Develop Reference

Running code via an application

So I am trying to build a simple app which runs a code that is typed in.
For example "*#06#".
I thought this was supposed to be done by using Intent.ACTION_CALL, since you run the code by typing it into the phone keypad.
The "#" character isn't shown when the call is made so it doesn't work.
Is there some other Intent or another way of writing "#" so that this can be done?

try this
Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_DIAL);
intent.setData(Uri.parse("tel:*#60#"));
startActivity(intent);

Sending USSD code programmatically dials Skype instead of normal phone call

When running this
String ussdCode = "*" + "100" + Uri.encode("#");
startActivity(new Intent("android.intent.action.CALL", Uri.parse("tel:" + ussdCode)));
I expect a normal phone call to be done, but instead of that Skype go to front and make the call for *100# USSD code. I logged out from Skype and it sill brings Skype to front!.
How to force it to use the normal phone call instead of Skype?

Thats because you have Skype as the default application for calls. This is a device configuration. You can change it, but note that if you does, it will actualy change that configation, so skype wont be the default any more in your mobile.
You can clear the default application calling this form your activity
getPackageManager().clearPackagePreferredActivities(PACKAGENAME);
the package name of skype is com.skype.raider, so in your case you call this
getPackageManager().clearPackagePreferredActivities("com.skype.raider");
of course you call it before you call the startActivity
UPDATE
I remembered that if you don't want to reset default configuration, you can try to force one app to handle the intent you are sending to startActivity. But you have a problem, you will have to know the package name of the application, and the activity which should handle it. In some cases that will be easy to find out, but in some other it wont. I've been googling for this information for the default android dialer, and also looked in my device, but i didn't find anything. Anyways, if you can find it, you can use the code below and it will be much better since it doesn't change any setting. Also you can remember it since it could be handy in other situations:
Intent intent = new Intent();
intent.setComponent(new ComponentName("PACKAGE_NAME","PACKAGENAME.ACTIVITY_NAME"));
intent.setAction("android.intent.action.VIEW");
intent.addCategory("android.intent.category.BROWSABLE");
Uri uri = Uri.parse(url);
intent.setData(uri);
try
{
startActivity(intent);
}
catch (Exception e)
{
e.printStackTrace();
}

Android Secret code- usage statistics

Is there any intent or method to get the values which show in the usage statistics? We can get that manually by dialing secret code ##4636##
Intent in = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_MAIN);
in.setClassName("com.android.settings", "com.android.settings.UsageStats");
startActivity(in);
This will shows the UsageStatitics Activity. But i need to show in my application not in the default..
Thanks

There is a way, but it requires being a system app. Also, since it's very hack-y, it might not work on some devices. Anyway, here it is:
http://jhshi.me/2014/04/02/get-package-usage-statistics-in-android/
or:
http://www.phonesdevelopers.com/1816323/

Stay on my activity when dialing

I am using the intent with ACTION_CALL to make call in my app:
str="tel:0123456789";
Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_CALL);
intent.setData(Uri.parse(str));
startActivity(intent);
But it pops up the system dialing screen. I understand this is built into ROM and can not be customized. But Can I hide this screen and keep the user staying on my activity?
Did some googling and research here. But no clear answer so far.

It looks like you can't customize the dialing screen, but you can use a PhoneStateListener to get certain information about the phone call. See this link.

Launching external application from my app

I would like to launch an app the user selects from within my application. However, I'm not sure how I'd go about doing this. I've tried this:
Intent intent = new Intent();
intent.setAction(Contacts.Intents.SHOW_OR_CREATE_CONTACT);
startActivity(intent);
But this seems to throw an error and force close my application. I also tried adding:
<action android:name="Contacts.Intents.SHOW_OR_CREATE_CONTACT"/>
in the AndroidManifest file, but to no avail.
A look at Logcat shows that it's an "IOexception - no such file or directory". A couple of questions arise from this. I read through the Android docs and noticed that the Contact.Intents class is deprecated. However, it's successor, ContactContracts is aimed at API level 5 whereas I'm targeting API level 3. Could this be the problem? Also, I've hardcoded this application into the code. Is there a way to retrieve the intents of any application the user selects so that they can be launched?

You need to pass extra information into the intent to tell Android what you want to show or create. Otherwise Android doesn't know what activity to start and (presumably in your case) throws an ActivityNotFoundException.
For a contact, you use the generic Intent.ACTION_INSERT_OR_EDIT then use the MIME type of an individual contact (Contacts.People.CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE).
For example:
Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_INSERT_OR_EDIT);
intent.setType(People.CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE);
intent.putExtra(Contacts.Intents.Insert.PHONE, "+1234567890");
intent.putExtra(Contacts.Intents.Insert.PHONE_TYPE, Contacts.PhonesColumns.TYPE_MOBILE);
That will bring up the contacts app, prompting you to select an existing contact to add the phone number to, or to create a new contact.
You don't need to add anything special to your manifest to start external activities. Only if you were to directly manipulate the contacts ContentProvider would you need to add the appropriate CONTACT permissions to your manifest.

I use this code for that purpose:
Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_MAIN);
intent.setClassName("com.android.settings", "com.android.settings.Settings");
startActivity(intent);
This will launch the Settings app, you can use these also:
intent.setClassName("com.android.music", "com.android.music.MediaPlaybackActivityStarter");
intent.setClassName("com.android.contacts", "com.android.contacts.DialtactsContactsEntryActivity");
intent.setClassName("com.android.contacts", "com.android.contacts.DialtactsActivity");
The first starts the default music app, the second the contacts, and the third the dialer.
Hope this helps.

You need to pass in valid arguments to the apps you start. A lot of apps expect the data URI and / or certain extras to be valid.

Please try the following code:
Intent intent = new Intent(Contacts.Intents.SHOW_OR_CREATE_CONTACT);
this.startActivity(intent);
(sorry if there is something wrong on the syntax, I dont have android in this computer)
And remove the action from the manifest. that is not needed.
The action method is used for something else.
For more info, please look at the android site: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/Intent.html
Daniel

The activity you are calling should appear not only in the Manifest for its own package, but in the Manifest for the CALLING package, too.