External Application Launch from another program

[alvinmb]

How would you go about launching an external application from a button in a Basic4android application, and return to your B4a app when you close the app that you just launched?

 

[Kevin]

Replace com.package.tolaunch with the package name of the app you want to launch. If the user exits (backs out of) the launched app, Android will automatically return to your app afterwards.

Sub YourButton_Click
  Try
    Dim Intent1 As Intent
    Dim pm as PackageManager
    Intent1 = pm.GetApplicationIntent ("com.package.tolaunch")
    StartActivity (Intent1)
      Catch
      ToastMessageShow ("Failed to launch app!  Is it installed?", True)
  End Try
End Sub

 

[alvinmb]

thank you!

 

[AntAnt]

Hi there,
is the package enough to launch the application? I mean: don't you need to also specify apk file name?
Thanks in advance
A.

 

[NJDude]

No.

 

[AntAnt]

No.

Eheh great! Thank you very much.
I tested it with my app and it works. Now, one (hopefully last) question.
I have to add some "string+relative command" to the intent.
With java/android would use Intent.putExtra (String name, String value)
Now I'm looking at b4a intent instance and it gives a method putExtra but it has these expected parameters:
Intent.putExtra(String name, Value Obj).
For instance, having to pass to the putExtra: "max_number"], 2
how is it suppose to do it, as it doesnt accept an int type as second parameter?
Thanks again
A.

 

[AntAnt]

ah of course the same issue with boolean types as second parameters (or strings..or any other type not object)

 

[NJDude]

In B4A, the second parameter in PutExtra is an OBJECT, not a string

myIntent.PutExtra(Name As String, Value As Object)

You could do something like:

myIntent.PutExtra("max_number", "2")

 

[Juan Pedro Arce]

Ok, great, the answer shows the solution, but how can one get the name of the app in the Is there a way to obtain the name of the application in the form of "com.package.tolaunch" for a specific app? For example I am trying to call "MDScan Lite" (Document Scan into PDF). Is there a way to get the name in the package notation?

 

[Erel]

PackageManager.GetApplicationLabel returns the name of the app.

 

[JOTHA]

Hi friends,

just 2 questions:

1) is it possible to "click" on a button in the external app by Intent?
2) does

Intent1.PutExtra("EditText_01", "XYZ")

putting the Text "XYZ" into the field?

Thank you for your help.

 

[DonManfred]

1) NO
2) yes, if the receiving app supports such "extra". But usually NO

 

[JOTHA]

@DonManfred: Thank you for your response.

My problem is ... I have two own apps.
In the first app is a number generated. I want to click a button and open the other app. That works fine.

But then I want to click automatically into the other app to get onto a panel and then I want automatically copy the number from the first app into a TextEdit in the other app.

Is there any idea?

 

[DonManfred]

Is there any idea?

If the second app is YOUR app then you have the chance to change it.

Start your second app with an intent giving some EXTRAs and in app 2 you expect to get parameter in the extras. You read them and use them like you wish...

See here for more details.

Maybe this can also be of help.

 

[JOTHA]

Hello DonManfred,

thank you for the links above.
I've read the first one, but it was too much for the first time ... I searched for a "fast-and-easy-solution".

But now it seems that I have to read and learn with more time ...

Thanks!