DataWedge Data Capture API

DataWedge 5.0

Overview

This guide describes the functionality of the DataWedge Data Capture API for Android developers. The Data Capture API provides specific commands that other applications can use to control data capture on Zebra Android devices through DataWedge, without the need to access hardware APIs directly.

Requirements

This guide assumes experience with Android programming and familiarity with the Android intent mechanism. It also requires knowledge of DataWedge usage, features and terminology. For more information about DataWedge, see the DataWedge Setup Guide and Advanced Guide. it also might be helpful to read the DataWedge section of the Integrator Guide included with Zebra devices.

Interfaces

An application accesses DataWedge APIs by broadcasting an Intent. It will use the primary pieces of information in an Intent--Action and Data--to specify which API function to perform.

DataWedge APIs covered in this guide:

  • SoftScanTrigger - used to start, stop or toggle a software scanning trigger
  • ScannerInputPlugin - enable/disable the scanner Plug-in used by the active Profile
  • EnumerateScanners - returns a list of scanners available on the device
  • SetDefaultProfile - sets the specified Profile as the default Profile
  • ResetDefaultProfile - resets the default Profile to Profile0
  • SwitchToProfile - switches to the specified Profile

SoftScanTrigger

The SoftScanTrigger API command can be used to start, stop or toggle a software scanning trigger. Valid only when Barcode Input is enabled in the active Profile.

FUNCTION PROTOTYPE

Intent i = new Intent();
i.setAction(ACTION);
i.putExtra(EXTRA_DATA, "<parameter>");
PARAMETERS

ACTION: String "com.symbol.datawedge.api.ACTION_SOFTSCANTRIGGER"

EXTRA_DATA: String "com.symbol.datawedge.api.EXTRA_PARAMETER"

<parameter>: The parameter as a string, using any of the following:

  • "START_SCANNING" - to start scanning

  • "STOP_SCANNING" - to stop scanning

  • "TOGGLE_SCANNING" - to toggle between start scanning and stop scanning

RETURN VALUES

None.

Error and debug messages will be logged to the Android logging system which then can be viewed and filtered by the logcat command. You can use logcat from an ADB shell to view the log messages, e.g.

$ adb logcat -s DWAPI

Error messages will be logged for invalid actions and parameters

EXAMPLE

// define action and data strings
String softScanTrigger = "com.symbol.datawedge.api.ACTION_SOFTSCANTRIGGER";
String extraData = "com.symbol.datawedge.api.EXTRA_PARAMETER";
// create the intent
Intent i = new Intent();
// set the action to perform
i.setAction(softScanTrigger);
// add additional info
i.putExtra(extraData, "START_SCANNING");
// send the intent to DataWedge

context.this.sendBroadcast(i);

COMMENTS

The received API commands are not queued; API commands are processed immediately. Commands received while the current API command is still being processed may be ignored. For example, attempting to send the soft scan trigger start command immediately after sending the scanner enable command will result in the soft scan trigger command being ignored because the scanner enable will not have had time to complete. In this case, the soft scan trigger command should be delayed sufficiently for the scanner enable to complete; one example of how this could be done is given below.

int triggerDelay = 250; // delay in milliseconds

Handler handler = new Handler();
handler.postDelayed(new Runnable() {
        public void run() {
                // for clarity, assume the following method contains the code in the example above
                startSoftScan();
        }
}, triggerDelay);

ScannerInputPlugin

The ScannerInputPlugin API command can be used to enable/disable the scanner plug-in being used by the currently active Profile. Disabling the scanner plug-in effectively disables scanning in that Profile, regardless of whether the Profile is associated or unassociated. Valid only when Barcode Input is enabled in the active Profile.

Note: Use of this API changes only the runtime status of the scanner; it does not make persistent changes to the Profile.

FUNCTION PROTOTYPE

Intent i = new Intent();
i.setAction(ACTION);
i.putExtra(EXTRA_DATA, "<parameter>");
PARAMETERS

ACTION: String "com.symbol.datawedge.api.ACTION_SCANNERINPUTPLUGIN"

EXTRA_DATA: String "com.symbol.datawedge.api.EXTRA_PARAMETER"

<parameter>: The parameter as a string, using either of the following:

  • "ENABLE_PLUGIN" - enables the plug-in
  • "DISABLE_PLUGIN" - disables the plug-in

RETURN VALUES

None.

