1 page.title=The AndroidManifest.xml File 2 @jd:body 3 4 <div id="qv-wrapper"> 5 <div id="qv"> 6 7 <h2>In this document</h2> 8 <ol> 9 <li><a href="#filestruct">Structure of the Manifest File</a></li> 10 <li><a href="#filec">File Conventions</a> 11 <li><a href="#filef">File Features</a> 12 <ol> 13 <li><a href="#ifs">Intent Filters</a></li> 14 <li><a href="#iconlabel">Icons and Labels</a></li> 15 <li><a href="#perms">Permissions</a></li> 16 <li><a href="#libs">Libraries</a></li> 17 </ol></li> 18 </ol> 19 </div> 20 </div> 21 22 <p> 23 Every application must have an AndroidManifest.xml file (with precisely that 24 name) in its root directory. The manifest presents essential information about 25 the application to the Android system, information the system must have before 26 it can run any of the application's code. Among other things, the manifest 27 does the following: 28 </p> 29 30 <ul> 31 <li>It names the Java package for the application. 32 The package name serves as a unique identifier for the application.</li> 33 34 <li>It describes the components of the application — the activities, 35 services, broadcast receivers, and content providers that the application is 36 composed of. It names the classes that implement each of the components and 37 publishes their capabilities (for example, which {@link android.content.Intent 38 Intent} messages they can handle). These declarations let the Android system 39 know what the components are and under what conditions they can be launched.</li> 40 41 <li>It determines which processes will host application components.</li> 42 43 <li>It declares which permissions the application must have in order to 44 access protected parts of the API and interact with other applications.</li> 45 46 <li>It also declares the permissions that others are required to have in 47 order to interact with the application's components.</li> 48 49 <li>It lists the {@link android.app.Instrumentation} classes that provide 50 profiling and other information as the application is running. These declarations 51 are present in the manifest only while the application is being developed and 52 tested; they're removed before the application is published.</li> 53 54 <li>It declares the minimum level of the Android API that the application 55 requires.</li> 56 57 <li>It lists the libraries that the application must be linked against.</li> 58 </ul> 59 60 61 <h2 id="filestruct">Structure of the Manifest File</h2> 62 63 <p> 64 The diagram below shows the general structure of the manifest file and 65 every element that it can contain. Each element, along with all of its 66 attributes, is documented in full in a separate file. To view detailed 67 information about any element, click on the element name in the diagram, 68 in the alphabetical list of elements that follows the diagram, or on any 69 other mention of the element name. 70 </p> 71 72 <pre> 73 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 74 75 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html"><manifest></a> 76 77 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-permission-element.html"><uses-permission /></a> 78 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><permission /></a> 79 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-tree-element.html"><permission-tree /></a> 80 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-group-element.html"><permission-group /></a> 81 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/instrumentation-element.html"><instrumentation /></a> 82 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element.html"><uses-sdk /></a> 83 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-configuration-element.html"><uses-configuration /></a> <!-- ##api level 3## --> 84 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-feature-element.html"><uses-feature /></a> <!-- ##api level 4## --> 85 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/supports-screens-element.html"><supports-screens /></a> <!-- ##api level 4## --> 86 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/compatible-screens-element.html"><compatible-screens /></a> <!-- ##api level 9## --> 87 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/supports-gl-texture-element.html"><supports-gl-texture /></a> <!-- ##api level 11## --> 88 89 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html"><application></a> 90 91 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html"><activity></a> 92 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"><intent-filter></a> 93 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/action-element.html"><action /></a> 94 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/category-element.html"><category /></a> 95 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/data-element.html"><data /></a> 96 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"></intent-filter></a> 97 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/meta-data-element.html"><meta-data /></a> 98 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html"></activity></a> 99 100 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-alias-element.html"><activity-alias></a> 101 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"><intent-filter></a> . . . <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"></intent-filter></a> 102 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/meta-data-element.html"><meta-data /></a> 103 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-alias-element.html"></activity-alias></a> 104 105 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/service-element.html"><service></a> 106 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"><intent-filter></a> . . . <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"></intent-filter></a> 107 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/meta-data-element.html"><meta-data/></a> 108 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/service-element.html"></service></a> 109 110 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/receiver-element.html"><receiver></a> 111 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"><intent-filter></a> . . . <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"></intent-filter></a> 112 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/meta-data-element.html"><meta-data /></a> 113 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/receiver-element.html"></receiver></a> 114 115 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/provider-element.html"><provider></a> 116 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/grant-uri-permission-element.html"><grant-uri-permission /></a> 117 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/meta-data-element.html"><meta-data /></a> 118 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/provider-element.html"></provider></a> 119 120 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-library-element.html"><uses-library /></a> 121 122 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html"></application></a> 123 124 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html"></manifest></a> 125 </pre> 126 127 <p> 128 All the elements that can appear in the manifest file are listed below 129 in alphabetical order. These are the only legal elements; you cannot 130 add your own elements or attributes. 