basics/firstapp/starting-activity.jd

page.title=Starting Another Activity
parent.title=Building Your First App
parent.link=index.html

trainingnavtop=true

page.tags=intents
helpoutsWidget=true

@jd:body


<!-- This is the training bar -->
<div id="tb-wrapper">
<div id="tb">

<h2>This lesson teaches you to</h2>

<ol>
  <li><a href="#RespondToButton">Respond to the Send Button</a></li>
  <li><a href="#BuildIntent">Build an Intent</a></li>
  <!-- <li><a href="#StartActivity">Start the Second Activity</a></li> -->
  <li><a href="#CreateActivity">Create the Second Activity</a></li>
  <li><a href="#ReceiveIntent">Receive the Intent</a></li>
  <li><a href="#DisplayMessage">Display the Message</a></li>
</ol>

<h2>You should also read</h2>

<ul>
  <li><a href="{@docRoot}sdk/installing/index.html">Installing the
SDK</a></li>
</ul>


</div>
</div>


<p>After completing the <a href="building-ui.html">previous lesson</a>, you have an app that
shows an activity (a single screen) with a text field and a button. In this lesson, youll add some
code to <code>MyActivity</code> that
starts a new activity when the user clicks the Send button.</p>


<h2 id="RespondToButton">Respond to the Send Button</h2>

<ol>
<li>In Android Studio, from the <code>res/layout</code> directory, edit the <code>activity_my.xml</code>
file.</li>
<li>To the {@link android.widget.Button &lt;Button>} element, add the <a
href="{@docRoot}reference/android/view/View.html#attr_android:onClick">{@code android:onClick}</a>
attribute.

<p class="code-caption">res/layout/activity_my.xml</p>
<pre>
&lt;Button
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="@string/button_send"
    android:onClick="sendMessage" />
</pre>

<p>The <a
href="{@docRoot}reference/android/view/View.html#attr_android:onClick">{@code
android:onClick}</a> attributes value, <code>"sendMessage"</code>, is the name of a method in your
activity that the system calls when the user clicks the button.</p>
</li>
<li>In the <code>java/com.mycompany.myfirstapp</code> directory, open the <code>MyActivity.java</code> file.</li>
<li>Within the <code>MyActivity</code> class, add the {@code sendMessage()} method stub shown
below.

<p class="code-caption">java/com.mycompany.myfirstapp/MyActivity.java</p>
<pre>
/** Called when the user clicks the Send button */
public void sendMessage(View view) {
    // Do something in response to button
}
</pre>

<p>In order for the system to match this method to the method name given to <a
href="{@docRoot}reference/android/view/View.html#attr_android:onClick">{@code android:onClick}</a>,
the signature must be exactly as shown. Specifically, the method must:</p>

<ul>
<li>Be public</li>
<li>Have a void return value</li>
<li>Have a {@link android.view.View} as the only parameter (this will be the {@link
android.view.View} that was clicked)</li>
</ul>

</li>
</ol>

<p>Next, youll fill in this method to read the contents of the text field and deliver that text to
another activity.</p>

<h2 id="BuildIntent">Build an Intent</h2>

<ol>
<li>In <code>MyActivity.java</code>, inside the {@code sendMessage()} method, create an
{@link android.content.Intent} to start an activity called {@code DisplayMessageActivity} with the
following code:

<p class="code-caption">java/com.mycompany.myfirstapp/MyActivity.java</p>
<pre>
public void sendMessage(View view) {
  Intent intent = new Intent(this, DisplayMessageActivity.class);
}
</pre>

<div class="sidebox-wrapper">
<div class="sidebox">
<h3>Intents</h3>
<p>An {@link android.content.Intent} is an object that provides runtime binding between separate
components (such as two activities). The {@link android.content.Intent} represents an
apps "intent to do something." You can use intents for a wide
variety of tasks, but most often theyre used to start another activity. For more information, see
<a href="{@docRoot}guide/components/intents-filters.html ">Intents and Intent Filters</a>.</p>
</div>
</div>

<p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> The reference to {@code DisplayMessageActivity}
will raise an error if youre using an IDE such as Android Studio because the class doesnt exist yet.
Ignore the error for now; youll create the class soon.</p>

<p>The constructor used here takes two parameters:</p>
<ul>
  <li>A {@link
android.content.Context} as its first parameter ({@code this} is used because the {@link
android.app.Activity} class is a subclass of {@link android.content.Context})
  <li>The {@link java.lang.Class} of the app component to which the system should deliver
the {@link android.content.Intent} (in this case, the activity that should be started)
</ul>

<p>Android Studio indicates that you must import the {@link android.content.Intent} class.</p>

