manifest-intro.jd revision 3155825c256b150cfa635ad27ac7a2bab76371b0
1page.title=App Manifest 2@jd:body 3 4<div id="qv-wrapper"> 5<div id="qv"> 6 7<h2>In this document</h2> 8<ol> 9<li><a href="#filestruct">Structure of the Manifest File</a></li> 10<li><a href="#filec">File Conventions</a> 11<li><a href="#filef">File Features</a> 12 <ol> 13 <li><a href="#ifs">Intent Filters</a></li> 14 <li><a href="#iconlabel">Icons and Labels</a></li> 15 <li><a href="#perms">Permissions</a></li> 16 <li><a href="#libs">Libraries</a></li> 17 </ol></li> 18</ol> 19</div> 20</div> 21 22<p> 23 Every application must have an AndroidManifest.xml file (with precisely that 24 name) in its root directory. <span itemprop="description">The manifest file 25 presents essential information about your app to the Android system, 26 information the system must have before it can run any of the app's 27 code.</span> Among other things, the manifest does the following: 28</p> 29 30<ul> 31<li>It names the Java package for the application. 32The package name serves as a unique identifier for the application.</li> 33 34<li>It describes the components of the application — the activities, 35services, broadcast receivers, and content providers that the application is 36composed of. It names the classes that implement each of the components and 37publishes their capabilities (for example, which {@link android.content.Intent 38Intent} messages they can handle). These declarations let the Android system 39know what the components are and under what conditions they can be launched.</li> 40 41<li>It determines which processes will host application components.</li> 42 43<li>It declares which permissions the application must have in order to 44access protected parts of the API and interact with other applications.</li> 45 46<li>It also declares the permissions that others are required to have in 47order to interact with the application's components.</li> 48 49<li>It lists the {@link android.app.Instrumentation} classes that provide 50profiling and other information as the application is running. These declarations 51are present in the manifest only while the application is being developed and 52tested; they're removed before the application is published.</li> 53 54<li>It declares the minimum level of the Android API that the application 55requires.</li> 56 57<li>It lists the libraries that the application must be linked against.</li> 58</ul> 59 60 61<h2 id="filestruct">Structure of the Manifest File</h2> 62 63<p> 64The diagram below shows the general structure of the manifest file and 65every element that it can contain. Each element, along with all of its 66attributes, is documented in full in a separate file. To view detailed 67information about any element, click on the element name in the diagram, 68in the alphabetical list of elements that follows the diagram, or on any 69other mention of the element name. 70</p> 71 72<pre> 73<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 74 75<a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html"><manifest></a> 76 77 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-permission-element.html"><uses-permission /></a> 78 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><permission /></a> 79 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-tree-element.html"><permission-tree /></a> 80 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-group-element.html"><permission-group /></a> 81 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/instrumentation-element.html"><instrumentation /></a> 82 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element.html"><uses-sdk /></a> 83 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-configuration-element.html"><uses-configuration /></a> <!-- ##api level 3## --> 84 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-feature-element.html"><uses-feature /></a> <!-- ##api level 4## --> 85 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/supports-screens-element.html"><supports-screens /></a> <!-- ##api level 4## --> 86 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/compatible-screens-element.html"><compatible-screens /></a> <!-- ##api level 9## --> 87 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/supports-gl-texture-element.html"><supports-gl-texture /></a> <!-- ##api level 11## --> 88 89 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html"><application></a> 90 91 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html"><activity></a> 92 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"><intent-filter></a> 93 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/action-element.html"><action /></a> 94 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/category-element.html"><category /></a> 95 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/data-element.html"><data /></a> 96 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"></intent-filter></a> 97 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/meta-data-element.html"><meta-data /></a> 98 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html"></activity></a> 99 100 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-alias-element.html"><activity-alias></a> 101 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"><intent-filter></a> . . . <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"></intent-filter></a> 102 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/meta-data-element.html"><meta-data /></a> 103 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-alias-element.html"></activity-alias></a> 104 105 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/service-element.html"><service></a> 106 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"><intent-filter></a> . . . <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"></intent-filter></a> 107 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/meta-data-element.html"><meta-data/></a> 108 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/service-element.html"></service></a> 109 110 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/receiver-element.html"><receiver></a> 111 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"><intent-filter></a> . . . <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"></intent-filter></a> 112 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/meta-data-element.html"><meta-data /></a> 113 