How can I best manage Android Intent filter Strings across multiple projects?

Question

In my project IntentExamples, I have this filter, corresponding to a service.

<intent-filter>
                <action android:name="biz.rpcodes.apps.intentexamples.START_SERVICE" />
</intent-filter>

In another project, UseExampleService, I have something like:

Intent i = new Intent("biz.rpcodes.apps.intentexamples.START_SERVICE");
                startService(i);

...guided by this answer: https://stackoverflow.com/a/16439551/5181778

My question is: How can I best manage these Intent filter Strings across multiple projects? The best solution I have now is to make a class that I am copy and pasting from Service project into the other projects, i.e.:

class ExampleServiceIntents {
public static final String ExampleServiceIntents.START_SERVICE = 
    "biz.rpcodes.apps.intentexamples.START_SERVICE";
...

While I could import the Service classes themselves, new Intent(this, ExampleService.class) , I would like to keep the Service classes in their own project.

Answer 1

Android Shared Libraries or operating-system dependent symbolic links.

Option 1: Shared Android Library

A formal Android library imported into each project.

Pros: Type safety. Cross-platform and works with source control. Full syntax checking and editor support.

Cons: It is still a bit annoying to import projects as libraries via the current editors (Android Studio or Eclipse with ADT) since they don't offer very good interfaces to do this. If you have to do this task often but not so often you remember all the steps each time, then this might not be worth the effort. But if its a one or two time thing to start with, then you don't have to do it again, it's not too bad.

Option 2 Symbolic Links

Symbolically link a common source file in each project. Then both projects will see the file and changes to it, so they can stay in sync.

Pros: Much simpler to implement.

Cons: Symbolic links don't work so well with source control tools. Not cross-platform (for development) since symbolic links are very different from one operating system to another. Not real clear to a new developer coming onto the project that changes in one automatically get shared with the other.

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Therefore, because the symbolic links option have more cons then pros, I would generally recommend the shared library solution for most projects. But, if your particular project doesn't need the features from the cons column of the symbolic link, then that's probably easier. It depends.

PS: There is a terrible third option of having a third full Android application that offers an Android data Provider that offers up the string values. But at that point you need to communicate with that app with special strings that need shared too, so you're only adding a step of abstraction but haven't solved the problem.