On Wednesday, 16 May 2012 16:37:35 UTC+2, Mark Murphy (a Commons Guy) wrote: > > > > > Another example. I write an app handling a list of images. I'd like to > find > > another app able to display a *list* of images. Impossible, > > unless getting every image viewer app and looking at their regenerated > > manifest for the Intents they declare. > > If there is a well-known implicit Intent action for this, this too is > reasonable for an opt-in database. If, on the other hand, there is no > well-known implicit Intent action for this, I don't know how you or > the other party would know that you can support this integration, let > alone implementing the mechanics of this. >
Without implicit intent it is more difficult yes, but with good search capabilities you may find a suitable explcit intent. Which may be fine if it is acceptable to link your app to another specific app. > > > Finally another example: some apps provide open (app-specific) APIs > through > > Intents. When I mean open, I mean that receivers are knowingly exported > for > > public use. > > It is impossible to find out about these APIs unless you know about > > them...or you find them by luck looking at regenerated manifest xml from > APK > > like it happened to me recently. > > If they truly expect this to be "public use", they need to document > the actions, the extras, the circumstances under which broadcasts > should be sent, the results of such broadcasts, etc. Little of that > can be automatically derived from the manifest. This sort of data > could also be collected by some sort of opt-in database for such > integration. > > That is true, the manifest data is not enough. But it is sufficient for knowing an API exists. At which point you can go to the developer's site for more info. Looking at the manifest of an app I found such a public API almost by luck, that was appropriate for intereoperability with my own app. I went to the developer's site and found the API documentation. > What you want, in the abstract, is delightful. I even did some > preliminary analysis on how to set one up. However, the notion that a > 100% reliable database can be created purely via manifests is > incorrect, IMHO. And, if such a database is to be created without the > assistance of a market (e.g., Google and Play Store) and without > copyright violations, it has to be opt-in, anyway. > > That's why I think such a database is only useful if generated automatically from a large store: to be up-to-date, exhaustive. And that's why this will probably never happen although I wouldn't be surprised that some stores mine manifest Intent data to offer recommendations. And I'm not talking about such a database exposing public Intent exported while they should not, with security experts collapsing to this news (the ones that discover years later that you can read the SD Card without permission and go ape-banana about it). > It is entirely possible that Google could create this database. Ms. > Hackborn hinted as much in a post here a couple of years back. I am > not holding my breath waiting for it, though. > > > Neither do I. Which is a pity since intents are such a good mean to enhances apps mutually without spending xx months to write that other specialized apps. Too bad the concept is not further enhanced to push automatic discovery further, in a safe way. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
