Add deep link support to apps (For MIT AI2 and its distros)
Deep Link feature is one of most requested feature on all app inventor distros.This extension enables you to add deep link support to your app without coding and modifying manifest file.The only thing you have to do is to add your own scheme and host.
Deeplinks are a concept that help users navigate between the web and applications. They are basically URLs which navigate users directly to the specific content in applications.
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This is the quite complicated part because you should be familiar with Java and XML to do this.You can find a lot of tutorials on Internet to add deep links support.Kindly note that it will be not easier for you if you are a AI2 user.
But as you know my Custom WebView extension is able to add your app in browser's list so I modified its source in such a way that your app will only appear in browser's list for specific links.
So lets get started.
1.Open DeepLink.java file.
2.Navigate to UsesActivities annotation.
You will see something like this:
Lets breakdown each element.
(i) UsesActivities defines which activities will be added in Manifest file by Compiler.
(ii) ActvityElement adds activity element.
(iii) IntentFilterElement adds intent filter to activity.
(iv) ActionElement adds action element to intent filter.
(v) CategoryElement specifies category in activity element.
(vi) DataElement specifies data elements in activity.
Now you have to add your desired scheme and host in DataElement.
I have defined two of them:
In above case, your app will be triggered if user clicks a link which starts with either deepLink://Screen1 or https://community.kodular.io.
First one is called uri link and latter is url link.If you want to remove support of anyone from your app then simply comment(add // before line) and that compiler will ignore that line.
1.Use Extension Template to compile Java files.
2.Contact me with Java files in case you are unable to setup environment or compile files.
To check how it works, I opened browser and tried to load Kodular Community.Here is what I got:
1.TutsPlus Tutorial
2.Guide by Shreyash on how to setup environment