Uses of Intents

In android we all know how important an Intent class is. I will list down few magical things which you can do using intents.

1. Display a web page

Uri uri = Uri.parse(“http://www.google.com”);

Intent it  = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW,uri);

startActivity(it);

2. Display Specific Location on Google Map

Uri uri = Uri.parse(“geo:38.899533,-77.036476″);

Intent it = new Intent(Intent.Action_VIEW,uri);

startActivity(it);

3. Display direction on Google Map

Uri uri = Uri.parse(“http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=23.025435247155084%2072.56229400634766&daddr=23.020142634410657%2072.55632877349854&hl=en

“);

Intent it = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW,URI);

startActivity(it);

4. Initiate a call from your application

Uri uri = Uri.parse(“tel:09016219994″);

Intent it = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_DIAL, uri);

startActivity(it);

5. Send an SMS

Uri uri = Uri.parse(“smsto:0800000123″);

Intent it = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SENDTO, uri);

it.putExtra(“sms_body”, “The SMS text”);

startActivity(it);

6. Send an MMS

Uri uri = Uri.parse(“content://media/external/images/media/23″);

Intent it = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SEND);

it.putExtra(“sms_body”, “some text”);

it.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_STREAM, uri);

it.setType(“image/png”);

startActivity(it);

7. Send an E-mail

Uri uri = Uri.parse(“mailto:hardik.trivedi@indianic.com”);

Intent it = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SENDTO, uri);

startActivity(it);

Intent it = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SEND);

it.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_EMAIL, “me@abc.com”);

it.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_TEXT, “The email body text”);

it.setType(“text/plain”);

startActivity(Intent.createChooser(it, “Choose Email Client”));

//To put attachment in email.

Intent it = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SEND);

it.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SUBJECT, “The email subject text”);

it.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_STREAM, “file:///sdcard/mysong.mp3″);

sendIntent.setType(“audio/mp3″);

startActivity(Intent.createChooser(it, “Choose Email Client”));

8. Play Audio

Intent it = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);

Uri uri = Uri.parse(“file:///sdcard/song.mp3″);

it.setDataAndType(uri, “audio/mp3″);

startActivity(it);

9. Search for an app on android market

Uri uri = Uri.parse(“market://search?q=pname:com.eyet.meinschiff”);

Intent it = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, uri);

startActivity(it);

10. Display detail page of app

Uri uri = Uri.parse(“market://details?id=app_id”);

Intent it = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, uri);

startActivity(it);

//where app_id is the application ID, find the ID

//by clicking on your application on Market home

//page, and notice the ID from the address bar

11. Search content on Google

Intent intent = new Intent();

intent.setAction(Intent.ACTION_WEB_SEARCH);

intent.putExtra(SearchManager.QUERY,”What is android?”);

startActivity(intent);

12. Getting an Image from Gallery

Intent intent = new Intent();

intent.setType(“image/*”);

intent.setAction(Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT);                   startActivityForResult(Intent.createChooser(intent,

                           “Select Picture”), SELECT_PICTURE);

// Where SELECT_PICTURE is an integer request code.

13. Open GPS Settings screen

startActivity(newIntent(Settings.ACTION_LOCATION_SOURCE_SETTINGS));

14. Open Camera from app

//define the file-name to save photo taken by Camera activity

String fileName = “new-photo-name.jpg”;

//create parameters for Intent with filename

ContentValues values = new ContentValues();

values.put(MediaStore.Images.Media.TITLE, fileName);

values.put(MediaStore.Images.Media.DESCRIPTION,”Image capture by camera”);

//imageUri is the current activity attribute, define and save it for later usage (also in onSaveInstanceState)

imageUri = getContentResolver().insert(

        MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI, values);

//create new Intent

Intent intent = new Intent(MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE);

intent.putExtra(MediaStore.EXTRA_OUTPUT, imageUri);

intent.putExtra(MediaStore.EXTRA_VIDEO_QUALITY, 1);

startActivityForResult(intent, CAPTURE_IMAGE_ACTIVITY_REQUEST_CODE);

// Below is the code for onActivityResult

protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {

if (requestCode == CAPTURE_IMAGE_ACTIVITY_REQUEST_CODE) {

  if (resultCode == RESULT_OK) {

      //use imageUri here to access the image

  } else if (resultCode == RESULT_CANCELED) {

      Toast.makeText(this, “Picture was not taken”, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT);

  } else {

      Toast.makeText(this, “Picture was not taken”, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT);

  }

}

}

15. Add an Account

startActivity(new Intent(Settings.ACTION_ADD_ACCOUNT));

16. Open Network Setting or Air Plane mode setting

startActivity(new Intent(Settings.ACTION_AIRPLANE_MODE_SETTINGS));

17. Show settings to allow configuration of Bluetooth

startActivity(new Intent(Settings.ACTION_BLUETOOTH_SETTINGS));

18. Show settings to allow configuration of date and time

startActivity(new Intent(Settings.ACTION_DATE_SETTINGS));

19. Show settings to allow configuration of display

startActivity(new Intent(Settings.ACTION_DISPLAY_SETTINGS));

20. Show settings to allow configuration of locale

startActivity(new Intent(Settings.ACTION_LOCALE_SETTINGS));

21. Show settings for selecting the network operator

startActivity(new Intent(Settings.ACTION_NETWORK_OPERATOR_SETTINGS));

22. Show settings to allow configuration of sync settings

startActivity(new Intent(Settings.ACTION_SYNC_SETTINGS));

23. Show settings to allow configuration of privacy options

startActivity(new Intent(Settings.ACTION_PRIVACY_SETTINGS));

24. Launching the contact picker

Intent contactPickerIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_PICK,

      Contacts.CONTENT_URI);

startActivityForResult(contactPickerIntent, CONTACT_PICKER_RESULT);

// Below is the code for onActivityResult

protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data)

{

   if (resultCode == RESULT_OK)

{

       switch (requestCode)

{

               case CONTACT_PICKER_RESULT:

                   Bundle extras = data.getExtras();

Set<string> keys = extras.keySet();

Iterator<string> iterate = keys.iterator();

while (iterate.hasNext())

{

    String key = iterate.next();

Log.v(DEBUG_TAG, key + “[" + extras.get(key) + "]“);

}

Uri result = data.getData();

Log.v(DEBUG_TAG, “Got a result: “

    + result.toString());

break;

           }

       }

else

{

           // gracefully handle failure

      }

}

25. Show general device information settings (serial number, software version, phone number, etc.).

startActivity(new Intent(Settings.ACTION_DEVICE_INFO_SETTINGS));

26. Sharing Text

Intent sharingIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SEND);

sharingIntent.setType(“text/html”);

sharingIntent.putExtra(android.content.Intent.EXTRA_TEXT, Html.fromHtml(“<p>This is the text that will be shared.</p>”));

startActivity(Intent.createChooser(sharingIntent,”Share using”));