</li>
<li>At the top of the file, import the {@link android.content.Intent} class:
<p class="code-caption">java/com.mycompany.myfirstapp/MyActivity.java</p>
<pre>
import android.content.Intent;
</pre>
<p class="note"><strong>Tip:</strong> In Android Studio, press Alt + Enter (option + return on Mac)
  to import missing classes.</p>
</li>

<!-- I didn't think this was necessary
<div class="sidebox-wrapper">
<div class="sidebox">
  <h3>Sending an intent to other apps</h3>
  <p>The intent created in this lesson is what's considered an <em>explicit intent</em>, because the
{@link android.content.Intent}
specifies the exact app component to which the intent should be given. However, intents
can also be <em>implicit</em>, in which case the {@link android.content.Intent} does not specify
the desired component, but allows any app installed on the device to respond to the intent
as long as it satisfies the meta-data specifications for the action that's specified in various
{@link android.content.Intent} parameters. For more information, see the class about <a
href="{@docRoot}training/basics/intents/index.html">Interacting with Other Apps</a>.</p>
</div>
</div>
-->

<li>Inside the {@code sendMessage()} method,
use {@link android.app.Activity#findViewById findViewById()} to get the
{@link android.widget.EditText} element.
<p class="code-caption">java/com.mycompany.myfirstapp/MyActivity.java</p>
<pre>
public void sendMessage(View view) {
  Intent intent = new Intent(this, DisplayMessageActivity.class);
  EditText editText = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.edit_message);
}
</pre>
</li>

<li>At the top of the file, import the {@link android.widget.EditText} class.
  <p>In Android Studio, press Alt + Enter (option + return on Mac) to import missing classes.</p>
</li>

<li>Assign the text to a local <code>message</code> variable, and use the
{@link android.content.Intent#putExtra putExtra()} method to add its text value to the intent.
<p class="code-caption">java/com.mycompany.myfirstapp/MyActivity.java</p>
<pre>
public void sendMessage(View view) {
  Intent intent = new Intent(this, DisplayMessageActivity.class);
  EditText editText = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.edit_message);
  String message = editText.getText().toString();
  intent.putExtra(EXTRA_MESSAGE, message);
}
</pre>

<p>An {@link android.content.Intent} can carry data types as key-value
pairs called <em>extras</em>. The {@link android.content.Intent#putExtra putExtra()} method takes the
key name in the first parameter and the value in the second parameter.</p>

</li>
<li>At the top of the {@code MyActivity} class, add the {@code EXTRA_MESSAGE} definition as
follows:
<p class="code-caption">java/com.mycompany.myfirstapp/MyActivity.java</p>
<pre>
public class MyActivity extends ActionBarActivity {
    public final static String EXTRA_MESSAGE = "com.mycompany.myfirstapp.MESSAGE";
    ...
}
</pre>

<p>For the next activity to query the extra data, you should define the key
for your intent's extra using a public constant. It's generally a good practice to define keys for
intent extras using your app's package name as a prefix. This ensures the keys are unique, in case
your app interacts with other apps.</p>

</li>

<!-- <h2 id="StartActivity">Start the Second Activity</h2> -->

<li>In the {@code sendMessage()} method, to finish the intent, call the
{@link android.app.Activity#startActivity startActivity()} method, passing it the
{@link android.content.Intent} object created in step 1.

</ol>

<p>With this new code, the complete {@code sendMessage()} method that's invoked by the Send
button now looks like this:</p>
<p class="code-caption">java/com.mycompany.myfirstapp/MyActivity.java</p>
<pre>
/** Called when the user clicks the Send button */
public void sendMessage(View view) {
    Intent intent = new Intent(this, DisplayMessageActivity.class);
    EditText editText = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.edit_message);
    String message = editText.getText().toString();
    intent.putExtra(EXTRA_MESSAGE, message);
    startActivity(intent);
}
</pre>

<p>The system receives this call and starts an instance of the {@link android.app.Activity}
specified by the {@link android.content.Intent}. Now you need to create the
{@code DisplayMessageActivity} class in order for this to work.</p>

</li>
</ol>


<h2 id="CreateActivity">Create the Second Activity</h2>

<p>All subclasses of {@link android.app.Activity} must implement the
{@link android.app.Activity#onCreate onCreate()} method. This method is where the activity receives
the intent with the message, then renders the message. Also, the
{@link android.app.Activity#onCreate onCreate()} method must define the activity
layout with the {@link android.app.Activity#setContentView setContentView()} method. This is where
the activity performs the initial setup of the activity components.</p>

<h3>Create a new activity using Android Studio</h3>

<div class="figure" style="width:400px">
<img src="{@docRoot}images/training/firstapp/studio-new-activity.png" alt="" />
<p class="img-caption"><strong>Figure 1.</strong> The new activity wizard in Android Studio.</p>
</div>

