Session on App to App Coomunication in Windows Phone 8 that covers auto launching apps using File and Protocol Associations.

1. App to App Communication in Windows
Phone 8
Senthil Kumar
Microsoft MVP – Client Development
MobileOSGeek.com

2. About Me
• Work at Trivium eSolutions , Bangalore
• Microsoft MVP – Client Development
• Speaker , Blogger , Software Engineer.
• BDOTNETTER( Bangalore .NET User Group )
• Windows Phone enthusiast
Blog : MobileOSGeek.com
Twitter : @isenthil

3. Agenda
• What is App to App Communication ?
• Introduction to File and Protocol Association
• Auto Launching with File Extension Association
• Auto Launching with Protocol Association
• Launching the Built-in Apps
• Demo

4. What is App to App Communication ?
• Enables your application to communicate with another
application.
• Enhance the user experience and easy solutions to apps
providing services outside the app boundaries.
• App to App Communication via
– File Type Associations
– Protocol Associations

6. Auto-Launching with File Extension Association
• Allows to automatically launch the app when users tries to
open a file of specified type.
• File Sources can be
– Email attachment
– Link on a Website
– Phone Browser
– NFC Tag
– Another App.

7. User Experience with File and Protocol Associations
• On File or protocol launch request
– If there is only one app having corresponding file or protocol
registration , the app will be launched automatically.
– If multiple apps are installed with registered file association , ths user
is provided the choice on which app to launch
– If no apps is registered to handle the file or protocol , the user is
offered the option of downloading one.

8. One Handler

9. No handlers

10. 2+ Handlers

11. Auto-Launching with File Extension Association
• Registering a File Association
• Receiving a File Launch Request
– Detect a File Launch
– Retrieving a Launched File
• Launching a File

12. Adding File Association to WMAppManifest.xml
• Add a FileTypeAssociation element inside Extensions element.
– Extensions element should follow immediately after Tokens element.

13. Registering for File Association (Logos)
Logo Size Use Domensions
Small Email attachments 33X33 pixels
Medium Office Hub list view 69X69 pixels
Large Browser download 176X176 pixels

14. File Launch Request
• On App Launch from the File Launch , a deep link URI is sent to
the app
/FileTypeAssociation?fileToken=37dfc6ed-cdba-4424-9fa2-dba990a07486
• URI Mapper for Parsing deep link URI and mapping to the page
in the App.

15. Receiving the File Launch Request
• Shared Storage and SharedStorageAccessManager.

16. Launching the File
• Use Launcher.LaunchFileAsync method for launching a file.

18. Protocol Associations
• Allows your app to automatically launch when another app
launches a special URI
• The URI begins with a protocol name that your app has
registered for
– For example , mobileosgeek is the protocol name in the below URI
– Mobileosgeek:ShowProducts?CategoryID=87411445-5451-419d-
a2eb-79b39c8c552c

19. Auto-Launching with Protocol Association
• Registering for Protocol Association
• Receiving Protocol Launch Request
– Detecting a Protocol Launch
• Launching a Protocol URI
• Reserved Protocol Names

20. Registering for Protocol Association in
WMAppManifest.xml
• To register for protocol association , add a Protocol element
inside Extensions element.
– The Extensions element must follow immediately after the Tokens
element.

22. Reserved Protocol Names
• Protocol Names reserved for Build-in Apps
– http , Tel , Onenote etc
• Protocol Names reserved for Operating System
– File , telnet etc.

23. Launching Built-In Apps
• Launch some of the built-in apps using Uri schemes.
• Use Launcher.LaunchUriAsync method to launch the apps.
Eg : To launch the wifi settings app.

25. Resources
Building Apps for Windows Phone 8 Jump Start
http://channel9.msdn.com/Series/Building-Apps-for-Windows-
Phone-8-Jump-Start
Matt Lacey's article on 325 Windows Phone apps you can launch
from your own app
http://blog.mrlacey.co.uk/2014/03/325-windows-phone-apps-you-
can-launch.html
Windows Phone 8 Training Kit
http://www.microsoft.com/en-in/download/details.aspx?id=38782