Service vs IntentService in the Android platform

Question

I am seeking an example of something that can be done with an IntentService that cannot be done with a Service (and vice-versa)?

I also bel

Answer 1

An IntentService is an extension of a Service that is made to ease the execution of a task that needs to be executed in background and in a seperated thread.

IntentService starts, create a thread and runs its task in the thread. once done, it cleans everything. Only one instance of a IntentService can run at the same time, several calls are enqueued.

It is very simple to use and very convenient for a lot of uses, for instance downloading stuff. But it has limitations that can make you want to use instead the more basic (not simple) Service.

For example, a service connected to a xmpp server and bound by activities cannot be simply done using an IntentService. You'll end up ignoring or overriding IntentService stuffs.