Android: how to refresh ListView contents?

To those still having problems, I solved it this way:

List<Item> newItems = databaseHandler.getItems();
ListArrayAdapter.clear();
ListArrayAdapter.addAll(newItems);
ListArrayAdapter.notifyDataSetChanged();
databaseHandler.close();

I first cleared the data from the adapter, then added the new collection of items, and only then set notifyDataSetChanged(); This was not clear for me at first, so I wanted to point this out. Take note that without calling notifyDataSetChanged() the view won't be updated.

In my understanding, if you want to refresh ListView immediately when data has changed, you should call notifyDataSetChanged() in RunOnUiThread().

private void updateData() {
    List<Data> newData = getYourNewData();
    mAdapter.setList(yourNewList);

    runOnUiThread(new Runnable() {
        @Override
        public void run() {
                mAdapter.notifyDataSetChanged();
        }
    });
}

You don't have to create a new adapter to update your ListView's contents. Simply store your Adapter in a field and update your list with the following code:

mAdapter.setList(yourNewList);
mAdapter.notifyDataSetChanged();

To clarify that, your Activity should look like that:

private YourAdapter mAdapter;

protected void onCreate(...) {

    ...

    mAdapter = new YourAdapter(this);
    setListAdapter(mAdapter);

    updateData();
}

private void updateData() {
    List<Data> newData = getYourNewData();
    mAdapter.setList(yourNewList);
    mAdapter.notifyDataSetChanged();
}

I think refilling the same adapter with different data would be more or most better technique. Put this method in your Adapter class with right argument (the data list you want to display as names in my case) Call this where u update the data of list with updated list (names in my case)

public void refill(ArrayList<BeanDatabase> names) {
    list.clear();
    list.addAll(names);
    list.notifyDataSetChanged();
}

If you change the adapter or set the adapter again and again on when the list updates, then force close error would surely cause problems at some point. (Error:List data been updated but adapter doesn't notify the List View)