The document discusses iOS app extensions, explaining their purpose, lifecycle, and communication methods with host apps. It covers the creation and distribution of app extensions, limitations on APIs, and specific types of extensions like widgets, share, and action extensions. Key points include the necessity of a containing app, enabling user actions, and debugging processes for app extensions.

1. iOS 8 App Extensions
by
Ravi Kumar
Sr.iOS Developer
email:jrk.iosdev@gmail.com

2. ● What is ios app Extension ?
● App Extension’s Life Cycle
● How an App Extension Communicates
● Some APIs Are Unavailable to App Extensions
● Creating an App Extension
● Distribute the Containing App
● Sharing Data with Your Containing App
● debug an app extension
● App Extension Types

3. What is ios app Extension ?
● An app extension is different from an app
● It is a way for you to share your app’s functionality with other apps
● you must use an app to contain and deliver your extensions
● To distribute app extensions to users, you submit a containing app to the
App Store. When a user installs your containing app, the extensions it
contains are also installed
● You can use Objective-C or Swift,Objective-C and Swift
● After installing an app extension, a user must take action to enable it

4. App Extension’s Life Cycle
● App extension isn’t
an app
● Bundle is different
for app and
extension

5. How an App Extension Communicates
● An app extension communicates primarily
with its host app.
● There is a request from the host and a
response from the extension.
● There is no direct communication between
an app extension and its containing app.
● The containing app isn’t even running
while a contained extension is running.
● An app extension’s containing app and the
host app don’t communicate at all.

6. Some APIs Are Unavailable to App Extensions
● Access a sharedApplication object, and so cannot use
any of the methods on that object.
● HealthKit framework and EventKit UI framework are
unavailable to app extensions.
● Access the camera or microphone on an iOS device.
● Perform long-running background tasks.
● Receive data using AirDrop.

7. Creating an App Extension
● To add a new target to your Xcode app project, choose File > New > Target.

8. Distribute the Containing App
● You can’t submit an app extension to the App Store
unless it’s inside a containing app, and you can’t
transfer an extension from one app to another.
● To deliver an iOS app extension, you must submit a
containing app to the App Store.
● To pass app review, your containing app must provide
functionality to users; it can’t just contain app
extensions.

9. Sharing Data with Your Containing App

10. // Create and share access to an NSUserDefaults object.
NSUserDefaults *mySharedDefaults = [[NSUserDefaults alloc]
initWithSuiteName:@"com.example.domain.MyShareExtension"];
// Use the shared user defaults object to update the user's account.
[mySharedDefaults setObject:theAccountName forKey:@"lastAccountName"];

11. debug an app extension
● Enable the app extension’s scheme by choosing Product > Scheme > MyExtensionName or by
clicking the scheme pop-up menu in the Xcode toolbar and choosing MyExtensionName.
● Click the Build and Run button to tell Xcode to launch your specified host app.
● The Debug navigator indicates it is waiting for you to invoke the app extension.
● Invoke the app extension by way of the host app’s UI.

12. App Extension Types
Today
● Extensions in the Today view are
called widgets.
● Widgets give users quick access
to information that’s important
right now .
● Ensure that content always looks
up to date.

13. Custom Keyboard

14. Photo Editing
● Photo Editing extension lets users
edit a photo or video within the
Photos app.

15. Share
● Share extensions give
users a convenient way
to share content with
other entities, such as
social sharing websites
or upload services.

16. Action
● Create your own custom action
buttons
● An Action extension helps users
view or transform content
originating in a host app.
● Example:such as viewing an
image in a different format or
reading text in a different
language

17. Document picker
● files can store and retrieve files
stored.
● the document provider act as a
local repository for a particular
type of document, letting the user
gather all those documents into
one place.

18. Thank you