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/receiver-element.html"></receiver></a> 114 115 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/provider-element.html"><provider></a> 116 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/grant-uri-permission-element.html"><grant-uri-permission /></a> 117 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/meta-data-element.html"><meta-data /></a> 118 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/path-permission-element.html"><path-permission /></a> 119 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/provider-element.html"></provider></a> 120 121 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-library-element.html"><uses-library /></a> 122 123 <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html"></application></a> 124 125<a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html"></manifest></a> 126</pre> 127 128<p> 129All the elements that can appear in the manifest file are listed below 130in alphabetical order. These are the only legal elements; you cannot 131add your own elements or attributes. 132</p> 133 134<p style="margin-left: 2em"> 135<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/action-element.html"><action></a></code> 136<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html"><activity></a></code> 137<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-alias-element.html"><activity-alias></a></code> 138<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html"><application></a></code> 139<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/category-element.html"><category></a></code> 140<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/data-element.html"><data></a></code> 141<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/grant-uri-permission-element.html"><grant-uri-permission></a></code> 142<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/instrumentation-element.html"><instrumentation></a></code> 143<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"><intent-filter></a></code> 144<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html"><manifest></a></code> 145<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/meta-data-element.html"><meta-data></a></code> 146<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><permission></a></code> 147<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-group-element.html"><permission-group></a></code> 148<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-tree-element.html"><permission-tree></a></code> 149<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/provider-element.html"><provider></a></code> 150<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/receiver-element.html"><receiver></a></code> 151<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/service-element.html"><service></a></code> 152<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/supports-screens-element.html"><supports-screens></a></code> <!-- ##api level 4## --> 153<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-configuration-element.html"><uses-configuration></a></code> <!-- ##api level 3## --> 154<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-feature-element.html"><uses-feature></a></code> <!-- ##api level 4## --> 155<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-library-element.html"><uses-library></a></code> 156<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-permission-element.html"><uses-permission></a></code> 157<br/><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element.html"><uses-sdk></a></code> 158</p> 159 160 161 162 163<h2 id="filec">File Conventions</h2> 164 165<p> 166Some conventions and rules apply generally to all elements and attributes 167in the manifest: 168</p> 169 170<dl> 171<dt><b>Elements</b></dt> 172<dd>Only the 173<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html"><manifest></a></code> and 174<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html"><application></a></code> 175elements are required, they each must be present and can occur only once. 176Most of the others can occur many times or not at all — although at 177least some of them must be present for the manifest to accomplish anything 178meaningful. 179 180<p> 181If an element contains anything at all, it contains other elements. 182All values are set through attributes, not as character data within an element. 183</p> 184 185<p> 186Elements at the same level are generally not ordered. For example, 187<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html"><activity></a></code>, 188<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/provider-element.html"><provider></a></code>, and 189<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/service-element.html"><service></a></code> 190elements can be intermixed in any sequence. (An 191<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-alias-element.html"><activity-alias></a></code> 192element is the exception to this rule: It must follow the 193<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html"><activity></a></code> 194it is an alias for.) 195</p></dd> 196 197<dt><b>Attributes</b></dt> 198<dd>In a formal sense, all attributes are optional. However, there are some 199that must be specified for an element to accomplish its purpose. Use the 200documentation as a guide. For truly optional attributes, it mentions a default 201value or states what happens in the absence of a specification. 202 203<p>Except for some attributes of the root 204<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html"><manifest></a></code> 205element, all attribute names begin with an {@code android:} prefix — 206for example, {@code android:alwaysRetainTaskState}. Because the prefix is 207universal, the documentation generally omits it when referring to attributes 208by name.</p></dd> 209 210<dt><b>Declaring class names</b></dt> 211<dd>Many elements correspond to Java objects, including elements for the 212application itself (the 213<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html"><application></a></code> 214element) and its principal components — activities 215(<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html"><activity></a></code>), 216services 217(<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/service-element.html"><service></a></code>), 218broadcast receivers 219(<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/receiver-element.html"><receiver></a></code>), 220and content providers 221(<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/provider-element.html"><provider></a></code>). 