Sending a URL to Another App on Android and iOS with Delphi XE5

Here is the source code for my Open and View URL library from my CodeRage 8 session “Beyond the App”. Here is a download of the example app. I’ll see about posting it to a SVN repository too so it can grow and evolve. Thanks to Al Mannarino for his code that started this!

Note the code is using TidURL.URLEncode on all URLs. I found it is only required on the maps for iOS (iOS doesn’t like spaces) but may be causing trouble with the geo:// on Android.

Some example protocols

• http, tel, sms, fb, mailto, twitter, geo, etc.

Example URLs

• – Common to both iOS & Android –
• http://www.embarcadero.com/
• tel://(415)834-3131
• sms://1234
• http://twitter.com/coderage (This opens with the Twitter client on Android)
• mailto://jim.mckeeth@embarcadero.com
• twitter://user?screen_name=coderage
• fb://profile/34960937498 (get the UID from http://graph.facebook.com/embarcaderotech or for whatever page you are looking for)
• – iOS Specific –
• http://maps.apple.com?q=5617 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley, CA 95066 (this needs the URL encode – Apple has some additional APIs that are recommended.)
• – Android Only –
• content://contacts/people/
• content://contacts/people/1
• geo://0,0?q=5617 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley, CA 95066
• geo://46.191200, -122.194400 (I think this one doesn’t like the URLEncode)

unit OpenViewUrl;

interface

// URLEncode is performed on the URL
// so you need to format it   protocol://path
function OpenURL(const URL: string; const DisplayError: Boolean = False): Boolean;

implementation

uses
  IdURI, SysUtils, Classes, FMX.Dialogs,
{$IFDEF ANDROID}
  Androidapi.Helpers,
  FMX.Helpers.Android, Androidapi.JNI.GraphicsContentViewText,
  Androidapi.JNI.Net, Androidapi.JNI.JavaTypes;
{$ELSE}
{$IFDEF IOS}
  Macapi.Helpers, iOSapi.Foundation, FMX.Helpers.iOS;
{$ENDIF IOS}
{$ENDIF ANDROID}

function OpenURL(const URL: string; const DisplayError: Boolean = False): Boolean;
{$IFDEF ANDROID}
var
  Intent: JIntent;
begin
// There may be an issue with the geo: prefix and URLEncode.
// will need to research
  Intent := TJIntent.JavaClass.init(TJIntent.JavaClass.ACTION_VIEW,
    TJnet_Uri.JavaClass.parse(StringToJString(TIdURI.URLEncode(URL))));
  try
    SharedActivity.startActivity(Intent);
    exit(true);
  except
    on e: Exception do
    begin
      if DisplayError then ShowMessage('Error: ' + e.Message);
      exit(false);
    end;
  end;
end;
{$ELSE}
{$IFDEF IOS}
var
  NSU: NSUrl;
begin
  // iOS doesn't like spaces, so URL encode is important.
  NSU := StrToNSUrl(TIdURI.URLEncode(URL));
  if SharedApplication.canOpenURL(NSU) then
    exit(SharedApplication.openUrl(NSU))
  else
  begin
    if DisplayError then
      ShowMessage('Error: Opening "' + URL + '" not supported.');
    exit(false);
  end;
end;
{$ELSE}
begin
  raise Exception.Create('Not supported!');
end;
{$ENDIF IOS}
{$ENDIF ANDROID}

end.