How to self stop a service started with BIND_AUTO_CREATE?

Question

There is some long processing that need to be completed, so I put it in a service. The activity must be able to connect to the service, show the user current results from the service. So I start the service with start Service and later call bind Service (with BIND_AUTO_CREATE) as in LocalService from http://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/Service.html#ServiceLifecycle. I want it to run until its job is done, and then self stop, even if client is still connected to it. (or determine the client to unbind) Is any way to do it with the sample LocalService?

I was considering passing a handler to the service so that it can send messages back to the activity, but I don't want the activity to get leaked. I am just getting used with services, so maybe I am misusing something.

EDIT: The workload consists of several threads, synchronized and run in parallel, so I guess is not a good candidate for intent service. Some data analysis is done in background service, and when the user restarts the activity that started the service, it should display some graphics according to current values computed by background service. All background processing is triggered at the beginning, and need only inspection later on, when activity connects to it. Android should not be able to stop the service. When the job is finished, the service should be able to terminate even if the activity is connected to it.

Answer 1

I just recorded a callback with the service. If the activity is not connected to service, it sets the callback to null. In this callback I call stopService() and then finish() on the activity. I am not sure that it is the best method, but it works fine for me.

Answer 2

If you want a service to be stopped when it is finished, I think what you are looking for is IntentService, they work as services, but run in another thread and when they are completed they dissappear.

Check this out

EDIT: NickT link is better, check that out! :)