launch URL stays inside requesting LiveCode app

[jim1001]

I'm deploying to a tablet running Android 6.0.1. I've tried this in LC 8.1.2 and 9.0 DP4.

I have associated .jpg files with the device's (photo) Gallery app

When I use the command

Code: Select all

launch url "file:/sdcard/DCIM/My friends/family.JPG"

the photo appears but still within my requesting LiveCode app. The screen on which the photo appears displays the photo with only one control, an arrow. No other controls or menus can be shown as would be expected in the Gallery app. Clicking the arrow takes me back to the screen in myLiveCode app containing the button I used for the launch URL command.

The LiveCode dictionary entry for launch URL says

Important: Mobile: Successfully launching a url will cause another application to open and the requesting application to be quit.

Wondered if anyone can explain or has seen the same behaviour?

Thank you!

[jim1001]

I've done some further tests on this. It seems like most of what I reported is just how the device works and not a LiveCode problem. For the record I’m using a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7

I removed LiveCode altogether from the equation. With the Gallery app still the default to open .jpg files I went to the family.jpg file in a file browser (My Files) on the device and clicked it to open. This opens what looks like the Gallery app and has all but one of the menu items I’d expect when viewing this single photo. I can move to the other .jpg in the folder but there is no arrow in the top left of the menu bar (when I navigate to the same photo by opening the Gallery app with its app icon, this arrow allows me to navigate to other folders).

Some things are still a bit puzzling:

1) If I have opened the Gallery app by clicking on the .jpg in the My Files app then I hit the Recents key, which is the only way I know of showing all running apps, the Gallery app title bar shows My Files not Gallery
2) If I have opened the Gallery app by clicking on the .jpg in the My Files app why can I not navigate to other photo folders in the app?
3) When I first tried opening the Gallery app by clicking on the .jpg in the My Files app I did not see all the Gallery menu items, only the back arrow which took me back to My Files. This was similar to what happened when I opened the file from LiveCode only the back arrow took me back to my app.

Looks like I still have a few things to investigate!

[jacque]

It sounds like standard Android behavior mostly. The back key always takes you back to the previous screen, even if that screen is in another app. Depending on how Gallery is written, the back arrow icon may do the same thing. I've noticed that when an app is called by another, it is never displayed in the recents list. It's a one-time viewer, in a way.

I get the same behavior when tapping a URL in my RSS reader. The browser opens but tapping Back sends me back to the reader. The browser is not included in the recents list.

Gallery is an older version of what is now called Google Photos. I can't remember now, but the arrow button may behave differently between the two.

[jim1001]

Thanks for sharing your findings Jacque. If I discover anything further of significance I'll post it here.