[android-developers] Re: How to open or register a new file extension in Android?

So if you follow this thread carefully, you see that this is all badly broken.  You cannot register an app for a VIEW or SEND action only on a specific suffix unless you also give its specific MIME type, and then only for mime types known in the built-in Android registry.  I've done all the experiments, and proven this to be case for at least these two intents with most file browsers.  (Unless there is some other erratic factor under the covers, I seem to get have gotten conflicting results on whether my app gets offered.  It seems that a debug reinstall doesn't update the Manifest right away, even after killing all participating apps, it's cached somewhere in the OS? )

The example below causes your app to presented as an action alternative in various file browsers for all file suffixes and ALL app VIEW intent requests, which is really annoying to the user.  Furthermore, startNextMatchingActivity() is useless unless there is only one other registered app, which you can never assume.  The only reasonable behavior is to display an error and let the user try again and pick another app from the list:

        Intent j = Intent.createChooser(intent, "MyApp doesn't support this file type, please choose another application to open with:");
        startActivity(j);

I don't see this getting fixed unless Google opens up the system mime registry.  (I haven't found any documented API to extend what's returned from e.g.

       MimeTypeMap mapper = MimeTypeMap.getSingleton();
       String kmlmime = mapper.getMimeTypeFromExtension("gpx");

On Friday, July 24, 2009 5:39:04 AM UTC-7, alex wrote:

I see. Something as simple as
<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=".*epub" />
</intent-filter>
would catch all file downloads from browser. I'll dig more into this.
The only thing I can suggest so far is:
1) have a wildcard intent filter to catch all files
2) check the file extension in onCreate(), onNewIntent(). if matches,
handle it, pass the received intent with startNextMatchingActivity()
otherwise.
>

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