews(Context context)
    {
        //Initialize our widget view, basically pointing to our main widget layout xml
        var widgetView = new RemoteViews(context.PackageName, Resource.Layout.widget_layout);           
       
        //Initializing an intent of our WidgetRemoteViewService, to handle the creation of our list view factory
        //Instructing Widget to use our WidgetRemoteViewService with our ListView
        Intent listViewIntent = new Intent(context, typeof(WidgetRemoteViewService));
        widgetView.SetRemoteAdapter(Resource.Id.listView1, listViewIntent);


        //Initializing an intent for the main widget button click
        var clickIntent = new Intent(context, typeof(WidgetProvider));
        clickIntent.SetAction("com.company.CommAndroid.WIDGET_BUTTON_CLICK");

        // Initializing a new Intent for the delete button click action
        var deleteIntent = new Intent(context, typeof(WidgetProvider));
        deleteIntent.SetAction("com.company.CommAndroid.DELETE_BUTTON_CLICK");


        // Initializing pending intents for the button click actions
        var pendingIntent = PendingIntent.GetBroadcast(context, 5555533, clickIntent, PendingIntentFlags.Mutable);
        var pendingDeleteIntent = PendingIntent.GetBroadcast(context, 55522111, deleteIntent, PendingIntentFlags.Mutable);



        // Associating the pending intents with the respective buttons in the widget layout
        widgetView.SetOnClickPendingIntent(Resource.Id.delete_button, pendingDeleteIntent);
        widgetView.SetOnClickPendingIntent(Resource.Id.widget_button, pendingIntent);

        Intent itemClickIntent = new Intent(context, typeof(WidgetProvider));
        itemClickIntent.SetAction("com.company.CommAndroid.LIST_ITEM_CLICK");
        PendingIntent itemClickPendingIntent = PendingIntent.GetBroadcast(context, 3434514, itemClickIntent, PendingIntentFlags.Mutable);
        widgetView.SetPendingIntentTemplate(Resource.Id.listView1, itemClickPendingIntent);




        // ...

        return widgetView;
    }

    //On Deleted
    public override void OnDeleted(Context context, int[] appWidgetIds)
    {
        base.OnDeleted(context, appWidgetIds);

    }

    //Method to update the listview in widget
    private async void updateListView(Context context, RemoteViews views, bool isDelete, string command)
    {
        //Create a new list factory and view for our widget
        //Create an AppWidgetManager, reference component name, and get appWidgetIds
        listViewFactory = new ListViewFactory(context);

        var widgetView = views;

        AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager = AppWidgetManager.GetInstance(context);
        ComponentName componentName = new ComponentName(context, Java.Lang.Class.FromType(typeof(WidgetProvider)).Name);
        int[] appWidgetIds = appWidgetManager.GetAppWidgetIds(componentName);

        //Checks bool parameter to see if user wants to clear list
        if (isDelete != true)
        {
            //Initialize string result that is returned from querying the command through class TerminalCommands
            //Add the command itself, and the results to the list
            string result = await TerminalCommands.queryCommand(command, context, appWidgetManager, appWidgetIds, widgetView);
            listViewFactory.addCommand("CMD: " + command, result);

            //Create Handler to facilitate Self Scrolling of Listview
            //Set Scroll position, partially update app widget
            //Don't know why this works instead of just setting scroll position, but hey it's android development
            handler = new Handler(Looper.MainLooper);
            handler.PostDelayed(async() =>
            {
                   
                widgetView.SetScrollPosition(Resource.Id.listView1, ListViewFactory.items.Count - 1);
                appWidgetManager.PartiallyUpdateAppWidget(appWidgetIds, widgetView);

            }, 500);
      


        }
        //Bool parameter for user clearing list
        else
        {
            listViewFactory.clearList();
            widgetView.SetEmptyView(Resource.Id.listView1, Resource.Id.empty_view);

