How to search contacts using serchable obtained from getSearchablesInGlobalSearch() in android

[Mustafa Dasorwala]

I can use the following code to search for applications if i use (inf.getSuggestAuthority().startsWith("applications"))but i am not able to search contacts using inf.getSuggestAuthority().startsWith("com.android.contacts"). Need help.
I am trying to create a general search tool for android.

public class ActionBarSearchView extends Activity implements SearchView.OnQueryTextListener {

private SearchView mSearchView;
private TextView mStatusView;

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    getWindow().requestFeature(Window.FEATURE_ACTION_BAR);

    setContentView(R.layout.main);

    mStatusView = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.status_text);
}

@Override
public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
    super.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu);

    MenuInflater inflater = getMenuInflater();
    inflater.inflate(R.menu.searchview_in_menu, menu);
    MenuItem searchItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_search);
    mSearchView = (SearchView) searchItem.getActionView();
    setupSearchView(searchItem);

    return true;
}

private void setupSearchView(MenuItem searchItem) {

    if (isAlwaysExpanded()) {
        mSearchView.setIconifiedByDefault(false);
    } else {
        searchItem.setShowAsActionFlags(MenuItem.SHOW_AS_ACTION_IF_ROOM
                | MenuItem.SHOW_AS_ACTION_COLLAPSE_ACTION_VIEW);
    }

    SearchManager searchManager = (SearchManager) getSystemService(Context.SEARCH_SERVICE);
    if (searchManager != null) {
        List<SearchableInfo> searchables = searchManager.getSearchablesInGlobalSearch();

        SearchableInfo info = searchManager.getSearchableInfo(getComponentName());
        for (SearchableInfo inf : searchables) {
            if (inf.getSuggestAuthority() != null//){
                    && inf.getSuggestAuthority().startsWith("com.android.contacts")) {
                info = inf;
            }
        }
        //info  = (SearchableInfo) searchables.get(3); // Search contacts .. its causing the application to crash 
        System.out.println(info.getSuggestAuthority());
        mSearchView.setSearchableInfo(info);
    }

    mSearchView.setOnQueryTextListener(this);
}

public boolean onQueryTextChange(String newText) {
    mStatusView.setText("Query = " + newText);
    return false;
}

public boolean onQueryTextSubmit(String query) {
    mStatusView.setText("Query = " + query + " : submitted");
    return false;
}

public boolean onClose() {
    mStatusView.setText("Closed!");
    return false;
}

protected boolean isAlwaysExpanded() {
    return true;
}}

res/menu/searchview_in_menu.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<menu xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:id="@+id/action_search"
          android:title="Search"
          android:icon="@android:drawable/ic_menu_search"
          android:showAsAction="always"
          android:actionViewClass="android.widget.SearchView" />
</menu>

[Steve Luke]

Searching contacts should be done via the ContactProvider. Here are some links on how:
Contacts Provider API Guide
Contacts Training

[Mustafa Dasorwala]

Steve Luke wrote:Searching contacts should be done via the ContactProvider. Here are some links on how:
Contacts Provider API Guide
Contacts Training

Thanks You for the reply Steve. What I am trying to create is a general search tool for android, can you gimme some pointers about what will be the best way to implement it.


Thanks & Regards
Mustafa I. Dasorwala

[Mustafa Dasorwala]

Steve Luke wrote:Searching contacts should be done via the ContactProvider. Here are some links on how:
Contacts Provider API Guide
Contacts Training

Also i would appreciate if you could tell me why the current code fails when I use "com.android.contacts" cause just like applications, contacts too are present in the searchables list.

Thanks.

[Steve Luke]

Not, sure, can't say I have tried global searches - I just do contact specific searches. So I went to the SearchManager API and read it, and it says you will rarely ever need to interact with it, and that you should prefer using ACTION_SEARCH intents. This fires an intent that pings all apps and contexts that are searchable, so perhaps you should try to use that first.

Also, you still need permissions to get at contact data - did you request the proper permissions in your manifest?

[Mustafa Dasorwala]

Steve Luke wrote:Not, sure, can't say I have tried global searches - I just do contact specific searches. So I went to the SearchManager API and read it, and it says you will rarely ever need to interact with it, and that you should prefer using ACTION_SEARCH intents. This fires an intent that pings all apps and contexts that are searchable, so perhaps you should try to use that first.

Also, you still need permissions to get at contact data - did you request the proper permissions in your manifest?

Ya I did , both read and write permissions. I guess I'll use a different approach to solve the search problem.
Thanks Steve.