131 </p> 132 133 <p style="margin-left: 2em"> 134 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/action-element.html"><action></a></code> 135 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html"><activity></a></code> 136 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-alias-element.html"><activity-alias></a></code> 137 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html"><application></a></code> 138 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/category-element.html"><category></a></code> 139 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/data-element.html"><data></a></code> 140 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/grant-uri-permission-element.html"><grant-uri-permission></a></code> 141 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/instrumentation-element.html"><instrumentation></a></code> 142 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"><intent-filter></a></code> 143 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html"><manifest></a></code> 144 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/meta-data-element.html"><meta-data></a></code> 145 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><permission></a></code> 146 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-group-element.html"><permission-group></a></code> 147 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-tree-element.html"><permission-tree></a></code> 148 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/provider-element.html"><provider></a></code> 149 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/receiver-element.html"><receiver></a></code> 150 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/service-element.html"><service></a></code> 151 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/supports-screens-element.html"><supports-screens></a></code> <!-- ##api level 4## --> 152 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-configuration-element.html"><uses-configuration></a></code> <!-- ##api level 3## --> 153 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-feature-element.html"><uses-feature></a></code> <!-- ##api level 4## --> 154 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-library-element.html"><uses-library></a></code> 155 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-permission-element.html"><uses-permission></a></code> 156 <br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element.html"><uses-sdk></a></code> 157 </p> 158 159 160 161 162 <h2 id="filec">File Conventions</h2> 163 164 <p> 165 Some conventions and rules apply generally to all elements and attributes 166 in the manifest: 167 </p> 168 169 <dl> 170 <dt><b>Elements</b></dt> 171 <dd>Only the 172 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html"><manifest></a></code> and 173 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html"><application></a></code> 174 elements are required, they each must be present and can occur only once. 175 Most of the others can occur many times or not at all — although at 176 least some of them must be present for the manifest to accomplish anything 177 meaningful. 178 179 <p> 180 If an element contains anything at all, it contains other elements. 181 All values are set through attributes, not as character data within an element. 182 </p> 183 184 <p> 185 Elements at the same level are generally not ordered. For example, 186 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html"><activity></a></code>, 187 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/provider-element.html"><provider></a></code>, and 188 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/service-element.html"><service></a></code> 189 elements can be intermixed in any sequence. (An 190 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-alias-element.html"><activity-alias></a></code> 191 element is the exception to this rule: It must follow the 192 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html"><activity></a></code> 193 it is an alias for.) 194 </p></dd> 195 196 <dt><b>Attributes</b></dt> 197 <dd>In a formal sense, all attributes are optional. However, there are some 198 that must be specified for an element to accomplish its purpose. Use the 199 documentation as a guide. For truly optional attributes, it mentions a default 200 value or states what happens in the absence of a specification. 201 202 <p>Except for some attributes of the root 203 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html"><manifest></a></code> 204 element, all attribute names begin with an {@code android:} prefix — 205 for example, {@code android:alwaysRetainTaskState}. Because the prefix is 206 universal, the documentation generally omits it when referring to attributes 207 by name.</p></dd> 208 209 <dt><b>Declaring class names</b></dt> 210 <dd>Many elements correspond to Java objects, including elements for the 211 application itself (the 212 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html"><application></a></code> 213 element) and its principal components — activities 214 (<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html"><activity></a></code>), 215 services 216 (<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/service-element.html"><service></a></code>), 217 broadcast receivers 218 (<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/receiver-element.html"><receiver></a></code>), 219 and content providers 220 (<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/provider-element.html"><provider></a></code>). 