Develop Reference

Receive barcode scanner Device result in android

I am trying to receive the scanned barcode result from a device paired via (Bluetooth/USB) to an android device.
so many topics said :
most plug-in barcode scanners (that I've seen) are made as HID profile devices so whatever they are plugged into should see them as a Keyboard basically.
source
So I am using this code to receive the result of the scan:
#Override
public boolean dispatchKeyEvent(KeyEvent event) {
if (viewModel.onTriggerScan()) {
//1
char pressedKey = (char) event.getUnicodeChar();
viewModel.addCharToCode(pressedKey);
//2
String fullCode = event.getCharacters();
viewModel.fullCode(fullCode);
//check if the scan is done, received all the chars
if (event.getAction() == EditorInfo.IME_ACTION_DONE) {
//does this work ?
viewModel.gotAllChars();
//3
String fullCode2 = event.getCharacters();
viewModel.fullCode(fullCode2);
}
return true;
} else
return super.dispatchKeyEvent(event);
}
Note: I don't have a barcode scanner device for the test.
which code will receive the result ?? (1 or 2 or 3 ?)

You won't ever see an IME_ACTION_DONE, that's something that's Android only and an external keyboard would never generate.
After that, it's really up to how the scanner works. You may get a full key up and key down for each character. You may not, and may receive multiple characters per event. You may see it finish with a terminator (like \n) you may not- depends on how the scanner is configured. Unless you can configure it yourself or tell the user how to configure it, you need to be prepared for either (which means treating the data as done either after seeing the terminator, or after a second or two once new data stops coming in.
Really you need to buy a configurable scanner model and try it in multiple modes and make ever mode works. Expect it to take a few days in your schedule.

Workaround solution but it works 100%.
the solution is based on clone edittext (hidden from the UI), this edit text just receives the result on it, adds a listener, and when the result arrives gets it and clears the edittext field. An important step, when you try to receive the result(trigger scan) make sure that edittext has the focus otherwise you wil not get the result.
Quick steps:
1- create editText (any text field that receives inputs) in your layout
2- set its visibility to "gone" and clear it.
3- add onValueChangeListener to your edittext.
4- focus your edittext when you start trigger the scan
5- each time you the listener call, get the result and clear edittext
Note: never miss to focus your edittext whenever you start trigger scan.
Note: this method work(99%) for all external scan device and any barcode type.

How to run a built-in call app when a device gets incoming call in onCallAdded(InCallService) function?

When a phone is ringing ( by an incoming call) If the phone number is a specific number I want to show my custom UI. If It is not, I want to pass it to the (built-in) system call app(Or any other call app is okay).
I should use 'InCallService' and the device set my app as 'a default call app' so that even when the phone screen is locked my custom-UI-activity be shown. The following kotlin source code is my goal.
override fun onCallAdded(call: Call) {
//app should receive a new incoming call via 'onCallAdded'
super.onCallAdded(call)
val phoneNumber = getPhoneNumber(call)
if (isMyTargetNumber(phoneNumber)) {
//show my custom UI
} else {
//run a built-in call app
}
}
The problem that I want to solve is how to run a built-in call app appropriately. I mean I want to complete to wirte the blank of 'else'
else {
//run a built-in call app
}
Apps on the android market like 'truecaller' or 'whosecall' works well the way I want to acheive. I want to make my app such apps. Please help me and advise something to me.

How to open Android Outlook application from an external one

I'm currently developing an Android application in order to display home screen widgets. Those ones are related to Microsoft Outlook (Events + Messages) in order to show incoming events and unread new messages in a kind of dynamic tiles.
The Msal graph library helps me a lot to authenticate and retrieve in formations which contains an identifier for each event / message results
But now I want to know if the outlook application is installed on the user device and if there is a way to open Outlook when the user click on the widget. Moreover if the user can open the corresponding clicked event or message with the identifier.
For example the Event widget currently displaying a birthday event. The user click on it. Then it opens Outlook and display directly that birthday event.
Regards

I don't think this is officially documented somewhere. But here's what you can do to find out about it.
You can list all Microsoft applications installed on your device...
val packages = context.packageManager
.getInstalledApplications(PackageManager.GET_META_DATA)
for (info in packages) {
if(info.packageName.startsWith("com.microsoft", true)){
Log.d("package name:" + info.packageName)
Log.d("Launch Activity: " + context.packageManager.getLaunchIntentForPackage(info.packageName))
}
}
Take a note of the "launch intent" displayed in the LogCat. You can use that to launch Outlook. Just make sure you don't hard-code those values because Microsoft can change those values at any point, for example the activity class can change. So, instead of doing this...
context.startActivity(
Intent().apply {
action = Intent.ACTION_MAIN
addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_LAUNCHER)
setPackage("com.microsoft.office.outlook")
component = ComponentName("com.microsoft.office.outlook", "com.microsoft.office.outlook.MainActivity")
}
)
Do this...
context.startActivity(
Intent().apply {
action = Intent.ACTION_MAIN
addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_LAUNCHER)
component = ComponentName(
outlookLaunchIntent?.component?.packageName,
outlookLaunchIntent?.component?.className
)
setPackage(outlookLaunchIntent.package)
}
)
Also, remember that getLaunchIntentForPackage and component can return null, so make sure you check for null values properly

I am relaying a suggestion from a couple of internal folks:
Please try to open the event using one of the following URLs:
ms-outlook://events/open?restid=%s&account=test#om.com (if you have a regular REST id)
ms-outlook://events/open?immutableid=%s&account=test#om.com (if you are using an immutable id)
Since immutable IDs are still in preview stage in Microsoft Graph, and customers should not use preview APIs in their production apps, I think option #1 applies to your case.
Please reply here if the URL works, or not, and if you have other related questions. I requested the couple of folks to keep an eye on this thread as well.