222 223<p> 224If you define a subclass, as you almost always would for the component classes 225({@link android.app.Activity}, {@link android.app.Service}, 226{@link android.content.BroadcastReceiver}, and {@link android.content.ContentProvider}), 227the subclass is declared through a {@code name} attribute. The name must include 228the full package designation. 229For example, an {@link android.app.Service} subclass might be declared as follows: 230</p> 231 232<pre><manifest . . . > 233 <application . . . > 234 <service android:name="com.example.project.SecretService" . . . > 235 . . . 236 </service> 237 . . . 238 </application> 239</manifest></pre> 240 241<p> 242However, as a shorthand, if the first character of the string is a period, the 243string is appended to the application's package name (as specified by the 244<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html"><manifest></a></code> 245element's 246<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html#package">package</a></code> 247attribute). The following assignment is the same as the one above: 248</p> 249 250<pre><manifest package="com.example.project" . . . > 251 <application . . . > 252 <service android:name=".SecretService" . . . > 253 . . . 254 </service> 255 . . . 256 </application> 257</manifest></pre> 258 259<p> 260When starting a component, Android creates an instance of the named subclass. 261If a subclass isn't specified, it creates an instance of the base class. 262</p></dd> 263 264<dt><b>Multiple values</b></dt> 265<dd>If more than one value can be specified, the element is almost always 266repeated, rather than listing multiple values within a single element. 267For example, an intent filter can list several actions: 268 269<pre><intent-filter . . . > 270 <action android:name="android.intent.action.EDIT" /> 271 <action android:name="android.intent.action.INSERT" /> 272 <action android:name="android.intent.action.DELETE" /> 273 . . . 274</intent-filter></pre></dd> 275 276<dt><b>Resource values</b></dt> 277<dd>Some attributes have values that can be displayed to users — for 278example, a label and an icon for an activity. The values of these attributes 279should be localized and therefore set from a resource or theme. Resource 280values are expressed in the following format,</p> 281 282<p style="margin-left: 2em">{@code @[<i>package</i>:]<i>type</i>:<i>name</i>}</p> 283 284<p> 285where the <i>package</i> name can be omitted if the resource is in the same package 286as the application, <i>type</i> is a type of resource — such as "string" or 287"drawable" — and <i>name</i> is the name that identifies the specific resource. 288For example: 289</p> 290 291<pre><activity android:icon="@drawable/smallPic" . . . ></pre> 292 293<p> 294Values from a theme are expressed in a similar manner, but with an initial '{@code ?}' 295rather than '{@code @}': 296</p> 297 298<p style="margin-left: 2em">{@code ?[<i>package</i>:]<i>type</i>:<i>name</i>} 299</p></dd> 300 301<dt><b>String values</b></dt> 302<dd>Where an attribute value is a string, double backslashes ('{@code \\}') 303must be used to escape characters — for example, '{@code \\n}' for 304a newline or '{@code \\uxxxx}' for a Unicode character.</dd> 305</dl> 306 307 308<h2 id="filef">File Features</h2> 309 310<p> 311The following sections describe how some Android features are reflected 312in the manifest file. 313</p> 314 315 316<h3 id="ifs">Intent Filters</h3> 317 318<p> 319The core components of an application (its activities, services, and broadcast 320receivers) are activated by <i>intents</i>. An intent is a 321bundle of information (an {@link android.content.Intent} object) describing a 322desired action — including the data to be acted upon, the category of 323component that should perform the action, and other pertinent instructions. 324Android locates an appropriate component to respond to the intent, launches 325a new instance of the component if one is needed, and passes it the 326Intent object. 327</p> 328 329<p> 330Components advertise their capabilities — the kinds of intents they can 331respond to — through <i>intent filters</i>. Since the Android system 332must learn which intents a component can handle before it launches the component, 333intent filters are specified in the manifest as 334<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"><intent-filter></a></code> 335elements. A component may have any number of filters, each one describing 336a different capability. 337</p> 338 339<p> 340An intent that explicitly names a target component will activate that component; 341the filter doesn't play a role. But an intent that doesn't specify a target by 342name can activate a component only if it can pass through one of the component's 343filters. 344</p> 345 346<p> 347For information on how Intent objects are tested against intent filters, 348see a separate document, 349<a href="{@docRoot}guide/components/intents-filters.html">Intents 350and Intent Filters</a>. 351</p> 352 353 354<h3 id="iconlabel">Icons and Labels</h3> 355 356<p> 357A number of elements have {@code icon} and {@code label} attributes for a 358small icon and a text label that can be displayed to users. Some also have a 359{@code description} attribute for longer explanatory text that can also be 360shown on-screen. For example, the 361<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><permission></a></code> 362element has all three of these attributes, so that when the user is asked whether 363to grant the permission to an application that has requested it, an icon representing 364the permission, the name of the permission, and a description of what it 365entails can all be presented to the user. 366</p> 367 368<p> 369In every case, the icon and label set in a containing element become the default 370{@code icon} and {@code label} settings for all of the container's subelements. 371Thus, the icon and label set in the 372<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html"><application></a></code> 373element are the default icon and label for each of the application's components. 