I'm trying to find out about the Extras menu on windows phone. Extras.xml. Here is what I've found (there isn't much out there)
Adding extras.xml to your app will put it into the 'extras menu'
Extras menu is available in your media library
you can send media to your app via extras menu
What else is this used for? Where else can it go? Can you use extras menu in your app or is it an OS only menu? Is it limited to media?
You can use Extras in order to further integrate your app into the OS. For example, a user can view a picture from the Pictures Hub. If your app uses the Extras file, then it'll appear as an option from within the Pictures Hub. The user can then tap on your app (from the picture's menu) and your app will launch, with the OS passing the picture to your app as a parameter. Your app reads in the image and performs some sort of function on it. Using the Extras file is very easy as demonstrated on this MSDN page.
The Mango update will further enhance this by providing the Extras menu from within Bing search results. The demo shown recently showed the user searching for a movie in Bing. Straight from the results, the user can launch the IMDB app (or any other app that uses Extras) and have the system automatically send in the details of the movie they searched for. Within the IMDB app, they could see trailers, info etc...
Related
Basically when i do open in functionality in other apps basically it
will show tow options 1. open-in 2. extensions. But i am seeing some
of the apps not showing the other apps action extension feature. I do
not know how they are hiding it?. Or they doing something else to do
not show the other apps extensions other than iOS defaults action
extensions?.
Example:
YES: Mailbox, Dropbox, Box etc. - these app was able to show the other
apps action extension
NO: Evernote, Acompli, Zoho Docs - - these app does not shows the
other apps action extension.
Any idea? why evernote and Zoho not showing the other apps action extension feature?. Is there something they need to do on their side or i need to do on my side to make it show?.
Any help that might be really appreciated.
screenshots attached.
Action and Share extensions have an activation rule, which is stored as NSExtensionActivationRule in their Info.plist. These extensions only appear if the host app is sharing data that matches the activation rule. For example, if an app shares images and the extension can only handle text, the extension will not be displayed as an option in that app.
In iOS 8 is it possible to invoke extension menu from a button on website (i.e. using javascript) in safari ?
I am able to invoke the extension menu from a password field in one of my iOS APP. Like in image below.
http://blog.agilebits.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Instapaper-1Password-extension.png
I want to do the same when i open my website in safari. So when user selects 1Password button from website page it should open this menu or share menu with 1Password extension. Not that user go and select share menu then 1Password.
This is not possible in Safari currently. What you are seeing in the Instapaper application is only possible using iOS SDK.
If you write a thin app around your website, this is also possible. You can signal from Javascript to your app that you want the activity used, and when the user finished, signal your website the information with Javascript.
Is there a way to make my winRT application as a screen saver in xaml?
As Jerry says, there's no straightforward way to make a Windows Store app screensaver. However, there's a roundabout solution that might work for you on Windows 8, but not Windows RT. I have it nearly working. I'll share what I have so far.
A screensaver is just an executable with a .scr extension that's kept in C:\Windows\System32. For example, look at C:\Windows\System32\Bubbles.scr. The solution I have in mind is to create a .scr screensaver whose only purpose is to launch your Windows Store application, which you say will use XAML.
You can't launch a Windows Store app from the command line directly, so you'll create a launcher app. Take a look at a blog post called Automating the testing of Windows 8 apps by Ashwin Needamangala. Partway down the article, look for the section called Automating the activation of your app. It contains a sample C++ application which can launch Windows Store apps in the following way:
C:>Win8AppLaunch.exe Microsoft.BingNews_8wekyb3d8bbwe!AppexNews
The sample launcher on that page needs to be modified, but before you do that just copy the code into a C++ console app:
You're almost ready to test it out from the command line, but you need to specify the name of the app as an AppUserModelId. The details are in Ashwin's post, but to paraphrase you first want to allow the execution of PowerShell scripts on your system with:
PS C:> Set-ExecutionPolicy AllSigned
Then run this PowerShell script:
$installedapps = get-AppxPackage
foreach ($app in $installedapps)
{
foreach ($id in (Get-AppxPackageManifest $app).package.applications.application.id)
{
$app.packagefamilyname + "!" + $id
}
}
You might like running it in the Windows PowerShell ISE. It's pretty slick. Find the AppUserModelId of your app and then test Win8AppLaunch.exe from the command line, as shown above. This should launch your Windows Store app from command line.
Next, modify the C++ launcher to hard-code the AppUserModelId of your application instead of parsing it from a command line argument. I created a Gist of this. The important part is the line where I declare myApp.