Well, i managed to open the outlook android application with the help of your code #Leo. As im not developping with Kotlin, ill post the JAVA code below :
Intent outlookLaunchIntent = context.getPackageManager().getLaunchIntentForPackage("com.microsoft.office.outlook");
if (outlookLaunchIntent != null) {
context.startActivity(outlookLaunchIntent );
}
Below code to open event/message in a web browser provided by webLink property of the graph API. (I only test for event and the url provided not working. Ill post a new issue on StackOverFlow for that but you already see the issue over there : https://github.com/microsoftgraph/microsoft-graph-docs/issues/4203
try {
Intent webIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW).setData(Uri.parse(calendarWebLink));
webIntent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
context.startActivity(webIntent);
} catch (RuntimeException e) {
// The url is invalid, maybe missing http://
e.printStackTrace();
}
However im still stuck on the decicive goal of my widget item click which is to open the relative event/email in the Microsoft Outlook Android application.
Microsoft Outlook Android app contains widgets which can achieve what im looking for. So i wonder if it is possible to list its broadcast receivers.
The best thing i found is an old manifest for that app but it doesnt help me.
https://gist.github.com/RyPope/df0e61f477af4b73865cd72bdaa7d8c2

Hi may you try to open the event using one of the url:
ms-outlook://events/open?restid=%s&account=test#om.com (If the
user is having rest id)
ms-outlook://events/open?immutableid=%s&account=test#om.com (If
the user is having immutable id)

I am trying to make an application that will make phone calls one after another from the list of number

I am developing an application for my friend who is in sales, this application will make phone calls one after another, as soon as one phone call gets disconnected, it will automatically make call to another number from the list. This list can be read from and xml data source or json or mongodb or even from excel sheet.
This could be an ios app that reads data from an end point and stores them and can initiate the call at any point and it wont stop until all the calls are made.
Next call will be made only after the first call has been finished.
I am thinking about using node based web app using google voice to trigger the chain.
I've no experience with ios / android apis but Im willing to work on that if it's a viable thing on that platform.
Note: what we're trying to avoid is whole process of
looking up the phone number.
touch hangup and then click for another phone number.
It should self trigger the next call as soon as current call gets disconnected.
Also we're trying to avoid any paid services like twillo.
Thanks in advance :)

for IOS, you could use CTCallCenter
self.callCenter = [[CTCallCenter alloc] init];
self.callCenter.callEventHandler = ^(CTCall *call){
if ([call.callState isEqualToString: CTCallStateConnected])
{
//NSLog(#"call stopped");
}
else if ([call.callState isEqualToString: CTCallStateDialing])
{
}
else if ([call.callState isEqualToString: CTCallStateDisconnected])
{
//NSLog(#"call played");
}
else if ([call.callState isEqualToString: CTCallStateIncoming])
{
}
};
Download phone list, loop inside phone list, make a call, listening for CTCallCenter and appdelegate's Event, detect user have finish last call, our app active again, then make the next call.
Or you can try in Demo here !

ContentObserver - observe changes only due to specific apps

I have a ContentObserver set up to check for audio changes in a service. I want to know if there's a way to restrain the triggering of the ContentObserver to only certain apps.
Say, I'm playing a game where I can change the volume, after which I change the volume in the settings. I want the service to trigger an alert only when the volume is changed by the game. How do I go about this?
NOTE: The game is a 3rd party app.
EDIT
Is there a way to receive the stack order of the commands? Say a program accesses settings to change the volume, obviously settings is gonna know which program is trying to change the volume. Is there a way to get settings to throw the app's package name? Or is there a way to know if it was changed directly in the settings.
Say I'm in the app drawer and change the volume, that would be categorized as direct change and via an app a third party change. Is there a way to find out when it's a direct change?

you can make a broadcast intent of your own and fire it when game makes the change. Then receive it in your second app.
If game is a third party app, then there would be no way I guess.

I found a way to circumvent this.
To the service with the ContentObserver, I added this piece of code
private RunningAppProcessInfo getForegroundApp() {
RunningAppProcessInfo result=null, info=null;
if(mActivityManager==null)
mActivityManager = (ActivityManager)mContext.getSystemService(Context.ACTIVITY_SERVICE);
List <RunningAppProcessInfo> l = mActivityManager.getRunningAppProcesses();
Iterator <RunningAppProcessInfo> i = l.iterator();
while(i.hasNext()){
info = i.next();
if(info.importance == RunningAppProcessInfo.IMPORTANCE_FOREGROUND
&& !isRunningService(info.processName)){
result=info;
break;
}
}
return result;
}
So, now that I know the foreground app, the probability that it triggered the volume change is very high. So I can exclude it from triggering any respone. It's not flawless, but it works.