221 222 <p> 223 If you define a subclass, as you almost always would for the component classes 224 ({@link android.app.Activity}, {@link android.app.Service}, 225 {@link android.content.BroadcastReceiver}, and {@link android.content.ContentProvider}), 226 the subclass is declared through a {@code name} attribute. The name must include 227 the full package designation. 228 For example, an {@link android.app.Service} subclass might be declared as follows: 229 </p> 230 231 <pre><manifest . . . > 232 <application . . . > 233 <service android:name="com.example.project.SecretService" . . . > 234 . . . 235 </service> 236 . . . 237 </application> 238 </manifest></pre> 239 240 <p> 241 However, as a shorthand, if the first character of the string is a period, the 242 string is appended to the application's package name (as specified by the 243 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html"><manifest></a></code> 244 element's 245 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html#package">package</a></code> 246 attribute). The following assignment is the same as the one above: 247 </p> 248 249 <pre><manifest package="com.example.project" . . . > 250 <application . . . > 251 <service android:name=".SecretService" . . . > 252 . . . 253 </service> 254 . . . 255 </application> 256 </manifest></pre> 257 258 <p> 259 When starting a component, Android creates an instance of the named subclass. 260 If a subclass isn't specified, it creates an instance of the base class. 261 </p></dd> 262 263 <dt><b>Multiple values</b></dt> 264 <dd>If more than one value can be specified, the element is almost always 265 repeated, rather than listing multiple values within a single element. 266 For example, an intent filter can list several actions: 267 268 <pre><intent-filter . . . > 269 <action android:name="android.intent.action.EDIT" /> 270 <action android:name="android.intent.action.INSERT" /> 271 <action android:name="android.intent.action.DELETE" /> 272 . . . 273 </intent-filter></pre></dd> 274 275 <dt><b>Resource values</b></dt> 276 <dd>Some attributes have values that can be displayed to users — for 277 example, a label and an icon for an activity. The values of these attributes 278 should be localized and therefore set from a resource or theme. Resource 279 values are expressed in the following format,</p> 280 281 <p style="margin-left: 2em">{@code @[<i>package</i>:]<i>type</i>:<i>name</i>}</p> 282 283 <p> 284 where the <i>package</i> name can be omitted if the resource is in the same package 285 as the application, <i>type</i> is a type of resource — such as "string" or 286 "drawable" — and <i>name</i> is the name that identifies the specific resource. 287 For example: 288 </p> 289 290 <pre><activity android:icon="@drawable/smallPic" . . . ></pre> 291 292 <p> 293 Values from a theme are expressed in a similar manner, but with an initial '{@code ?}' 294 rather than '{@code @}': 295 </p> 296 297 <p style="margin-left: 2em">{@code ?[<i>package</i>:]<i>type</i>:<i>name</i>} 298 </p></dd> 299 300 <dt><b>String values</b></dt> 301 <dd>Where an attribute value is a string, double backslashes ('{@code \\}') 302 must be used to escape characters — for example, '{@code \\n}' for 303 a newline or '{@code \\uxxxx}' for a Unicode character.</dd> 304 </dl> 305 306 307 <h2 id="filef">File Features</h2> 308 309 <p> 310 The following sections describe how some Android features are reflected 311 in the manifest file. 312 </p> 313 314 315 <h3 id="ifs">Intent Filters</h3> 316 317 <p> 318 The core components of an application (its activities, services, and broadcast 319 receivers) are activated by <i>intents</i>. An intent is a 320 bundle of information (an {@link android.content.Intent} object) describing a 321 desired action — including the data to be acted upon, the category of 322 component that should perform the action, and other pertinent instructions. 323 Android locates an appropriate component to respond to the intent, launches 324 a new instance of the component if one is needed, and passes it the 325 Intent object. 326 </p> 327 328 <p> 329 Components advertise their capabilities — the kinds of intents they can 330 respond to — through <i>intent filters</i>. Since the Android system 331 must learn which intents a component can handle before it launches the component, 332 intent filters are specified in the manifest as 333 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"><intent-filter></a></code> 334 elements. A component may have any number of filters, each one describing 335 a different capability. 336 </p> 337 338 <p> 339 An intent that explicitly names a target component will activate that component; 340 the filter doesn't play a role. But an intent that doesn't specify a target by 341 name can activate a component only if it can pass through one of the component's 342 filters. 343 </p> 344 345 <p> 346 For information on how Intent objects are tested against intent filters, 347 see a separate document, 348 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/components/intents-filters.html">Intents 349 and Intent Filters</a>. 350 </p> 351 352 353 <h3 id="iconlabel">Icons and Labels</h3> 354 355 <p> 356 A number of elements have {@code icon} and {@code label} attributes for a 357 small icon and a text label that can be displayed to users. Some also have a 358 {@code description} attribute for longer explanatory text that can also be 359 shown on-screen. For example, the 360 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><permission></a></code> 361 element has all three of these attributes, so that when the user is asked whether 362 to grant the permission to an application that has requested it, an icon representing 363 the permission, the name of the permission, and a description of what it 364 entails can all be presented to the user. 365 </p> 366 367 <p> 368 In every case, the icon and label set in a containing element become the default 369 {@code icon} and {@code label} settings for all of the container's subelements. 370 Thus, the icon and label set in the 371 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html"><application></a></code> 372 element are the default icon and label for each of the application's components. 