Error and debug messages will be logged to the Android logging system which then can be viewed and filtered by the logcat command. You can use logcat from an ADB shell to view the log messages, e.g.

$ adb logcat -s DWAPI

Error messages will be logged for invalid actions and parameters

EXAMPLE

// define action and data strings
String scannerInputPlugin = "com.symbol.datawedge.api.ACTION_SCANNERINPUTPLUGIN";
String extraData = "com.symbol.datawedge.api.EXTRA_PARAMETER";

public void onResume() {
        // create the intent
        Intent i = new Intent();
        // set the action to perform
        i.setAction(scannerInputPlugin);
        // add additional info
        i.putExtra(extraData, "DISABLE_PLUGIN");
        // send the intent to DataWedge
        context.this.sendBroadcast(i);
}

COMMENTS

This Data Capture API intent will allow the scanner plug-in for the current Profile to be enabled or disabled. For example, let’s say that activity A launches and uses the Data Capture API intent to switch to ProfileA in which the scanner plug-in is enabled, then at some point it uses the Data Capture API to disable the scanner plug-in. Activity B is launched. In DataWedge, ProfileB is associated with activity B. DataWedge switches to ProfileB. When activity A comes back to the foreground, in the onResume method, activity A will need to use the Data Capture API intent to switch back to ProfileA, then use the Data Capture API intent again to disable the scanner plug-in, to return back to the state it was in.

NOTE

The above assumes that ProfileA is not associated with any applications/activities, therefore when focus switches back to activity A, DataWedge will not automatically switch to ProfileA therefore activity A must switch back to ProfileA in its onResume method. Because DataWedge will automatically switch Profile when an activity is paused, it is recommended that this API function be called from the onResume method of the activity.

enumerateScanners

The enumerateScanners API command can be used to get a list of scanners available on the device.

FUNCTION PROTOTYPE

Intent i = new Intent();
i.setAction(ACTION);

PARAMETERS

ACTION: String "com.symbol.datawedge.api.ACTION_ENUMERATESCANNERS"

RETURN VALUES

The enumerated list of scanners will be returned via a broadcast Intent. The broadcast Intent action is "com.symbol.datawedge.api.ACTION_ENUMERATEDSCANNERLIST" and the list of scanners is returned as a string array (see the example below).

Error and debug messages will be logged to the Android logging system which then can be viewed and filtered by the logcat command. You can use logcat from an ADB shell to view the log messages, e.g.

$ adb logcat -s DWAPI

Error messages will be logged for invalid actions and parameters

EXAMPLE

// first send the intent to enumerate the available scanners on the device
// define action string
String enumerateScanners = "com.symbol.datawedge.api.ACTION_ENUMERATESCANNERS";
// create the intent
Intent i = new Intent();
// set the action to perform
i.setAction(enumerateScanners);
// send the intent to DataWedge
context.this.sendBroadcast(i);

// now we need to be able to receive the enumerate list of available scanners
String enumeratedList = "com.symbol.datawedge.api.ACTION_ENUMERATEDSCANNERLIST";
String KEY_ENUMERATEDSCANNERLIST = "DWAPI_KEY_ENUMERATEDSCANNERLIST";
// Create a filter for the broadcast intent
IntentFilter filter = new IntentFilter();
filter.addAction(enumeratedList);
registerReceiver(myBroadcastReceiver, filter);

// now we need a broadcast receiver
private BroadcastReceiver myBroadcastReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
        @Override
        public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
                String action = intent.getAction();
                if (action.equals(enumeratedList)) {
                        Bundle b = intent.getExtras();
                        String[] scanner_list = b.getStringArray(KEY_ENUMERATEDSCANNERLIST);
                }
        }
};

COMMENTS

The scanner and its parameters are set based on the currently active Profile.

setDefaultProfile

The setDefaultProfile API function can be used to set the specified Profile as the default Profile.

DEFAULT PROFILE RECAP

Profile0 is the generic Profile used when there are no user-created Profiles associated with an application.

Profile0 can be edited but cannot be associated with an application. That is, DataWedge allows manipulation of plug-in settings for Profile0 but it does not allow assignment of a foreground application. This configuration allows DataWedge to send output data to any foreground application other than applications associated with user-defined Profiles when Profile0 is enabled.

Profile0 can be disabled to allow DataWedge to send output data only to those applications that are associated in user-defined Profiles. For example, create a Profile associating a specific application, disable Profile0 and then scan. DataWedge only sends data to the application specified in the user-created Profile. This places an additional layer of security on DataWedge, permitting data to be sent only to specified applications.