        }

        //Update the widget view
        appWidgetManager.NotifyAppWidgetViewDataChanged(appWidgetIds, Resource.Id.listView1);
        appWidgetManager.UpdateAppWidget(componentName, views);


    }



    //Method for receiving broadcasts from broadcast receiver
    public override void OnReceive(Context context, Intent intent)
    {
        //Initialize view for our widget layout
        base.OnReceive(context, intent);


        //Rebuild the view, re-setting the intents ---> Goal is to fix bug where widget stops working after some time
        //Either this or settings flags to mutable
        var widgetView = BuildRemoteViews(context);

        //Command Click
        if (intent.Action == "com.company.CommAndroid.WIDGET_BUTTON_CLICK")
        {
            //Create a new intent of activity InputProvider
            //Start the input provider activity
            Intent inputIntent = new Intent(Application.Context, typeof(InputProvider));
            inputIntent.AddFlags(ActivityFlags.NewTask);
            context.StartActivity(inputIntent);


        }
        //Clear Click
        else if (intent.Action == "com.company.CommAndroid.DELETE_BUTTON_CLICK")
        {
            updateListView(context, widgetView, true, "");
        }
        //User input
        else if (intent.Action == "com.company.CommAndroid.USER_INPUT_SUBMITTED")
        {
            string command = intent.GetStringExtra("user_input");
            updateListView(context, widgetView, false, command);
        }
        else if(intent.Action == "com.company.CommAndroid.LIST_ITEM_CLICK")
        {
            Log.Debug("hi", "we got here");
            string commandText = intent.GetStringExtra("command_text");





        }



    }

}

}

ListViewFactory:

 namespace CommAndroid
 {


public class ListViewFactory : Java.Lang.Object, RemoteViewsService.IRemoteViewsFactory
{
    //Globals
    private Context context;
    public static List<string> items;
    public static List<string> results;


    //Constructor to create list view factory
    public ListViewFactory(Context context)
    {
        this.context = context;
        if (items == null)
            items = new List<string>();


        if (results == null)
            results = new List<string>();

        if(items.Count == 0 && results.Count == 0)
        {
            items.Add("CMD: ");
            results.Add("");
        }

        
    }

    public void OnCreate()
    {
        // Initialize your data source
    
    }

    public void removeLast()
    {
        items.RemoveAt(items.Count - 1);
        results.RemoveAt(results.Count - 1);
    }

    //Add's a command to the listview, removes the prior placeholder CMD text
    public void addCommand(string command,string result)
    {
        if (items == null || items.Count < 0)
        {
            items = new List<string>();
        }
        removeLast();
        items.Add(command);
        results.Add(result);
        items.Add("CMD: ");
        results.Add("");
    }

    //Clear the lists
    public void clearList()
    {
        items.Clear();
        results.Clear();
        items.Add("CMD: ");
        results.Add("");
    }


    public void OnDestroy()
    {
        // Cleanup resources if needed
    }

    public int Count => items.Count;

    //Method to create and set the listview view
    public RemoteViews GetViewAt(int position)
    {
        // Create a RemoteViews object for each item in the data source, Referencing our Layout for our List View
        RemoteViews remoteViews = new RemoteViews(context.PackageName, Resource.Layout.listview_layout);

        //Check's if there is items, iterates until there is none
        if (items != null && items.Count > position)
        {
            //Sets text in listview to command items and result items
            //Also checks the commands text to determine what color to output
            remoteViews.SetTextViewText(Resource.Id.command_text, items[position]);
            if (results[position].ToLower().Split(' ')[0] == "invalid")
                remoteViews.SetTextColor(Resource.Id.results_text, Color.Red);
            else
                remoteViews.SetTextColor(Resource.Id.results_text, Color.ParseColor("#52db02"));
            if (items[position].ToLower().Split(' ')[1] == "help" || items[position].ToLower().Split(' ')[1] == "dir" || results[position].ToLower().Split(' ')[0] == "flipping")
            {
              if(results[position].ToLower().Split(' ')[0] != "invalid")
                    remoteViews.SetTextColor(Resource.Id.results_text, Color.White);
            }
               
            remoteViews.SetTextViewText(Resource.Id.results_text, results[position]); 
        }
        