Build the new executable, rename it MyScreenSaver.scr and put it in C:\Windows\System32. It will then appear in the Screen Saver Settings Control Panel. You can preview the screensaver there, and it works. However, if you wait for the screensaver to launch, it will briefly bring up a console window and never fully launch. I'm not sure why. I tried disabling the creation of the console window by switching the project to a Windows app, but that didn't help. You can try that yourself by changing Properties | Configuration | Linker | System | SubSystem to WINDOWS. It's a little more involved, as you'll also need to change the entry point from _tMain to _tWinMain. Contact me through my blog if you want the details. My StackOverflow profile lists it.
At this point it's almost fully working. You might try starting with a blank C++ screensaver that you know works, and then copy in the above code. If I get more time, maybe I'll try this myself.
Cool idea. But, no.
If you want your application to really do something for Windows other than run as a simple app, then you write an extension app. Here's the official word:
Extensions An extension is like an agreement between an app and Windows. Extensions lets app developers extend or customize standard Windows features primarily for use in their apps and potentially for use in other apps.
There are these types of extension apps right now:
Account picture provider (extension)
When users decide to change their account picture, they can either select an existing picture or use an app to take a new one. If your app can take pictures, you can use this extension to have Windows list your app in the Account Picture Settings control panel. From there, users can select it to create a new account picture. For more info about this extension, see the UserInformation reference topic. You can also check out our Account picture name sample.
AutoPlay (extension)
When the user connects a device to a computer, Windows fires an AutoPlay event. This extension enables your app to be listed as an AutoPlay choice for the one or more AutoPlay events.
Background tasks (extension)
Apps can use background tasks to run app code even when the app is suspended. Background tasks are intended for small work items that require no interaction with the user.
Camera settings (extension)
Your app can provide a custom user interface for selecting camera options and choosing effects when a camera is used to capture photos or video. For more info about this extension, see Developing Windows Store device apps for cameras.
Contact picker (extension)
This extension enables your app to register to provide contact data. Your app is included in the list of apps that Windows displays whenever the user needs access to their contacts.
For more info about this extension, see the Windows.ApplicationModel.Contacts.Provider reference topic. You can also check out Managing user contacts.
File activation (extension)
Files that have the same file name extension are of the same file type. Your app can use existing, well known file types, such as .txt, or create a new file type. The file activation extension enables you to define a new file type or register to handle a file type.
Game Explorer (extension)
Your app can register with Windows as a game. To do this, you must create a Game Definition File (GDF), build it as a binary resource in your app, and declare that resource in the package manifest.
Print task settings (extension)
You can design an app that displays a custom print-related user interface and communicates directly with a print device. When you highlight the features that are specific to a particular make and model of print device, you can provide a richer, more enhanced user experience.
Protocol activation (extension)
Your app can use existing protocols for communication, such as mailto, or create a custom protocol. The protocol activation extension enables you to define a custom protocol or register to handle an existing protocol.
SSL/certificates (extension)
Digital certificates are used to authenticate one entity to another. For example, certificates are often used to authenticate a user to web services over SSL. This extension enables you to install a digital certificate with your app.
cite: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh464906.aspx
Unfortunately, nothing has to do with screen savers. The technical reason, at this time, you cannot write a Windows 8 app that functions as a screensaver is because Windows 8 apps are fundamentally tied to run inside the WinRT execution environment. That shell does not extend out past the Start menu in this current version of Windows. So, there's no way to execute outside - like as a screen saver. Screen savers are still built the "old fashion way".
I uploaded windows phone 7 app in market and it's rejected by apphub market,with reason of displaying default app icon,here the application icon is not being displayed instead it shows an default application icon.I also uploaded all design images in artwork design with suitable dimension of icon.Please help me to show application icon in market place.
Have a look at the end of this post
It shows how to set these icons. (The posts starts with drawing them but you could skip that)
If you are looking in the app hub at the details of your released ap, this always shows the default "cog" app at the top.
If you've uploaded the correcct images these will be seen in the application artwork section of the page.
If the wrong images are being displayed in the marketplace, is this the phone marketplace or the desktop one? Or both?
If the images displayed in the marketplace don't match the ones listed in the details in the app hub then you should contact app hub support.
Window Phone 7 application in XAP file to run dynamically another window Phone 7 Application.
This feature is called "deep linking", it will be available in the next release of Windows Phone called "Mango" (coming in Autumn 2011). It will both work from within apps and from the home screen.
From http://www.digitaltrends.com/
The coolest new feature Microsoft showed off today was the ability to create a Live Tile (shortcut) not just to an app, but to a single page or feature within that app. This feature is great. As an example, Belfiore went into the Amazon shopping app for WP7. He doesn’t like having to open up the app and go through menus to get to the barcode scanner, however. So right in the menu was an option to pin that exact app page (the scanner) as a Live Tile on the Windows Phone homescreen.
I would say that MarketplaceDetailTask is the closest API that matches your request. You cannot nest the execution of one app inside another.Refer this Link:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsphone/develop/hh394017%28v=vs.105%29.aspx?lc=1033