WikiD Instructables

Introduction

Tasker allows creation of completely standalone apps (APK files) which have no requirement for Tasker to be installed on the device they're used on.

The intention is to allow people to create their own apps for fun, for sale or just to share with friends. Or if you are concerned about all the permissions Tasker needs you can create an app that has only the permissions you require!

App creation is uncomplicated and takes only a few seconds once you're setup.

To create apps, you need the following on your device (not necessarily on the device(s) the app will run on):

• Android 2.3+
• Tasker App Factory (free, see below)
• a device with an ARM or x86 processor (the vast majority of devices have one of those)

App creation is accessed by long-clicking on a project (not the base project) or task and selecting Export then As App. Any linked resources needed (e.g. other tasks, images) are included as part of the new app.

To export anything except a single task, you need to create a project and put anything you wish to export in the project.

Hello World Example

1. Create A Task

• make a new task
  click on the Tasks tab then click + to add a new task. Give it a name Hello World.
• give the task an icon
  click the grid icon at the bottom of the screen and pick any icon
• add the Popup action
  click + in the bottom left to add an action, select category Alert and then action Popup. Fill in Hello World! in the Text parameter, then click the accept button bottom left to accept the action, then again to accept the task.
• ask Tasker to create an app
  long-click on the task you just made, select Export then As App. A popup appears mentioning a Missing App.

2. Install Tasker App Factory

To generate apps, Tasker needs a free helper app called Tasker App Factory. It's available on Play Store and from the Tasker website.

Click the accept button on the popup to install the helper app.

3. App Generation

Tasker should now start generating your app, which will take maybe 12 seconds depending on your device.

If all goes well, the Cancel button will turn into an OK button meaning your app is ready!

We can't run the app straight away though because it hasn't been installed. Click on the rightmost bottom button with the Android icon to ask Android to install your app.

Once Android is done installing, you can click it's Open button to run the app, or you can simply go to the home screen and click on the app's icon in the launcher.

You should see a Hello World popup!

App Configuration

More usually, before an app is generated you will be presented with a configuration screen which lets you specify various options for the new app.

App Signing

Android requires that all apps be signed i.e. that they certify who created them. By default, Tasker uses an automatically-generated insecure certificate to sign apps and doesn't bother mentioning it.

However, if you want to release an app via a public site (Play Store for example), you will need to sign it with a proper (secure) certificate. That's done so the site knows that it's you that's giving them the app each time you submit a new version.

Certificates are kept in a keystore which is protected with a password. To generate a keystore with a secure certificate, use Menu / More / Developer Options / Create Certificate.

Once you've generated the keystore, Tasker will often need to ask you for the certificate password before app generation so that it can be used to sign each new version of your app.

If Android's backup service is enabled in Android settings, Tasker makes a backup of the keystore there.

Tasker also makes an automatic backup of the keystore to

	/sdcard/Tasker/factory/keystore.user

when it is first created and when you backup your profile data with Menu / Data / Backup. It's highly advisable to make a copy of that file and keep it safe away from your device.

Target Device Requirements

• the minimum SDK version specified in the Kid Config screen
• have hardware corresponding to features specified in the Kid Config screen

Miscellaneous

Accessibility Service

Android accessibility support changed in Android 4.1 (JellyBean). If support is needed for accessibility services in 4.1+, the Minimum Android Version in the child Configuration screen must be set to 16 or higher. If support is required pre-4.1, it must be set to less than 16.

In other words, to support both pre- and post-4.1 devices, two APKs must be generated.

This applies to all features that rely on an Accessibility Service (events Notification, New Window, Button Widget Clicked, Notification Click, variables %NTITLE, %WIN, App Context from min version 20+)

Google Play Store allows publication of APKs targetting different Android versions under the same package name, however this has not been tested by the developer of Tasker.

Launch Task

When the specified launch task runs in the child app, the following local variables will be available to it:

• %launch_data: the data (URI) in the intent that caused the child app to launch (often empty)

Monitor Service

Most child apps include a service which constantly monitors for events. If you know that you don't need to monitor events anymore (in-between app launches) you can use the Disable action in the Tasker category to stop it.

It will be automatically started again next time the app is launched.

Widgets / Shortcuts

• it's not possible in Android to auto-create widgets with any app
• it's not possible *currently* to offer the user child-app widgets, that may be available in the future to some extent

Memory Problems

Preferences

The new app does not take over any preferences from Tasker, all of the preferences in the child app are in their default state, with a couples of exceptions.

Despite the misleading name, you can use the Set Tasker Pref action in the Tasker category in the child app to change some of the child's preferences when it is running.

Available Tasker Features

The Test action in the Misc category allows you to check which Tasker features are available at run time (when the app is being used).

Images

Tip: to include a dynamic image (e.g. which you download to a file path via HTTP Get), put the image reference in a variable, and put the variable in the relevant action.

Plugins

When the new app is launched, it checks that all referenced plugins are installed on the device and prompts the user to install missing ones.

Some plugins may not work on other devices if they themselves store something about the action to be performed, since that data will not be available on the other device.