373 Similarly, the icon and label set for a component — for example, an 374 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html"><activity></a></code> 375 element — are the default settings for each of the component's 376 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"><intent-filter></a></code> 377 elements. If an 378 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html"><application></a></code> 379 element sets a label, but an activity and its intent filter do not, 380 the application label is treated as the label for both the activity and 381 the intent filter. 382 </p> 383 384 <p> 385 The icon and label set for an intent filter are used to represent a component 386 whenever the component is presented to the user as fulfilling the function 387 advertised by the filter. For example, a filter with 388 "{@code android.intent.action.MAIN}" and 389 "{@code android.intent.category.LAUNCHER}" settings advertises an activity 390 as one that initiates an application — that is, as 391 one that should be displayed in the application launcher. The icon and label 392 set in the filter are therefore the ones displayed in the launcher. 393 </p> 394 395 396 <h3 id="perms">Permissions</h3> 397 398 <p> 399 A <i>permission</i> is a restriction limiting access to a part of the code 400 or to data on the device. The limitation is imposed to protect critical 401 data and code that could be misused to distort or damage the user experience. 402 </p> 403 404 <p> 405 Each permission is identified by a unique label. Often the label indicates 406 the action that's restricted. For example, here are some permissions defined 407 by Android: 408 </p> 409 410 <p style="margin-left: 2em">{@code android.permission.CALL_EMERGENCY_NUMBERS} 411 <br/>{@code android.permission.READ_OWNER_DATA} 412 <br/>{@code android.permission.SET_WALLPAPER} 413 <br/>{@code android.permission.DEVICE_POWER}</p> 414 415 <p> 416 A feature can be protected by at most one permission. 417 </p> 418 419 <p> 420 If an application needs access to a feature protected by a permission, 421 it must declare that it requires that permission with a 422 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-permission-element.html"><uses-permission></a></code> 423 element in the manifest. Then, when the application is installed on 424 the device, the installer determines whether or not to grant the requested 425 permission by checking the authorities that signed the application's 426 certificates and, in some cases, asking the user. 427 If the permission is granted, the application is able to use the protected 428 features. If not, its attempts to access those features will simply fail 429 without any notification to the user. 430 </p> 431 432 <p> 433 An application can also protect its own components (activities, services, 434 broadcast receivers, and content providers) with permissions. It can employ 435 any of the permissions defined by Android (listed in 436 {@link android.Manifest.permission android.Manifest.permission}) or declared 437 by other applications. Or it can define its own. A new permission is declared 438 with the 439 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><permission></a></code> 440 element. For example, an activity could be protected as follows: 441 </p> 442 443 <pre> 444 <manifest . . . > 445 <permission android:name="com.example.project.DEBIT_ACCT" . . . /> 446 <uses-permission android:name="com.example.project.DEBIT_ACCT" /> 447 . . . 448 <application . . .> 449 <activity android:name="com.example.project.FreneticActivity" 450 android:permission="com.example.project.DEBIT_ACCT" 451 . . . > 452 . . . 453 </activity> 454 </application> 455 </manifest> 456 </pre> 457 458 <p> 459 Note that, in this example, the {@code DEBIT_ACCT} permission is not only 460 declared with the 461 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><permission></a></code> 462 element, its use is also requested with the 463 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-permission-element.html"><uses-permission></a></code> 464 element. Its use must be requested in order for other components of the 465 application to launch the protected activity, even though the protection 466 is imposed by the application itself. 467 </p> 468 469 <p> 470 If, in the same example, the {@code permission} attribute was set to a 471 permission declared elsewhere 472 (such as {@code android.permission.CALL_EMERGENCY_NUMBERS}, it would not 473 have been necessary to declare it again with a 474 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><permission></a></code> 475 element. However, it would still have been necessary to request its use with 476 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-permission-element.html"><uses-permission></a></code>. 477 </p> 478 479 <p> 480 The 481 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-tree-element.html"><permission-tree></a></code> 482 element declares a namespace for a group of permissions that will be defined in 483 code. And 484 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-group-element.html"><permission-group></a></code> 485 defines a label for a set of permissions (both those declared in the manifest with 486 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><permission></a></code> 487 elements and those declared elsewhere). It affects only how the permissions are 488 grouped when presented to the user. The 489 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-group-element.html"><permission-group></a></code> 490 element does not specify which permissions belong to the group; 491 it just gives the group a name. A permission is placed in the group 492 by assigning the group name to the 493 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><permission></a></code> 494 element's 495 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html#pgroup">permissionGroup</a></code> 496 attribute. 497 </p> 498 499 500 <h3 id="libs">Libraries</h3> 501 502 <p> 503 Every application is linked against the default Android library, which 504 includes the basic packages for building applications (with common classes 505 such as Activity, Service, Intent, View, Button, Application, ContentProvider, 506 and so on). 507 </p> 508 509 <p> 510 However, some packages reside in their own libraries. If your application 511 uses code from any of these packages, it must explicitly asked to be linked 512 against them. The manifest must contain a separate 513 <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-library-element.html"><uses-library></a></code> 514 element to name each of the libraries. (The library name can be found in the 515 documentation for the package.) 516 </p> 517