        //If statement checking whether the position in the list is the last one
        //Sets blinking animation to visible
        if (position == items.Count - 1)
        {
            remoteViews.SetViewVisibility(Resource.Id.blinking_dot, ViewStates.Visible);
        }
        else
        {
            remoteViews.SetViewVisibility(Resource.Id.blinking_dot, ViewStates.Gone);
        }

        Intent fillInIntent = new Intent();
        fillInIntent.PutExtra("command_text", items[position]);
       remoteViews.SetOnClickFillInIntent(Resource.Id.listviewlayout, fillInIntent);




        return remoteViews;
    } 


    public RemoteViews LoadingView => null;

    public int ViewTypeCount => 1;

    public long GetItemId(int position)
    {
        return position;
    }

    public bool HasStableIds => true;

    public void OnDataSetChanged()
    {
        // Update your data source if needed
    }
}

}

RemoteViewsService.cs:

 namespace CommAndroid
 {

//Handles the creation of the List View Factory Class --> Function to return our ListViewFactory
//Declare as service in android manifest, name is pointer for location

[Service(Enabled = true,  Exported = false, Permission = "android.permission.BIND_REMOTEVIEWS")]
public class WidgetRemoteViewService : RemoteViewsService
{
    public override IRemoteViewsFactory OnGetViewFactory(Intent intent)
    {
        return new ListViewFactory(this);
    }
}

}

My code is uploaded to a github repo. https://github.com/chrisz99/CommAndroid

Answer 1

Figured out a solution to making the WidgetRemoteViewService populate with individual list data. Instead of using static lists, I ended up using SharedPreferences to store my list data as the value, and the AppWidgetId as the Key.

I added a class called WidgetDataManager.cs

1. checkInitData(int appWidgetId) --> Checks if appWidgetId key exists in SharedPreferences. If not => Create one with two new lists
2. saveLists(int appWidgetId, List commands, List results) --> Combines appWidgetId with a prefix constant, converts two list objects to json with Newtonsoft.Json, saves them to SharedPreferences with above key
3. getCommands(int appWidgetId) --> returns list from SharedPreferences by appWidgetId
4. addCommand(string command, string result, int appWidgetId) --> Adds a command by using getCommands(int appWidgetId), and adding it to that list, and saving the list with saveLists()

WidgetDataManager.cs

class WidgetDataManager
{
    //Global Vars
    private const string PREF_NAME = "WidgetData";
    private const string KEY_PREFIX_COMMANDS = "commands_";
    private const string KEY_PREFIX_RESULTS = "results_";

    private ISharedPreferences sharedPreferences;
    private JsonSerializerSettings jsonSerializerSettings;

    //Constructor
    public WidgetDataManager(Context context)
    {
        sharedPreferences = AndroidX.Preference.PreferenceManager.GetDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
        jsonSerializerSettings = new JsonSerializerSettings { TypeNameHandling = TypeNameHandling.All };

    }

    //Checks if WidgetData exists, if not => create widget data with key appWidgetId
    public void checkInitData(int appWidgetId)
    {
        if (!sharedPreferences.Contains(KEY_PREFIX_COMMANDS + appWidgetId))
        {
            List<string> commandList = new List<string>();
            List<string> resultList = new List<string>();
            commandList.Add("CMD: ");
            resultList.Add("");
            saveLists(appWidgetId, commandList, resultList);
        }
    }

    //Method to save lists to shared preferences
    public void saveLists(int appWidgetId, List<string> commands, List<string> results)
    {
        string commandKey = KEY_PREFIX_COMMANDS + appWidgetId;
        string resultKey = KEY_PREFIX_RESULTS + appWidgetId;

        string commandsJson = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(commands, jsonSerializerSettings);
        string resultsJson = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(results,jsonSerializerSettings);