<p>Android Studio includes a stub for the
{@link android.app.Activity#onCreate onCreate()} method when you create a new activity.</p>

<ol>
  <li>In Android Studio, in the <code>java</code> directory, select the package,
    <strong>com.mycompany.myfirstapp</strong>, right-click, and select
    <strong>New > Activity > Blank Activity</strong>.</li>
  <li>In the <strong>Choose options</strong> window, fill in the activity details:
    <ul>
      <li><strong>Activity Name</strong>: DisplayMessageActivity</li>
      <li><strong>Layout Name</strong>: activity_display_message</li>
      <li><strong>Title</strong>: My Message</li>
      <li><strong>Hierarchical Parent</strong>: com.mycompany.myfirstapp.MyActivity</li>
      <li><strong>Package name</strong>: com.mycompany.myfirstapp</li>
    </ul>
    <p>Click <strong>Finish</strong>.</p>
  </li>

<li>Open the {@code DisplayMessageActivity.java} file.

<p>The class already includes an implementation of the required
{@link android.app.Activity#onCreate onCreate()} method. You will update the implementation of this
method later. It also includes an implementation of
{@link android.app.Activity#onOptionsItemSelected onOptionsItemSelected()}, which handles the action
bar's <em>Up</em> behavior. Keep these two methods as they are for now.</p>

<!-- Android Studio does not create a Fragment placeholder
<p>Also, the file includes a <code>PlaceholderFragment</code> class that extends
{@link android.app.Fragment}. This activity does not implement fragments, but you might use this
later in the training. Fragments decompose application functionality and UI into reusable modules.
For more information on fragments, see the
<a href="{@docRoot}guide/components/fragments.html">Fragments API Guide</a> and follow the training,
<a href="{@docRoot}training/basics/fragments/index.html">Building A Dynamic UI with Fragments</a>.
</p>
-->
</li>

<li> Remove the {@link android.app.Activity#onCreateOptionsMenu onCreateOptionsMenu()} method.
<p>You won't need it for this app.</p>
</li>
</ol>

<!-- Not needed for Android Studio
<p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> Your activity may look different if you did not use
the latest version of the ADT plugin. Make sure you install the latest version of the
<a href="{@docRoot}tools/sdk/eclipse-adt.html">ADT plugin</a> to complete this tutorial.</p>
-->

<p>If you're developing with Android Studio, you can run the app now, but not much happens.
Clicking the Send button starts the second activity, but it uses
a default "Hello world" layout provided by the template. You'll soon update the
activity to instead display a custom text view.</p>


<h3>Create the activity without Android Studio</h3>

<p>If you're using a different IDE or the command line tools, do the following:</p>

<ol>
<li>Create a new file named {@code DisplayMessageActivity.java} in the project's <code>src/</code>
directory, next to the original {@code MyActivity.java} file.</li>
<li>Add the following code to the file:

<pre>
public class DisplayMessageActivity extends ActionBarActivity {

    &#64;Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_display_message);

        if (savedInstanceState == null) {
            getSupportFragmentManager().beginTransaction()
                .add(R.id.container, new PlaceholderFragment()).commit();
        }
    }

    &#64;Override
    public boolean onOptionsItemSelected(MenuItem item) {
        // Handle action bar item clicks here. The action bar will
        // automatically handle clicks on the Home/Up button, so long
        // as you specify a parent activity in AndroidManifest.xml.
        int id = item.getItemId();
        if (id == R.id.action_settings) {
            return true;
        }
        return super.onOptionsItemSelected(item);
    }

    /**
     * A placeholder fragment containing a simple view.
     */
    public static class PlaceholderFragment extends Fragment {

        public PlaceholderFragment() { }

        &#64;Override
        public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container,
                  Bundle savedInstanceState) {
              View rootView = inflater.inflate(R.layout.fragment_display_message,
                      container, false);
              return rootView;
        }
    }
}
</pre>

<p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> If you are using an IDE other than Android Studio, your project
does not contain the {@code activity_display_message} layout that's requested by
{@link android.app.Activity#setContentView setContentView()}. That's OK because
you will update this method later and won't be using that layout.</p>

</li>

<li>To your {@code strings.xml} file, add the new activity's title as follows:
<pre>
&lt;resources>
    ...
    &lt;string name="title_activity_display_message">My Message&lt;/string>
&lt;/resources>
</pre>
</li>

<li>In your manifest file, <code>AndroidManifest.xml</code>, within the <code>Application</code>
element, add the
<a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html">{@code &lt;activity>}</a> element
for your {@code DisplayMessageActivity} class, as follows:

<pre>
&lt;application ... >
    ...
    &lt;activity
        android:name="com.mycompany.myfirstapp.DisplayMessageActivity"
        android:label="@string/title_activity_display_message"
        android:parentActivityName="com.mycompany.myfirstapp.MyActivity" >
        &lt;meta-data
            android:name="android.support.PARENT_ACTIVITY"
            android:value="com.mycompany.myfirstapp.MyActivity" />
    &lt;/activity>
&lt;/application>
</pre>

</li>
</ol>

<p>The <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html#parent">{@code
android:parentActivityName}</a> attribute declares the name of this activity's parent activity
within the app's logical hierarchy. The system uses this value
to implement default navigation behaviors, such as <a
href="{@docRoot}design/patterns/navigation.html">Up navigation</a> on
Android 4.1 (API level 16) and higher. You can provide the same navigation behaviors for
older versions of Android by using the
<a href="{@docRoot}tools/support-library/index.html">Support Library</a> and adding
the <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/meta-data-element.html">{@code
&lt;meta-data>}</a> element as shown here.</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> Your Android SDK should already include
the latest Android Support Library, which you installed during the
<a href="{@docRoot}sdk/installing/adding-packages.html">Adding SDK Packages</a> step.
When using the templates in Android Studio, the Support Library is automatically added to your app project
(you can see the library's JAR file listed under <em>Android Dependencies</em>). If you're not using
Android Studio, you need to manually add the library to your project&mdash;follow the guide for <a
href="{@docRoot}tools/support-library/setup.html">setting up the Support Library</a>
then return here.</p>

<p>If you're using a different IDE than Android Studio, don't worry that the app won't yet compile.
You'll soon update the activity to display a custom text view.</p>


<h2 id="ReceiveIntent">Receive the Intent</h2>

<p>Every {@link android.app.Activity} is invoked by an {@link android.content.Intent}, regardless of
how the user navigated there. You can get the {@link android.content.Intent} that started your
activity by calling {@link android.app.Activity#getIntent()} and retrieve the data contained
within the intent.</p>

<ol>
<li>In the <code>java/com.mycompany.myfirstapp</code> directory, edit the
  {@code DisplayMessageActivity.java} file.</li>
<li>In the {@link android.app.Activity#onCreate onCreate()} method, remove the following line:
<pre>
  setContentView(R.layout.activity_display_message);
</pre>
<li>Get the intent and assign it to a local variable.
<pre>
Intent intent = getIntent();
</pre>
</li>
<li>At the top of the file, import the {@link android.content.Intent} class.
  <p>In Android Studio, press Alt + Enter (option + return on Mac) to import missing classes.</p>
</li>
<li>Extract the message delivered by {@code MyActivity} with the
{@link android.content.Intent#getStringExtra getStringExtra()} method.
<pre>
String message = intent.getStringExtra(MyActivity.EXTRA_MESSAGE);
</pre>
</li>
</ol>

<h2 id="DisplayMessage">Display the Message</h2>

<ol>
<li>In the {@link android.app.Activity#onCreate onCreate()} method, create a {@link android.widget.TextView} object.
<pre>
TextView textView = new TextView(this);
</pre>
</li>
<li>Set the text size and message with {@link android.widget.TextView#setText setText()}.
<pre>
textView.setTextSize(40);
textView.setText(message);
</pre>
</li>
<li>Then add the {@link android.widget.TextView} as the root view of the activitys layout by
passing it to {@link android.app.Activity#setContentView setContentView()}.
<pre>
setContentView(textView);
</pre>
</li>
<li>At the top of the file, import the {@link android.widget.TextView} class.
  <p>In Android Studio, press Alt + Enter (option + return on Mac) to import missing classes.</p>
</li>
</ol>

<p>The complete {@link android.app.Activity#onCreate onCreate()} method for {@code
DisplayMessageActivity} now looks like this:</p>

<pre>
&#64;Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

    // Get the message from the intent
    Intent intent = getIntent();
    String message = intent.getStringExtra(MyActivity.EXTRA_MESSAGE);

    // Create the text view
    TextView textView = new TextView(this);
    textView.setTextSize(40);
    textView.setText(message);

    // Set the text view as the activity layout
    setContentView(textView);
}
</pre>

<p>You can now run the app. When it opens, type a message in the text field, click Send,
  and the message appears on the second activity.</p>

<img src="{@docRoot}images/training/firstapp/firstapp.png" />
<p class="img-caption"><strong>Figure 2.</strong> Both activities in the final app, running
on Android 4.4.

<p>That's it, you've built your first Android app!</p>

<p>To learn more, follow the link below to the next class.</p>