docs/html/guide/topics/manifest/action-element.jd

page.title=<action>
@jd:body

<dl class="xml">
<dt>syntax:</dt>
<dd><pre class="stx">&lt;action android:<a href="#nm">name</a>="<i>string</i>" /&gt;</pre></dd>

<dt>contained in:</dt>
<dd><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html">&lt;intent-filter&gt;</a></code></dd>

<p>
<dt>description:</dt>
<dd>Adds an action to an intent filter. 
An <code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html">&lt;intent-filter&gt;</a></code> element must contain 
one or more {@code &lt;action&gt;} elements.  If it doesn't contain any, no
Intent objects will get through the filter.  See 
<a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/intents/intents-filters.html">Intents and 
Intent Filters</a> for details on intent filters and the role of action
specifications within a filter.
</dd>

<dt>attributes:</dt>
<dd><dl class="attr">
<dt><a name="nm"></a>{@code android:name}</dt>
<dd>The name of the action.  Some standard actions are defined in the
{@link android.content.Intent#ACTION_CHOOSER Intent} class as 
{@code ACTION_<i>string</i>} constants.  To assign one of these actions to 
this attribute, prepend "{@code android.intent.action.}" to the 
{@code <i>string</i>} that follows {@code ACTION_}.
For example, for {@code ACTION_MAIN}, use "{@code android.intent.action.MAIN}"
and for {@code ACTION_WEB_SEARCH}, use "{@code android.intent.action.WEB_SEARCH}".

<p>
For actions you define, it's best to use the package name as a prefix to
ensure uniqueness.  For example, a {@code TRANSMOGRIFY} action might be specified 
as follows:
</p>

<pre>&lt;action android:name="com.example.project.TRANSMOGRIFY" /&gt;</pre>
</dd>
</dl></dd>

<dt>see also:</dt>
<dd><code><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/intent-filter-element.html">&lt;intent-filter&gt;</a></code></dd>

</dl>