Can We Install an APK From a ContentProvider?

Question

I am working on a library to allow apps to self-update, for those that are being distributed outside of the Android Market.

My original plan was to include code that

Answer 1

I have this in one of my applications which allows me access to local storage (user preference selectable before you have a go at me ;) )

import java.io.*;
import android.content.*;
import android.database.*;
import android.net.*;
import android.os.*;
import android.preference.PreferenceManager;
import android.util.Log;

public class LocalFileContentProvider extends ContentProvider {
   private static final String URI_PREFIX = "content://your.content.provider.as.per.manifest";

   public static String constructUri(String url) {
       Uri uri = Uri.parse(url);
       return uri.isAbsolute() ? url : URI_PREFIX + url;
   }

   @Override
   public ParcelFileDescriptor openFile(Uri uri, String mode) throws FileNotFoundException {

       SharedPreferences app_preferences = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(getContext());

       boolean allowLocal = app_preferences.getBoolean("allowLocalFiles", false);

        if (allowLocal) {    
            try {
                File file = new File(uri.getPath());

                if (file.isDirectory())
                    return null;

                ParcelFileDescriptor parcel = ParcelFileDescriptor.open(file, ParcelFileDescriptor.MODE_READ_ONLY);
                return parcel;
            } catch (Exception e) {
                return null;
            }
        } else {
            return null;
        }

   }

   @Override
   public boolean onCreate() {
       return true;
   }

   @Override
   public int delete(Uri uri, String s, String[] as) {
       throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not supported by this provider");
   }

   @Override
   public String getType(Uri uri) {
       throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not supported by this provider");
   }

   @Override
   public Uri insert(Uri uri, ContentValues contentvalues) {
       throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not supported by this provider");
   }

   @Override
   public Cursor query(Uri uri, String[] as, String s, String[] as1, String s1) {
       throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not supported by this provider");
   }

   @Override
   public int update(Uri uri, ContentValues contentvalues, String s, String[] as) {
       throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not supported by this provider");
   }

}

My manifest contains

and then to start the install (or action)

Intent viewIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
viewIntent.setDataAndType(Uri.parse(url), mimeType);