Why isn't my app on the list of apps to open txt file?

Question

I have an text reader app that is designed to receive intent from Android system when I click on a text file to open it. But my app isn't on the list popped up by the system. Below are my codes:

Manifest

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="com.broadcastreceivertest1"
android:versionCode="1"
android:versionName="1.0" >

<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="8" />

<application
android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
android:label="@string/app_name" >
<activity
android:label="@string/app_name"
android:name=".BroadcastReceiverTest1Activity" >
<intent-filter >
<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
</intent-filter>
</activity>

<receiver android:name="MyBroadcastReceiver"> 
<intent-filter> 
<action android:name="android.intent.action.ACTION_VIEW" /> 
<action android:name="android.intent.action.ACTION_EDIT" /> 
<action android:name="android.intent.action.ACTION_PICK" /> 
<data android:scheme="file" /> 
<data android:mimeType="*/*" /> 
<data android:pathPattern=".*\\.txt" />    
<data android:host="*" /> 
</intent-filter> 
</receiver> 

</application>

</manifest>

My extended BroadcastReceiver

public final class MyBroadcastReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {
private String TAG = "MyBroadcastReceiver";

@Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
Intent i = new Intent(context, BroadcastReceiverTest1Activity.class);
i.putExtra("URI", intent.getData());
context.startActivity(i);
Log.d(TAG, "Leaving onReceived...");
}
}

My activity to be opened by the broadcast receiver

public class BroadcastReceiverTest1Activity extends Activity {

private String uri ="";
/** Called when the activity is first created. */
@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main);
final Intent intent = getIntent();

final String action = intent.getAction();

if(Intent.ACTION_VIEW.equals(action)){
uri = intent.getStringExtra("URI");
TextView textView = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.textView);
textView.setText(uri);

}

}
}

Thanks!

Answer 1

You need to associate your app with file extension. To do so, add these two line within intent filter and u'r good to go

<data android:scheme="file" />
<data android:mimeType="*/*"/>
<data android:pathPattern=".*\\.pdf" />

And your manifest would be look like this

<activity name="com.your.activity">
    <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
        <data android:scheme="file" />
        <data android:mimeType="*/*" />
        <data android:pathPattern=".*\\.txt" />
    </intent-filter>
</activity>

<data android:scheme="file" /> => this define that the file must be local, not from http or else

<data android:mimeType="*/*" /> => match any mime type

<data android:pathPattern=".*\\.txt" /> => this is where you specify what extension you want to match

Hope this help