ActivityStarter

Definition

A component that can launch an activity using the StartActivity method.

Activities that can be launched include:

• Starting another App Inventor for Android app. To do so, first find out the class of the other application by downloading the source code and using a file explorer or unzip utility to find a file named “youngandroidproject/project.properties”. The first line of the file will start with “main=” and be followed by the class name; for example, main=com.gmail.Bitdiddle.Ben.HelloPurr.Screen1. (The first components indicate that it was created by Ben.Bitdiddle@gmail.com.) To make your ActivityStarter launch this application, set the following properties:
  • ActivityPackage to the class name, dropping the last component (for example, com.gmail.Bitdiddle.Ben.HelloPurr)
  • ActivityClass to the entire class name (for example, com.gmail.Bitdiddle.Ben.HelloPurr.Screen1)
• Starting the camera application by setting the following properties:
  • Action: android.intent.action.MAIN
  • ActivityPackage: com.android.camera
  • ActivityClass: com.android.camera.Camera
• Performing web search. Assuming the term you want to search for is “vampire” (feel free to substitute your own choice), set the properties to:
  • Action: android.intent.action.WEB_SEARCH
  • ExtraKey: query
  • ExtraValue: vampire
  • ActivityPackage: com.google.android.providers.enhancedgooglesearch
  • ActivityClass: com.google.android.providers.enhancedgooglesearch.Launcher
• Opening a browser to a specified web page. Assuming the page you want to go to is “www.facebook.com” (feel free to substitute your own choice), set the properties to:
  • Action: android.intent.action.VIEW
  • DataUri: http://www.facebook.com

Properties

Action

Specifies the action that will be used to start the activity.

ActivityClass

Specifies the class part of the specific component that will be started.

ActivityPackage

Specifies the package part of the specific component that will be started.

DataType

Specifies the MIME type to pass to the activity.

DataUri

Specifies the data URI that will be used to start the activity.

ExtraKey

Specifies the extra key that will be passed to the activity. Obsolete. Should use Extras instead

ExtraValue

Specifies the extra value that will be passed to the activity. Obsolete. Should use Extras instead

Extras

Returns the list of key-value pairs that will be passed as extra data to the activity.

Result

Returns the result from the activity.

ResultName

Specifies the name that will be used to retrieve a result from the activity.

ResultType

Returns the MIME type from the activity.

ResultUri

Returns the URI from the activity.