374Similarly, the icon and label set for a component — for example, an 375<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html"><activity></a></code> 376element — are the default settings for each of the component's 377<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html"><intent-filter></a></code> 378elements. If an 379<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html"><application></a></code> 380element sets a label, but an activity and its intent filter do not, 381the application label is treated as the label for both the activity and 382the intent filter. 383</p> 384 385<p> 386The icon and label set for an intent filter are used to represent a component 387whenever the component is presented to the user as fulfilling the function 388advertised by the filter. For example, a filter with 389"{@code android.intent.action.MAIN}" and 390"{@code android.intent.category.LAUNCHER}" settings advertises an activity 391as one that initiates an application — that is, as 392one that should be displayed in the application launcher. The icon and label 393set in the filter are therefore the ones displayed in the launcher. 394</p> 395 396 397<h3 id="perms">Permissions</h3> 398 399<p> 400A <i>permission</i> is a restriction limiting access to a part of the code 401or to data on the device. The limitation is imposed to protect critical 402data and code that could be misused to distort or damage the user experience. 403</p> 404 405<p> 406Each permission is identified by a unique label. Often the label indicates 407the action that's restricted. For example, here are some permissions defined 408by Android: 409</p> 410 411<p style="margin-left: 2em">{@code android.permission.CALL_EMERGENCY_NUMBERS} 412<br/>{@code android.permission.READ_OWNER_DATA} 413<br/>{@code android.permission.SET_WALLPAPER} 414<br/>{@code android.permission.DEVICE_POWER}</p> 415 416<p> 417A feature can be protected by at most one permission. 418</p> 419 420<p> 421If an application needs access to a feature protected by a permission, 422it must declare that it requires that permission with a 423<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-permission-element.html"><uses-permission></a></code> 424element in the manifest. Then, when the application is installed on 425the device, the installer determines whether or not to grant the requested 426permission by checking the authorities that signed the application's 427certificates and, in some cases, asking the user. 428If the permission is granted, the application is able to use the protected 429features. If not, its attempts to access those features will simply fail 430without any notification to the user. 431</p> 432 433<p> 434An application can also protect its own components (activities, services, 435broadcast receivers, and content providers) with permissions. It can employ 436any of the permissions defined by Android (listed in 437{@link android.Manifest.permission android.Manifest.permission}) or declared 438by other applications. Or it can define its own. A new permission is declared 439with the 440<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><permission></a></code> 441element. For example, an activity could be protected as follows: 442</p> 443 444<pre> 445<manifest . . . > 446 <permission android:name="com.example.project.DEBIT_ACCT" . . . /> 447 <uses-permission android:name="com.example.project.DEBIT_ACCT" /> 448 . . . 449 <application . . .> 450 <activity android:name="com.example.project.FreneticActivity" 451 android:permission="com.example.project.DEBIT_ACCT" 452 . . . > 453 . . . 454 </activity> 455 </application> 456</manifest> 457</pre> 458 459<p> 460Note that, in this example, the {@code DEBIT_ACCT} permission is not only 461declared with the 462<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><permission></a></code> 463element, its use is also requested with the 464<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-permission-element.html"><uses-permission></a></code> 465element. Its use must be requested in order for other components of the 466application to launch the protected activity, even though the protection 467is imposed by the application itself. 468</p> 469 470<p> 471If, in the same example, the {@code permission} attribute was set to a 472permission declared elsewhere 473(such as {@code android.permission.CALL_EMERGENCY_NUMBERS}, it would not 474have been necessary to declare it again with a 475<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><permission></a></code> 476element. However, it would still have been necessary to request its use with 477<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-permission-element.html"><uses-permission></a></code>. 478</p> 479 480<p> 481The 482<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-tree-element.html"><permission-tree></a></code> 483element declares a namespace for a group of permissions that will be defined in 484code. And 485<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-group-element.html"><permission-group></a></code> 486defines a label for a set of permissions (both those declared in the manifest with 487<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><permission></a></code> 488elements and those declared elsewhere). It affects only how the permissions are 489grouped when presented to the user. The 490<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-group-element.html"><permission-group></a></code> 491element does not specify which permissions belong to the group; 492it just gives the group a name. A permission is placed in the group 493by assigning the group name to the 494<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><permission></a></code> 495element's 496<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html#pgroup">permissionGroup</a></code> 497attribute. 498</p> 499 500 501<h3 id="libs">Libraries</h3> 502 503<p> 504Every application is linked against the default Android library, which 505includes the basic packages for building applications (with common classes 506such as Activity, Service, Intent, View, Button, Application, ContentProvider, 507and so on). 508</p> 509 510<p> 511However, some packages reside in their own libraries. If your application 512uses code from any of these packages, it must explicitly asked to be linked 513against them. The manifest must contain a separate 514<code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-library-element.html"><uses-library></a></code> 515element to name each of the libraries. (The library name can be found in the 516documentation for the package.) 517</p> 518