        ISharedPreferencesEditor editor = sharedPreferences.Edit();
        editor.PutString(commandKey, commandsJson);
        editor.PutString(resultKey, resultsJson);
        editor.Apply();
    }

    //Method to remove last command/result from list
    public void removeLast(int appWidgetId)
    {
        List<string> commands = getCommands(appWidgetId);
        List<string> results = getResults(appWidgetId);
        if (commands.Count > 0 && results.Count > 0)
        {
            commands.RemoveAt(commands.Count - 1);
            results.RemoveAt(results.Count - 1);
        }
        saveLists(appWidgetId, commands, results);
    } 

    //Method to grab commands from SharedPreferences
    public List<string> getCommands(int appWidgetId)
    {
        string commandKey = KEY_PREFIX_COMMANDS + appWidgetId;
        string commandsJson = sharedPreferences.GetString(commandKey, null);

        if(commandsJson != null) 
        return JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<string>>(commandsJson,jsonSerializerSettings);
        else return new List<string>();
    }

    //Method to grab results from SharedPreferences
    public List<string> getResults(int appWidgetId)
    {
        string resultKey = KEY_PREFIX_RESULTS + appWidgetId;
        string resultsJson = sharedPreferences.GetString(resultKey, null);

        if(resultsJson != null)
        return JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<string>>(resultsJson,jsonSerializerSettings);
        else return new List<string>();
    }

    //Method to add commands/results to list to SharedPreferences
    public void addCommand(string command, string result, int appWidgetId)
    {
 

        removeLast(appWidgetId);

        List<string> commandList = getCommands(appWidgetId);
        List<string> resultsList = getResults(appWidgetId);

        commandList.Add("CMD: " + command);
        resultsList.Add(result);
        commandList.Add("CMD: ");
        resultsList.Add("");

        saveLists(appWidgetId,commandList,resultsList);
    }

    //Method to remove lists from SharedPreferences
    public void removeLists(int appWidgetId)
    {
        if (sharedPreferences.Contains(KEY_PREFIX_COMMANDS + appWidgetId))
        {
            ISharedPreferencesEditor editor = sharedPreferences.Edit();
            editor.Remove(KEY_PREFIX_COMMANDS + appWidgetId);
            editor.Remove(KEY_PREFIX_RESULTS + appWidgetId);
            editor.Apply();
        }
    }

    //Method to clear the data in list in SharedPreferences
    public void clearList(int appWidgetId)
    {
        List<string> commandList = getCommands(appWidgetId);
        List<string> resultsList = getResults(appWidgetId);

        commandList.Clear();
        resultsList.Clear();
        commandList.Add("CMD: ");
        resultsList.Add("");

        saveLists(appWidgetId, commandList, resultsList);
    }

    //Method to get count of commands in SharedPreferences
    public int getCount(int appWidgetId)
    {
        if (sharedPreferences.Contains(KEY_PREFIX_COMMANDS + appWidgetId))
        {
            List<string> commandList = getCommands(appWidgetId);
            return commandList.Count - 1;
        }
        else
            return 0;
    }




}

Adjustments to WidgetProvider.cs

BuildRemoteViews()

1. Initialize WidgetDataManager class with context parameter passed from onUpdate()
2. Call WidgetDataManager.checkInitData(appWidgetId) with appWidgetId as parameter passed from onUpdate()
3. Add appWidgetId as extra for click intents, and list intent

OnDeleted()

1. initialize WidgetDataManager class with context
2. loop through appWidgetIds, use removeLists(int appWidgetId) to remove lists

OnReceive()

1. receive appWidgetId intent from widget click button, pass it through the inputIntent.
2. receive appWidgetId intent from delete click button, pass it through updateListView()
3. receive appWidgetId from intent from user input, pass it through updateListView()

updateListView()

1. Initialize WidgetDataManager class with context parameter passed from onReceive
2. Use WidgetDataManager.addCommand with appWidgetId passed as parameter from UserInput intent.

