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

page.title=<intent-filter>
@jd:body

<dl class="xml">
<dt>syntax:</dt>
<dd><pre class="stx">&lt;intent-filter android:<a href="#icon">icon</a>="<i>drawable resource</i>"
               android:<a href="#label">label</a>="<i>string resource</i>"
               android:<a href="#priority">priority</a>="<i>integer</i>" &gt;
    . . .
&lt;/intent-filter&gt;</pre></dd>

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

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

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

<dt>description:</dt>
<dd>Specifies the types of intents that an activity, service, or broadcast 
receiver can respond to.  An intent filter declares the capabilities of its
parent component &mdash; what an activity or service can do and what types 
of broadcasts a receiver can handle.  It opens the component to receiving 
intents of the advertised type, while filtering out those that are not 
meaningful for the component.

<p>
Most of the contents of the filter are described by its 
<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/action-element.html">&lt;action&gt;</a></code>, 
<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/category-element.html">&lt;category&gt;</a></code>, and
<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/data-element.html">&lt;data&gt;</a></code> subelements.
</p>

<p>
For a more detailed discussion of filters, see the separate  
<a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/intents/intents-filters.html">Intents 
and Intent Filters</a> document, as well as the 
<a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-intro.html#ifs">Intents Filters</a> 
section in the introduction.
</p></dd>

<dt>attributes:</dt>
<dd><dl class="attr">
<dt><a name="icon"></a>{@code android:icon}</dt>
<dd>An icon that represents the parent activity, service, or broadcast
receiver when that component is presented to the user as having the 
capability described by the filter.

<p>
This attribute must be set as a reference to a drawable resource 
containing the image definition.  The default value is the icon set 
by the parent component's {@code icon} attribute.  If the parent 
does not specify an icon, the default is the icon set by the
<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html">&lt;application&gt;</a></code> element.
</p>

<p>
For more on intent filter icons, see 
<a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-intro.html#iconlabel">Icons and Labels</a>
in the introduction.
</p></dd>

<dt><a name="label"></a>{@code android:label}</dt>
<dd>A user-readable label for the parent component.  This label, rather than
the one set by the parent component, is used when the component is presented
to the user as having the capability described by the filter.

<p>
The label should be set as a reference to a string resource, so that
it can be localized like other strings in the user interface.  
However, as a convenience while you're developing the application, 
it can also be set as a raw string.
</p>

<p>
The default value is the label set by the parent component.  If the 
parent does not specify a label, the default is the label set by the
<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html">&lt;application&gt;</a></code> element's 
<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html#label"> label</a></code> attribute.
</p>

<p>
For more on intent filter labels, see 
<a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-intro.html#iconlabel">Icons and Labels</a>
in the introduction.
</p></dd>

<dt><a name="priority"></a>{@code android:priority}</dt>
<dd>The priority that should be given to the parent component with regard
to handling intents of the type described by the filter.  This attribute has 
meaning for both activities and broadcast receivers:

<ul>
<li>It provides information about how able an activity is to respond to 
an intent that matches the filter, relative to other activities that could
also respond to the intent.  When an intent could be handled by multiple 
activities with different priorities, Android will consider only those with
higher priority values as potential targets for the intent.</li>

<li><p>It controls the order in which broadcast receivers are executed to
receive broadcast messages.  Those with higher priority 
values are called before those with lower values.  (The order applies only 
to synchronous messages; it's ignored for asynchronous messages.)</p></li>
</ul>

<p>
Use this attribute only if you really need to impose a specific order in 
which the broadcasts are received, or want to force Android to prefer
one activity over others.
</p>

<p>
The value must be an integer, such as "{@code 100}".  Higher numbers have a
higher priority.
</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/category-element.html">&lt;category&gt;</a></code>
<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/data-element.html">&lt;data&gt;</a></code></dd>

</dl>