How to make a web browser like app?

[Inman]

By "web browser like", I am not talking about using WebView to display web pages within the app. I am actually interested in how to do the following:

1. When the user clicks on a link in any Android app (Twitter, Facebook etc...), a popup window shows up asking the user to select the default web browser. The list will contain the standard Android web browser and any alternative browsers you have installed (Opera Mini, Dolphin HD etc..) How can we add our app to this list?
2. Now the user selects our app from the list. It is assumed that the link the user clicked, is now passed on to this app. How to receive this link within the activity so that we can display it within the app using a WebView?

On VB6 we had command() to receive command line parameters passed on to the application from Windows. I was wondering how to implement this in Android. I believe most of this is accomplished by adding some intent filters to AndroidManifest.xml. But still I am confused as to how the passing of data takes place.

Please help.

 

[Erel]

You can add an intent filter field to the manifest file that will allow your app to start when some other app wants to show a link.
However currently you cannot fetch the data from the intercepted intent. This feature will be added in the next version.

 

[Inman]

Thanks Erel. Can't wait for the next version.

 

[Inman]

Hey Erel, I see that you have a demo out for the widget app that is compiled with the upcoming B4A, which means a new release is around the corner. I hope you haven't forgotten about the "data fetching from intercepted intent" feature discussed in this thread.

 

[Erel]

The required feature will be available in this update.

 

[peacemaker]

Any example of this intent filter for default web-browser ?

UPD:

AddActivityText(%Main%,
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
<data android:scheme="http"/>
</intent-filter>
)

 

[Erel]

The percentage signs are not needed:

AddActivityText(Main,
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
<data android:scheme="http"/>
</intent-filter>
)

 

[peacemaker]

Yes, i just meant that activity name can be variable. But agreed, that it's bad for copy & paste.

 

[bparent]

Data fetching from intercepted intent

The required feature will be available in this update ---Hey Erel, I see that you have a demo out for the widget app that is compiled with the upcoming B4A, which means a new release is around the corner. I hope you haven't forgotten about the "data fetching from intercepted intent" feature discussed in this thread.

Erel, Is data fetching from intercepted intent possible in V2.02? If so, how is this done. Thanks for such a great product!

Bernie

 

[Erel]

Yes. You can call Activity.GetStartingIntent to get the intent that started the activity.

 

[bparent]

GetStarting intent and returning getdata

Yes. You can call Activity.GetStartingIntent to get the intent that started the activity.

Thanks, that worked.