USAGE SCENARIO

If a launcher application has a list of apps that a user can launch and none has been associated with a DataWedge Profile, the setDefaultProfile method can be used to associate a Profile to any app selected by the user (otherwise Profile0 will be used). When the user-selected app is launched, DataWedge auto-Profile switching will switch to the newly specified Profile.

If the launched app already had an associated DataWedge Profile, the setDefaultProfile method call will be ignored and its previously specified Profile will be loaded. When control is returned to the launcher application, resetDefaultProfile can be used to reset the default Profile.

FUNCTION PROTOTYPE


Intent i = new Intent();
i.setAction(ACTION);
i.putExtra(EXTRA_DATA, "<profile name>");

PARAMETERS

ACTION: String "com.symbol.datawedge.api.ACTION_SETDEFAULTPROFILE"

EXTRA_DATA: String "com.symbol.datawedge.api.EXTRA_PROFILENAME"

<profile name>: The Profile name (a case-sensitive string) to set as the default Profile.

RETURN VALUES

None.

Error and debug messages will be logged to the Android logging system which then can be viewed and filtered by the logcat command. You can use logcat from an ADB shell to view the log messages. For example:

$ adb logcat -s DWAPI

Error messages will be logged for invalid actions, parameters and failures (e.g. Profile not found or associated with an application).

EXAMPLE

// define action and data strings
String setDefaultProfile = "com.symbol.datawedge.api.ACTION_SETDEFAULTPROFILE";
String extraData = "com.symbol.datawedge.api.EXTRA_PROFILENAME";

public void onResume() {
        // create the intent
        Intent i = new Intent();
        // set the action to perform
        i.setAction(setDefaultProfile);
        // add additional info
        i.putExtra(extraData, "myProfile");
        // send the intent to DataWedge
        context.this.sendBroadcast(i);
}

COMMENTS

The API command will have no effect if the specified Profile does not exist or if the specified Profile is already associated with an application. DataWedge will automatically switch Profiles when the activity is paused, so it is recommended that this API function be called from the onResume method of the activity.

Zebra recommends that this Profile be created to cater to all applications/activities that would otherwise default to Profile0. This will ensure that these applications/activities will not inadvertently switch scanner-device configurations. For example, let’s say that Profile0 is the default Profile, and it is configured to use the camera as the barcode scanner. If only the Browser application is used to scan barcodes with the camera, DataWedge always scans with the camera and enters the acquired data into the Browser as expected. But if an application is later launched that changes to a Profile using the blockbuster as the barcode scanner, the Browser application--which is set to use the default Profile--will be unexpectedly reconfigured to use the blockbuster for scanning the next time it's used. To ensure that the Browser continues to use the camera as the barcode scanner in this scenario, simply create a Profile that specifies the camera as the barcode scanner and associate it with the Browser.

resetDefaultProfile

The resetDefaultProfile API function can be used to reset the default Profile back to Profile0.

FUNCTION PROTOTYPE


Intent i = new Intent();
i.setAction(ACTION);
i.putExtra(EXTRA_DATA);

PARAMETERS

ACTION: String "com.symbol.datawedge.api.ACTION_RESETDEFAULTPROFILE"

EXTRA_DATA: String "com.symbol.datawedge.api.EXTRA_PROFILENAME"

RETURN VALUES

None.

Error and debug messages will be logged to the Android logging system, which then can be viewed and filtered by the logcat command. Use logcat from an ADB shell to view the log messages. For example: 

$ adb logcat -s DWAPI

Error messages will be logged for invalid actions, parameters and failures (e.g. Profile not found or associated with an application).

EXAMPLE

// define action string
String resetDefaultProfile = "com.symbol.datawedge.api.ACTION_RESETDEFAULTPROFILE";

public void onResume() {
        // create the intent
        Intent i = new Intent();
        // set the action to perform
        i.setAction(resetDefaultProfile);
        context.this.sendBroadcast(i);
}

COMMENTS

None.

SwitchToProfile

The SwitchToProfile API action can be used to switch to the specified Profile, as long as that profile is not already associated with another application.

PROFILES RECAP

DataWedge is based on Profiles and plug-ins. A Profile contains information on how DataWedge should behave with different applications.

