handler.post和handler.sendMessage的区别和联系

现在大部分人都很熟悉handler这个东西了，我们常用handler的场景无非有两个： 
1. 异步更新UI 
2. 延时任务 
但是我一直有一个困惑，就是handler.post（r）这个方法有什么独特的作用？ 
通过看源码发现，post这个方法是把任务r转成一个message放进了handler所在的线程中的messageQueue消息队列中，并且是立刻发送的消息，这样它既不是异步的也不是延时的，所以问题来了： 
1. 它和sendMessage（）有什么区别？ 
2. 它有什么独特作用呢？

下结论之前我们先通过源码来分析：

<code class="hljs java has-numbering" style="display: block; padding: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Source Code Pro', monospace;font-size:undefined; white-space: pre; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; word-wrap: normal; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="hljs-javadoc" style="color: rgb(136, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box;">/**     * Causes the Runnable r to be added to the message queue.     * 这里源码注释的意思是：把r这个任务对象添加到消息队列中。     */</span>    <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">public</span> <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">final</span> <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">boolean</span> <span class="hljs-title" style="box-sizing: border-box;">post</span>(Runnable r)    {       <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">return</span>  sendMessageDelayed(getPostMessage(r), <span class="hljs-number" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 102); box-sizing: border-box;">0</span>);    }<span class="hljs-javadoc" style="color: rgb(136, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box;">/**     * Enqueue a message into the message queue after all pending messages*然后我们接着看post方法中直接调用到的发送延时消息的方法，源码注释*的意思是把这个消息放入消息队列，     */</span>    <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">public</span> <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">final</span> <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">boolean</span> <span class="hljs-title" style="box-sizing: border-box;">sendMessageDelayed</span>(Message msg, <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">long</span> delayMillis)    {        <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">if</span> (delayMillis < <span class="hljs-number" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 102); box-sizing: border-box;">0</span>) {            delayMillis = <span class="hljs-number" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 102); box-sizing: border-box;">0</span>;        }        <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">return</span> sendMessageAtTime(msg, SystemClock.uptimeMillis() + delayMillis);    }<span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(136, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box;">/*最后我们再看post中调用的另外一个方法，源码中没有注释，但我们很容易看出来，这个方法就是把r这个任务包装成了一个空的消息并且返回*/</span><span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">private</span> <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">static</span> Message <span class="hljs-title" style="box-sizing: border-box;">getPostMessage</span>(Runnable r) {        Message m = Message.obtain();        m.callback = r;        <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">return</span> m;}</code><ul class="pre-numbering" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; width: 50px; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); top: 0px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 6px 0px 40px; border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); list-style: none; text-align: right;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">1</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">2</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">3</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">4</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">5</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">6</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">7</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">8</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">9</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">10</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">11</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">12</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">13</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">14</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">15</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">16</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">17</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">18</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">19</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">20</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">21</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">22</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">23</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">24</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">25</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">26</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">27</li></ul><ul class="pre-numbering" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; width: 50px; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); top: 0px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 6px 0px 40px; border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); list-style: none; text-align: right;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">1</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">2</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">3</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">4</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">5</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">6</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">7</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">8</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">9</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">10</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">11</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">12</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">13</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">14</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">15</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">16</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">17</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">18</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">19</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">20</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">21</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">22</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">23</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">24</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">25</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">26</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">27</li></ul>

至此，我们可以得出结论： 
handler.post和handler.sendMessage本质上是没有区别的，都是发送一个消息到消息队列中，而且消息队列和handler都是依赖于同一个线程的。

接下来我们再结合实际应用中的例子来分析： 
分别用sendMessage和post完成同样的异步更新UI的任务：

<code class="hljs java has-numbering" style="display: block; padding: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Source Code Pro', monospace;font-size:undefined; white-space: pre; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; word-wrap: normal; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">private</span> TextView tv_up;    <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">private</span> String new_str = <span class="hljs-string" style="color: rgb(0, 136, 0); box-sizing: border-box;">""</span>;    <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(136, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box;">/*post方法解决UI更新问题handler创建方式*/</span>    <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">private</span> Handler handler_post = <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">new</span> Handler();    <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(136, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box;">/*sendMessage方法解决UI更新问题handler创建方式*/</span>    Handler handler_senM = <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">new</span> Handler() {        <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">public</span> <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">void</span> <span class="hljs-title" style="box-sizing: border-box;">handleMessage</span>(Message msg) {            <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">if</span> (msg.what == <span class="hljs-number" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 102); box-sizing: border-box;">1</span>) {                <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(136, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box;">/*sendMessage方法更新UI的操作必须在handler的handleMessage回调中完成*/</span>                tv_up.setText(new_str);            }        };    };    <span class="hljs-annotation" style="color: rgb(155, 133, 157); box-sizing: border-box;">@Override</span>    <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">protected</span> <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">void</span> <span class="hljs-title" style="box-sizing: border-box;">onCreate</span>(Bundle savedInstanceState) {        <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">super</span>.onCreate(savedInstanceState);        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);        <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">new</span> Thread(<span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">new</span> Runnable() {            <span class="hljs-annotation" style="color: rgb(155, 133, 157); box-sizing: border-box;">@Override</span>            <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">public</span> <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">void</span> <span class="hljs-title" style="box-sizing: border-box;">run</span>() {                new_str = <span class="hljs-string" style="color: rgb(0, 136, 0); box-sizing: border-box;">"更新UI"</span>;                <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(136, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box;">/*sendMessage方法解决UI更新发送消息给handler（主线程中的handler）*/</span>                handler_senM.sendEmptyMessage(<span class="hljs-number" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 102); box-sizing: border-box;">1</span>);                <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(136, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box;">/*post方法解决UI更新，直接在runnable里面完成更新操作，这个任务会被添加到handler所在线程的消息队列中，即主线程的消息队列中*/</span>                handler_post.post(<span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">new</span> Runnable() {                    <span class="hljs-annotation" style="color: rgb(155, 133, 157); box-sizing: border-box;">@Override</span>                    <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">public</span> <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 136); box-sizing: border-box;">void</span> <span class="hljs-title" style="box-sizing: border-box;">run</span>() {                        tv_up.setText(new_str);                    }                });            }        }).start();    }</code><ul class="pre-numbering" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; width: 50px; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); top: 0px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 6px 0px 40px; border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); list-style: none; text-align: right;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">1</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">2</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">3</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">4</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">5</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">6</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">7</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">8</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">9</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">10</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">11</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">12</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">13</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">14</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">15</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">16</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">17</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">18</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">19</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">20</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">21</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">22</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">23</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">24</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">25</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">26</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">27</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">28</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">29</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">30</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">31</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">32</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">33</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">34</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">35</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">36</li></ul><ul class="pre-numbering" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; width: 50px; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); top: 0px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 6px 0px 40px; border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); list-style: none; text-align: right;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">1</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">2</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">3</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">4</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">5</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">6</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">7</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">8</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">9</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">10</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">11</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">12</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">13</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">14</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">15</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">16</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">17</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">18</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">19</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">20</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">21</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">22</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">23</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">24</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">25</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">26</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">27</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">28</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">29</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">30</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">31</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">32</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">33</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">34</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">35</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 5px;">36</li></ul>

从这段代码中我们可以看出： 
post和sendMessage只是用法上的区别，本质是没有区别的。

最终总结： 
1. post和sendMessage本质上是没有区别的，只是实际用法中有一点差别 
2. post也没有独特的作用，post本质上还是用sendMessage实现的，post只是一中更方便的用法而已