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App Intents

Hello World

Content:
• General
• Default Apps
• URI Intents
• Standard Apps
• Settings
• Misc

General

Intents are a way of communicating between apps, to initiate a specific task or to navigate the user to a different app for various reasons. The used app methods are SendIntent and OpenUrl.

This section is a collection of various examples that illustrate various use cases of intents and related methods.

Default Apps

Example - Default Apps

var categories = [
    "android.intent.category.APP_BROWSER",    // browser
    "android.intent.category.APP_MUSIC",     // music
    "android.intent.category.APP_CALCULATOR", // calculator
    "android.intent.category.APP_CONTACTS", // contacts
    "android.intent.category.APP_EMAIL",     // email
    "android.intent.category.APP_MAPS",     // maps
    "android.intent.category.APP_GALLERY",    // gallery
    "android.intent.category.APP_CALENDAR", // calendar
    "android.intent.category.APP_MARKET",     // market
    "android.intent.category.APP_MESSAGING", // messaging
];
app.SendIntent(null, null, "android.intent.action.MAIN", categories[0]);

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URI Intents

Playstore App Page

var packageName = "com.skype.raider";
app.OpenUrl("market:details?id=" + packageName);

Skype: URI documentation
app.OpenUrl("skype:echo123?call");

Standard Apps

GMail

Example - Create Email in GMail App

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Google Maps

Google Maps intent documentation

Example - Basic Maps

function OnStart()
{
    var lat = "51.5117";
    var lng = "-0.1275";
    simpleMap(lat, lng);
}

function simpleMap(latitude, longitude)
{
    var packageName = "com.google.android.apps.maps";
    var className = null;
    var action = "android.intent.action.VIEW";
    var uri = "geo:" + latitude + "," + longitude;
    app.SendIntent(packageName, className, action, null, uri);
}

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Example - Maps Turn by Turn Navigation

function navigateTo(latitude, longitude)
{
    var packageName = "com.google.android.apps.maps";
    var className = null;
    var action = "android.intent.action.VIEW";
    var uri = "google.navigation:q=" + latitude + "," + longitude;
    if (app.IsAppInstalled(packageName))
        app.SendIntent(packageName, className, action, null, uri);
    else
        app.Alert("maps app not installed");
}

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Example - Maps Location

app.SendIntent(
"com.google.android.apps.maps",
null,
"android.intent.action.VIEW",
"android.intent.category.DEFAULT",
"geo:0,0?q=34.5678,123.4567 (Placename)" // uri argument
);

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Phone Calls

Note: package and activity are not required because the dialer app differs among manufacturers and sometimes event among models from same manufacturer.

Example - Phone Call

/* Some devices may display the Dialer app for both `DIAL` and `CALL`.
* `CALL` requires `PHONE` permission and `DIAL` does not
* `DIAL` does not allow emergency calls
* `DIAL` suppresses some special characters such as # to prevent abuse
*/

// Launch Dialer app
app.SendIntent(null, null, "android.intent.action.DIAL", null, "tel&colon;5551237654");

// Direct Call
app.SendIntent(null, null, "android.intent.action.CALL", null, "tel&colon;5551237654");

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SMS

Example - Basic SMS

var number = "0123456789";
var message = "my message";

app.SendIntent(null, null, "android.intent.action.SENDTO",
    null, 'smsto:' + number, null,
    JSON.stringify([{
        name: "sms_body",
        type: "string",
        value: message
    }]));

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Camera

Example - Camera Modes

// Launch a camera in still image mode.
app.SendIntent(null, null, "android.media.action.STILL_IMAGE_CAMERA");

// Launch secure photo mode without attaching personal info
// previous snaps/videos, gallery, etc. link won't work
// used when device is secured (pin, password, etc), recommended use in locker apps.
app.SendIntent(null, null, "android.media.action.STILL_IMAGE_CAMERA_SECURE");

// Launch a camera in video recording mode.
app.SendIntent(null, null, "android.media.action.VIDEO_CAMERA");

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Settings

The Settings Intent Documentation has a Constants section with available Actions. Replace ACTION_ by android.settings. to get the category parameter.

Example - Settings

// Bluetooth
app.SendIntent(null, null, "android.settings.BLUETOOTH_SETTINGS" )
// WiFi
app.SendIntent(null, null, "android.settings.WIFI_SETTINGS" )

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Misc

Example - Add Calendar Event

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Example - Receive Broadcasts

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