WidgetProvider.cs

  public class WidgetProvider : AppWidgetProvider
{
    //Initialize Global Vars for Class
    private Handler handler;
    private WidgetDataManager widgetDataManager;


    //Update method for a widget
    public override void OnUpdate(Context context, AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager, int[] appWidgetIds)
    {
        base.OnUpdate(context, appWidgetManager, appWidgetIds);

        foreach (int appwidgetId in appWidgetIds)
        {

            // Build the remote views for the widget
            var widgetView = BuildRemoteViews(context, appwidgetId);

            //LogData from shared preferences
            viewData(context);

            // Update all instances of the widget with the new remote views
            appWidgetManager.NotifyAppWidgetViewDataChanged(appwidgetId, Resource.Id.listView1);
            appWidgetManager.UpdateAppWidget(appwidgetId, widgetView);

        }



    }


    //If Widget Is Resized, Re-Build Remote Views
    public override void OnAppWidgetOptionsChanged(Context context, AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager, int appWidgetId, Bundle newOptions)
    {
        base.OnAppWidgetOptionsChanged(context, appWidgetManager, appWidgetId, newOptions);

        //Build New Remote View
        var widgetView = BuildRemoteViews(context, appWidgetId);

        // Update widget with the new remote views
        appWidgetManager.NotifyAppWidgetViewDataChanged(appWidgetId, Resource.Id.listView1);
        appWidgetManager.UpdateAppWidget(appWidgetId, widgetView);

    }

    //Method To Log SharedPreference Data In Logs
    public void viewData(Context context)
    {
        ISharedPreferences sharedPreferences = PreferenceManager.GetDefaultSharedPreferences(Android.App.Application.Context);

        // Get all key-value pairs from SharedPreferences
        IDictionary<string, object> allPreferences = sharedPreferences.All;

        // Display the SharedPreferences data in the terminal
        foreach (KeyValuePair<string, object> preference in allPreferences)
        {
            string key = preference.Key;
            object value = preference.Value;

            // Print the key-value pair to the console
            Log.Debug("Data", "Key: " + key + ", Value: " + value);
        }
    }


    //Build the widget view, returns to the update method
    public RemoteViews BuildRemoteViews(Context context, int appwidgetId)
    {
        //Initialize our widget view, basically pointing to our main widget layout xml
        var widgetView = new RemoteViews(context.PackageName, Resource.Layout.widget_layout);

        //Initialize WidgetDataManager class to handle Widget Data
        widgetDataManager = new WidgetDataManager(context);
        widgetDataManager.checkInitData(appwidgetId);

        //Initializing an intent for the main widget button click
        var clickIntent = new Intent(context, typeof(WidgetProvider));
        clickIntent.SetAction("com.company.CommAndroid.WIDGET_BUTTON_CLICK");
        clickIntent.PutExtra("appWidgetId", appwidgetId);

        // Initializing a new Intent for the delete button click action
        var deleteIntent = new Intent(context, typeof(WidgetProvider));
        deleteIntent.SetAction("com.company.CommAndroid.DELETE_BUTTON_CLICK");
        deleteIntent.PutExtra("appWidgetId", appwidgetId);

        //Initializing an intent of our WidgetRemoteViewService, to handle the creation of our list view factory
        //Instructing Widget to use our WidgetRemoteViewService with our ListView
        //Setting AppWidgetId as extra intent to query SharedPreferences for Data
        Intent listViewIntent = new Intent(context, typeof(WidgetRemoteViewService));
        listViewIntent.PutExtra("appWidgetId", appwidgetId);
        listViewIntent.SetData(Uri.FromParts("content", appwidgetId.ToString(), null));
        widgetView.SetRemoteAdapter(Resource.Id.listView1, listViewIntent);


