xref: /frameworks/base/docs/html/guide/topics/manifest/category-element.jd

page.title=<category>
parent.title=The AndroidManifest.xml File
parent.link=manifest-intro.html
@jd:body

<dl class="xml">
<dt>syntax:</dt>
<dd><pre class="stx">&lt;category android:<a href="#nm">name</a>="<i>string</i>" /&gt;</pre></dd>

<dt>contained in:</dt>
<dd><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html">&lt;intent-filter&gt;</a></code></dd>

<dt>description:</dt>
<dd itemprop="description">Adds a category name to an intent filter.  See
<a href="{@docRoot}guide/components/intents-filters.html">Intents and 
Intent Filters</a> for details on intent filters and the role of category
specifications within a filter.</dd>

<dt>attributes:</dt>
<dd><dl class="attr">
<dt><a name="nm"></a>{@code android:name}</dt>
<dd>The name of the category.  Standard categories are defined in the 
{@link android.content.Intent} class as {@code CATEGORY_<i>name</i>} 
constants.  The name assigned here can be derived from those constants 
by prefixing "{@code android.intent.category.}" to the 
{@code <i>name</i>} that follows {@code CATEGORY_}.  For example,
the string value for {@code CATEGORY_LAUNCHER} is 
"{@code android.intent.category.LAUNCHER}".

<p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> In order to receive implicit intents, you must include the
{@link android.content.Intent#CATEGORY_DEFAULT} category in the intent filter. The methods
{@link android.app.Activity#startActivity startActivity()} and
{@link android.app.Activity#startActivityForResult startActivityForResult()} treat all intents
as if they declared the {@link android.content.Intent#CATEGORY_DEFAULT} category.
If you do not declare it in your intent filter, no implicit intents will resolve to
your activity.</p>

<p>
Custom categories should use the package name as a prefix, to ensure
that they are unique.
</p></dd>
</dl></dd> 

<!-- ##api level indication## -->
<dt>introduced in:</dt>
<dd>API Level 1</dd>

<dt>see also:</dt>
<dd><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/action-element.html">&lt;action&gt;</a></code>
<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/data-element.html">&lt;data&gt;</a></code></dd>

</dl>