Run Android Application from Command Line

Sometime, we want to start the android application program from command line (Android Shell). Before, we usually clicking on the icon at application folder to run our program. So, there is an alternative way to run the program.

We use the Android Shell and issue am command to brought up the program. below is an example to do that.
1. Make sure that android emulator is running
2. Enter the shell with issuing command at command shell (prompt): adb shell
3. Issue am command. am command syntax is as follow :

am [start|instrument]
am start [-a <action>] [-d ] [-t <mime_type>]
[-c <category> [-c <category>] ...]
[-e <extra_key> <extra_value> [-e <extra_key> <extra_value> ...]
[-n <component>] [-D] [<uri>]
am instrument [-e <arg_name> <arg_value>] [-p <prof_file>]
[-w] <component>

for example we have android program with Manifest like below:

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
 package="com.iftitah.android.contact">
  <application android:icon="@drawable/icon">
   <activity class=".Contact" android:label="@string/app_name">
    <intent-filter>
    <action android:value="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
    <category android:value="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
   </intent-filter>
  </activity>
 </application>
.
.
</manifest>

To run the code issue command like this (in one line):

am start -a android.intent.action.MAIN -n
com.iftitah.android.contact/com.iftitah.android.contact.Contact

ok, Have a nice try!

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Learning with sample code ?
Learning by Doing ?
Just Visit http://learncodes.googlepages.com/
and there is Android UI Design at there.

Accessing Android Shell

Frequently, we want to know where the code placed inside android. we can know it with entering the Android Emulator shell. Just run the Emulator and wait it runs completely, issue command to access shell, then we will be inside the Emulator shell.

Here the command to access Shell :

adb shell

then we will promptly with
#

it is linux shell command, and we can issue command just like in Linux environtment, with some limitation.

Application installed in emulator will reside at /data/app/ directory, and database(s) create by the app will reside at /data/data/<package name>/databases/

Ok, have a nice try!