        //Set Pending Click Intent to Command Widget Button, Delete Widget Button
        var pendingIntent = PendingIntent.GetBroadcast(context, appwidgetId, clickIntent, PendingIntentFlags.Mutable);
        var pendingDeleteIntent = PendingIntent.GetBroadcast(context, appwidgetId, deleteIntent, PendingIntentFlags.Mutable);

        // Associating the pending intents with the respective buttons in the widget layout
        widgetView.SetOnClickPendingIntent(Resource.Id.delete_button, pendingDeleteIntent);
        widgetView.SetOnClickPendingIntent(Resource.Id.widget_button, pendingIntent);

        //Possible Future Feature

        //Intent itemClickIntent = new Intent(context, typeof(WidgetProvider));
        //itemClickIntent.SetAction("com.company.CommAndroid.LIST_ITEM_CLICK");
        //PendingIntent itemClickPendingIntent = PendingIntent.GetBroadcast(context, 3434514, itemClickIntent, PendingIntentFlags.Mutable);
        //widgetView.SetPendingIntentTemplate(Resource.Id.listView1, itemClickPendingIntent);

        return widgetView;
    }

    //Function that fires when Widget is deleted
    //When Widget is removed from home screen, remove WidgetData from SharedPreferences
    public override void OnDeleted(Context context, int[] appWidgetIds)
    {
        base.OnDeleted(context, appWidgetIds);
        widgetDataManager = new WidgetDataManager(context);
        foreach (int appwidgetId in appWidgetIds)
        {
            widgetDataManager.removeLists(appwidgetId);
        }

    }


    //Method to update the listview in widget
    private async void updateListView(Context context, RemoteViews views, bool isDelete, string command, int appWidgetId)
    {
        //Initialize WidgetDataManager Object / AppWidgetManager (update the widget)
        widgetDataManager = new WidgetDataManager(context);
        AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager = AppWidgetManager.GetInstance(context);

        //Set our view to parameter WidgetView
        var widgetView = views;



        //Checks bool parameter to see if user wants to clear list
        //If user wants to add a command
        if (isDelete != true)
        {
            //Initialize result that is returned from querying the command through class TerminalCommands
            //Add the command itself, and the results to the list
            string result = await TerminalCommands.queryCommand(command, context, appWidgetManager, appWidgetId, widgetView);
            widgetDataManager.addCommand(command, result, appWidgetId);

        }
        //Bool parameter for user clearing list
        else
        {
            widgetDataManager.clearList(appWidgetId);
            widgetView.SetEmptyView(Resource.Id.listView1, Resource.Id.empty_view);

        }

        //Update the widget view
        appWidgetManager.NotifyAppWidgetViewDataChanged(appWidgetId, Resource.Id.listView1);
        appWidgetManager.UpdateAppWidget(appWidgetId, views);


    }



    //Method for receiving broadcasts from broadcast receiver
    public override void OnReceive(Context context, Intent intent)
    {
        //Initialize view for our widget layout
        base.OnReceive(context, intent);


        //Command Click
        if (intent.Action == "com.company.CommAndroid.WIDGET_BUTTON_CLICK")
        {
            //Create a new intent of activity InputProvider
            //Start the input provider activity
            //Pass appWidgetId to user input activity
            int appWidgetId = intent.GetIntExtra("appWidgetId", AppWidgetManager.InvalidAppwidgetId);
            Intent inputIntent = new Intent(Application.Context, typeof(InputProvider));
            inputIntent.PutExtra("appWidgetId", appWidgetId);
            inputIntent.AddFlags(ActivityFlags.NewTask);
            context.StartActivity(inputIntent);