Profile information consists of:

  • Associated application
  • Input plug-in configurations
  • Output plug-in configurations
  • Process plug-in configurations

DataWedge includes a default Profile, Profile0, that is created automatically the first time DataWedge runs.

Using Profiles, each application can have a specific DataWedge configuration. For example, each user application can have a Profile which outputs scanned data in the required format when that application comes to the foreground. DataWedge can be configured to process the same set of captured data differently based on the requirements of each application.

NOTE

A single Profile may be associated with one or many activities/apps, however, given an activity, only one Profile may be associated with it.

USAGE SCENARIO

Let’s say an application has two activities. ActivityA requires only EAN13 barcodes to be scanned. ActivityB requires only MSR card data. ProfileB is configured to scan only EAN13 barcodes and is left unassociated. ProfileM is configured to accept only MSR input and is left unassociated. When ActivityA launches, it uses SwitchToProfile to activate ProfileB. Similarly, when ActivityB launches it uses SwitchToProfile to activate ProfileM.

If another activity/app comes to the foreground, DataWedge auto Profile switching will set the DataWedge Profile accordingly either to the default Profile or to an associated Profile.

When ActivityA (or ActivityB) comes back to the foreground it will use switchToProfile to reset the Profile back to ProfileB (or ProfileM).

FUNCTION PROTOTYPE

Intent i = new Intent();
i.setAction(ACTION);
i.putExtra(EXTRA_DATA, "<profile name>");

PARAMETERS

ACTION: String "com.symbol.datawedge.api.ACTION_SWITCHTOPROFILE"

EXTRA_DATA: String "com.symbol.datawedge.api.EXTRA_PROFILENAME"

<profile name>: The Profile name to switch to as a string (case-sensitive).

RETURN VALUES

None.

Error and debug messages will be logged to the Android logging system which then can be viewed and filtered by the logcat command. You can use logcat from an ADB shell to view the log messages, e.g.

$ adb logcat -s DWAPI

Error messages will be logged for invalid actions, parameters and failures (e.g. Profile not found or associated with an application).

EXAMPLE

// define action and data strings
String switchToProfile = "com.symbol.datawedge.api.ACTION_SWITCHTOPROFILE";
String extraData = "com.symbol.datawedge.api.EXTRA_PROFILENAME";

public void onResume() {
        super.onResume();
        // create the intent
        Intent i = new Intent();
        // set the action to perform
        i.setAction(switchToProfile);
        // add additional info
        i.putExtra(extraData, "myProfile");
        // send the intent to DataWedge
        context.this.sendBroadcast(i);
}

COMMENTS

This API function will have no effect if the specified Profile does not exist or is already associated with an application.

DataWedge has a one-to-one relationship between Profiles and activities; a Profile can be associated only with a single activity. When a Profile is first created, it's not associated with any application, and will not be activated until associated. This makes it possible to create multiple unassociated Profiles.

This API function activates such Profiles.

For example, let's say that ProfileA is unassociated and ProfileB is associated with activity B. If activity A is launched and uses SwitchToProfile function to switch to ProfileA, then ProfileA will be active ehenever activity A is in the foreground. When activity B comes to the foreground, DataWedge will automatically switch to ProfileB.

When activity A returns to the foreground, the app must use SwitchToProfile again to switch back to ProfileA. This would be done in the onResume method of activity A.

Notes

  • Because DataWedge will automatically switch Profile when the activity is paused, Zebra recommends that this API function be called from the onResume method of the activity.
  • After switching to a Profile, this unassociated Profile does not get assigned to the application/activity and is available to be used in the future with a different app/activity.
  • For backward compatibility, DataWedge’s automatic Profile switching is not affected by the above API commands. This why the commands work only with unassociated Profiles and apps.

DataWedge auto Profile switching works as follows:

Every second…

  • Sets newProfileId to the associated Profile ID of the current foreground activity.
  • If no associated Profile is found, sets newProfileId to the associated Profile ID of the current foreground app.
  • If no associated Profile is found, sets newProfileId to the current default Profile (which MAY NOT be Profile0).
  • Checks the newProfileId against the currentProfileId. If they are different:
    • deactivates current Profile
    • activates new Profile (newProfileId)
    • sets currentProfileId = newProfileId

LINKS

Zebra Support Central - Integrator Guides, Product Manuals, Software Downloads and Support

LaunchPad - Zebra Developer Community

Intent | Android Developers

Intents and Intent Filters | Android Developers

Android Intents - Tutorial