What is a WebView Android

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What Is A Webview

If you have a clickable link in your app and you click on it: example; androidappcoding.com, a prompt will load asking you which browser you want to use to goto that link.
With 'WebView' added to your app code; and you click on that same link, android system automatically loads the link (website) into the webview, without presenting you with a prompt for browser. If your developing an app that requires considerable internet access then you you may want to implement a WebView.

Coding Tips For Implementing a WebView

Typically, a WebView requires 2 layout files -Examples: main.xml and webview.xml (both XML files) as well as 2 activity classes:MainActivity.java and WebViewActivity.java(java files).
Also, your manifest.xml file would need to declare the 'internet permission' code.

XML FILES
Layout files are placed in the resources folder;

In AIDE, the file hierachy would look like this:

AppProjects/WebviewTutorial/res/layout/main.xml
AppProjects/WebviewTutorial/res/layout/webview.xml

JAVA FILES
Java files are placed in the src folder;

In AIDE, the file hierachy would look like this:

(You can name 'WebviewTutorial' to whatever you like)

AppProjects/WebviewTutorial/src/com/acw/webview/MainActivity.java
AppProjects/WebviewTutorial/src/com/acw/webview/WebViewActivity.java
(the com/acw/webview is the app package name .apk-you can name this whatever you like when your first create your app)

MainActivity.java is for the button -where the user clicks the link

WebViewActivity.java is for the webview - where the website will load

MANIFEST FILE

The manifest file is located at the root of your app project files; AppProjects/WebViewTutorial/manifest.xml

Webview requires 'internet permissions' and this is coded in the manifest file.

For 
Declaring internet permissions: add this to manifest file:
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />

All activity files are declared in the manifest file: 
so we add them in the manifest file as:
.WebViewActivity and .MainActivity are app java files
<activity android:name=".WebViewActivity" 
android:theme="@android:style/Theme.NoTitleBar" />

<activity android:label="@string/app_name" 
android:name=".MainActivity" > 
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Typical coding for a Webview:
Manifest.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"

package="com.acw.webview"

android:versionCode="1" 
android:versionName="1.0" >

<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="1"
android:targetSdkVersion="11" />

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />

<intent-filter > 
<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

</intent-filter> 
</activity>
 </application>
 </manifest>

___________________________________________________________

main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
android:layout_height="fill_parent" 
android:orientation="vertical" >

Webview.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 
<WebView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" 
android:id="@+id/webViewPage" 
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent" />

__________________________________________

MainActivity.java

package com.acw.webview;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
import android.widget.Button;

public class MainActivity extends Activity {

private Button button;

public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
		final Context context = this;

super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
		setContentView(R.layout.main);

button = (Button) findViewById(R.id.buttonUrl);

button.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {

@Override
	 public void onClick(View arg0) {
		Intent intent = new Intent(context, WebViewActivity.class);
	  startActivity(intent);
		  }

});

}

WebViewActivity.java

package com.acw.webview; 
import android.app.Activity; 
import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.webkit.WebView;

public class WebViewActivity extends Activity

{ 
private WebView webView; public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)

{ 
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

setContentView(R.layout.webview); 
webView = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.webViewPage); webView.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true); 
webView.loadUrl("http://www.androidappcoding.com");

} }

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For additional reading
Developer.android.com - WebView

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