Two searchable.xml activities in one AndroidManifest.xml

Two Searchable.xml Activities in One AndroidManifest.xml

In Android development, you can define multiple searchable activities within a single AndroidManifest.xml file. This allows you to provide different search experiences for various sections of your app. This article explores how to achieve this and provides a structured approach for managing multiple searchable activities.

Understanding Searchable Activities

A searchable activity in Android is an activity that allows users to perform searches within the app. It’s defined using a “searchable.xml” file, which specifies the search interface and its functionalities.

Defining Multiple Searchable Activities

To define multiple searchable activities, you’ll need to create a separate “searchable.xml” file for each activity. These files should be placed in the “res/xml” directory of your project. Each “searchable.xml” file will define the unique search functionality for the corresponding activity.

Example 1: Activity A

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<searchable xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<!-- Activity A's Search Configuration -->
<intent-action android:name="android.intent.action.SEARCH" />
<intent-category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.SEARCH" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
</intent-filter>
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
<data android:scheme="http" android:host="www.example.com" />
</intent-filter>
<provider android:name=".MySearchProvider" />
</searchable>

Example 2: Activity B

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<searchable xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<!-- Activity B's Search Configuration -->
<intent-action android:name="android.intent.action.SEARCH" />
<intent-category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.SEARCH" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
</intent-filter>
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
<data android:scheme="http" android:host="www.example2.com" />
</intent-filter>
<provider android:name=".MySearchProvider" />
</searchable>

Registering Activities in AndroidManifest.xml

Once you’ve defined the searchable activities, you need to register them within your AndroidManifest.xml file. Each activity should be registered using the <activity> tag and have the “android:launchMode” attribute set to “singleTop” to ensure proper search handling.

<manifest ... >
<application ... >
<activity
android:name=".ActivityA"
android:launchMode="singleTop"
android:exported="true">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.SEARCH" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
</intent-filter>
<meta-data
android:name="android.app.searchable"
android:resource="@xml/searchable_activity_a" />
</activity>

<activity
android:name=".ActivityB"
android:launchMode="singleTop"
android:exported="true">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.SEARCH" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
</intent-filter>
<meta-data
android:name="android.app.searchable"
android:resource="@xml/searchable_activity_b" />
</activity>
</application>
</manifest>

Important Considerations

• Unique Search Configuration: Ensure each “searchable.xml” file defines a distinct search configuration for its corresponding activity.
• Launch Mode: “singleTop” launch mode is recommended for searchable activities to prevent multiple instances being created when the user performs a search.
• Search Provider: Use a single ContentProvider to handle search requests from all your activities.
• Search Intent: When handling search intents, ensure you correctly identify which activity initiated the search and provide relevant results.

Example: Search Provider

public class MySearchProvider extends ContentProvider {

    @Override
    public boolean onCreate() {
        // Initialize the search provider
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public Cursor query(Uri uri, String[] projection, String selection, String[] selectionArgs, String sortOrder) {
        // Handle search query and return a Cursor with relevant data
        // You'll need to determine which activity initiated the search and
        // retrieve data accordingly from your data sources
        return null;
    }

    // ... (Other methods from ContentProvider)
}

Conclusion

Defining multiple searchable activities within a single AndroidManifest.xml file provides a flexible approach to implementing different search experiences within your application. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can efficiently manage multiple searchable activities and create a robust search functionality in your Android app.