android - startService() from the service class itself -

i try start android service service's class. reason achieve platform independence.

doing nullpointerexception @ android.content.contextwrapper.startservice(contextwrapper.java:326). platform target 2.1-update1, suggestions?

see code below (i left imports out save space)

/* gui: helloandroid.java */ package com.example.helloandroid;  public class helloandroid extends activity {     @override     public void oncreate(bundle savedinstancestate) {         super.oncreate(savedinstancestate);         setcontentview(r.layout.main);          // works!         startservice(new intent("com.example.helloandroid.unusualservice"));          // stop service works of course,         stopservice(new intent("com.example.helloandroid.unusualservice"));          // unusual start not work:         unusualservice myservice = new unusualservice();         myservice.startservice();     } }  /* service: unusualservice.java */ package com.example.helloandroid;  public class unusualservice extends service {         @override     public void oncreate() {         toast.maketext(this, r.string.service_started, toast.length_short).show();     }      @override     public void ondestroy() {         toast.maketext(this, r.string.service_stopped, toast.length_short).show();     }      @override     public ibinder onbind(intent intent) {         return null; // make here when rest works      }      public void startservice() {         // folowing line cause nullpointerexception         startservice(new intent("com.example.helloandroid.unusualservice"));     }      public void stopservice() {         stopself();     } } 

of course - newly created service not have reference context, context null , therefore system throws nullpointerexception. remember: not create service on own using new - system you!