        }
        //Clear Click
        else if (intent.Action == "com.company.CommAndroid.DELETE_BUTTON_CLICK")
        {
            //Grab appWidgetId from delete button, build new RemoteViews, clear the list
            int appWidgetId = intent.GetIntExtra("appWidgetId", AppWidgetManager.InvalidAppwidgetId);
            var widgetView = BuildRemoteViews(context, appWidgetId);
            updateListView(context, widgetView, true, "", appWidgetId);
        }
        //User input
        else if (intent.Action == "com.company.CommAndroid.USER_INPUT_SUBMITTED")
        {
            //Grab appWidgetId and command from input activity, build new RemoteViews, update the list with command
            string command = intent.GetStringExtra("user_input");
            int appWidgetId = intent.GetIntExtra("appWidgetId", AppWidgetManager.InvalidAppwidgetId);
            var widgetView = BuildRemoteViews(context, appWidgetId);
            updateListView(context, widgetView, false, command, appWidgetId);
        }

        //Possible future feature

        //else if(intent.Action == "com.company.CommAndroid.LIST_ITEM_CLICK")
        //{
        //    Log.Debug("hi", "we got here");
        //    string commandText = intent.GetStringExtra("command_text");
        //}



    }

}

Adjustments to WidgetRemoteViewService

onGetViewFactory()

1. add parameter Intent to onGetViewFactory, pass it through the new ListViewFactory.

WidgetRemoteViewService.cs

//Handles the creation of the List View Factory Class --> Function to return our ListViewFactory
//Declare as service in android manifest, request permission BIND_REMOTEVIEWS

[Service(Enabled = true,  Exported = false, Permission = "android.permission.BIND_REMOTEVIEWS")]
public class WidgetRemoteViewService : RemoteViewsService
{
    //Returns new ListViewFactory from context and intent
    //Intent holds AppWidgetId data --> used for querying SharedPreferences for list data
    public override IRemoteViewsFactory OnGetViewFactory(Intent intent)
    {
        return new ListViewFactory(this, intent);
    }
}

Adjustments to ListViewFactory.cs

ListViewFactory()

1. initialize WidgetDataManager object
2. grab lists with WidgetDataManager.getCommands()

ListViewFactory.cs

    public class ListViewFactory : Java.Lang.Object, RemoteViewsService.IRemoteViewsFactory
{
    //Globals
    private Context context;
    private List<string> items;
    private List<string> results;
    private int appWidgetId;
    private WidgetDataManager widgetDataManager;
    private Handler handler;


    //Constructor to create list view factory
    public ListViewFactory(Context context, Intent intent)
    {
        this.context = context;
        //Checking if items dictionary is null

        this.appWidgetId = int.Parse(intent.Data.SchemeSpecificPart);

        if (items == null)
            items = new List<string>();
        if (results == null)
            results = new List<string>();

        widgetDataManager = new WidgetDataManager(context);
        items = widgetDataManager.getCommands(appWidgetId);
        results = widgetDataManager.getResults(appWidgetId);
        
    }

Answer 2

Sorry, I have never made widgets. So this isn't a complete answer yet.

Some questions:

• What user action results in a widget being created?
• What code of yours runs when the user does that action?

1. Store user input in a class:

public class UserInputData
{
    public List<string> items;
    public List<string> results;
}

2. Change ListViewFactory constructor to have that as a parameter:

private Context context;
private List<string> items;
private List<string> results;

public ListViewFactory(Context context, UserInputData data)
{
    this.context = context;
    this.items = data.items;
    this.results = data.results;
}

3. Change WidgetRemoteViewService.OnGetViewFactory to pass in that data:

public class WidgetRemoteViewService : RemoteViewsService
{
    // TODO: "Somehow" set this before each OnGetViewFactory call.
    private UserInputData NextData;

    public void SetNextData(UserInputData data)
    {
        NextData = data;
    }

    public override IRemoteViewsFactory OnGetViewFactory(Intent intent)
    {
        return new ListViewFactory(this, NextData);
    }
}

4. TODO Set NextData before each widget is created.

• The missing piece is how/when to set NextData.

My questions (at start of this answer) hopefully reveal where in code this needs to be done.

• If that code can directly access your instance of WidgetRemoteViewService, then it can simply set NextData at the right moment.
• If that code doesn't have access, then search xamarin MessagingCenter, and read about Publish/Subscribe. Try to set that up.