[TinyTut] - Replacing System Application (i.e. Maps)

plusminus

[TinyTut] - Replacing System Application (like Maps)

What you learn: You will learn how to catch/replace the System Applicatio for example the Maps-Activity.

Idea

Designed/Tested with sdk-version: m5-rc15

Difficulty: 1.5 of 5 Smile

Questions/Problems: Simply post below...

Description:

Create a standard application as always

Search for the Activity you want in the dump of the Android internal XML-files (load it Source

Android - Internal XML dumped)

As we want to replace the Maps Activity we search for sth. like "Maps" and in /android-system-apks/Maps/AndroidManifest.xml" we find what we want.

XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<manifest

     xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"

     android:sharedUserId="com.google.android.core"

     android:signature="com.google"

     package="com.google.android.maps">

     <permission

          android:label="@string/read_perm_label"

          android:name="com.google.android.maps.permission.READ_MY_MAPS"

          android:description="@string/read_perm_desc" />

     ....

     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_GPS" />

     ....

     <application

          android:theme="@android:style/Theme.Dark"

          android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher_maps"

          android:taskAffinity="com.google.android.maps">

          <activity

               android:label="@string/maps_label"

               android:name="Maps"

               android:launchMode="singleTop">

                    ....

               <!-- THIS IS WHAT WE WANT -->

               <intent-filter android:label="@string/google_maps_label">

                    <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />

                    <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />

                    <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />

                    <data android:scheme="geo" />

               </intent-filter>

               <!-- UP TO HERE -->

               ....

          </activity>

     ....

     </application>

</manifest>

Open your own AndroidManifest.xml and register the Activity you want your app to listen to it in the AndroidManifest.xml in the following way:

XML:

        ...

        <activity class=".MyJustCreatedApplication" android:label="@string/app_name">

          <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="geo" />

          </intent-filter>

        </activity>

        ...

Run the app once and close it (just that it gets installed on the emulator).
The next time an Intent with a "geo"-uri scheme is broadcasted our app will get started or at least...
The system will ask you which one of two available activities you want to use to handle the VIEW-Action on the "geo"-scheme:
- the 1st one is the "Maps" standard system activity
- the 2nd one should be yours
Test this it with another app that executes the following line:

Java:

startActivity(new Intent(android.content.Intent.VIEW_ACTION, Uri.parse("geo:49.473367,8.660274")));

Thats it

Regards,
plusminus

cabernet1976 · Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 12:22 pm Post subject:

Hi plusminus,

Very good toturials, I rated it 5 stars.
Thanks.

rmeph · Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 1:15 pm Post subject:

can we add custom menu item in Maps application?????