Update POS WebView

WebView Introduction

WebView is a crucial system component in Android that allows embedding and displaying HTML content within applications. It utilizes the Blink engine from Chrome, offering a seamless integration of web content in native apps.

Main Functions

Content Display: Loads and shows HTML, CSS, and JavaScript content.
Web Elements Support: Handles images, videos, audio, tables, forms, and more.
Interactivity: Offers APIs for JavaScript and Java interaction.
Caching: Improves speed and user experience by caching content and data.

Importance in Android Apps

Used extensively in e-commerce, social networking, and news apps.
Enhances user experience by providing a unified interface.
Simplifies updates and maintenance through server-side changes.
Allows reuse of existing web technology stacks.

Common Usage Scenarios

In-app Browsing: Offers in-app website content display.
Hybrid Apps: Combines native functionality with web content.
Single-Page Applications (SPA): Enables fast-loading, interactive SPAs within WebView.
Widgets: Displays dynamic content in home screen widgets.

Conclusion

WebView is a flexible and powerful tool in Android development, suitable for a variety of use cases and enhancing the capabilities of mobile applications.

Creating and Displaying a WebView

WebView Object Creation:
- Instantiate a new WebView object and set its layout parameters to fill the screen.
Loading a URL:
- Use the 'loadUrl()' method to load a specified URL into the WebView.
Adding to Layout:
- Add the WebView object to your application's layout.

// Create a new WebView object
WebView webView = new WebView(this);

// Set the layout parameters for the WebView
webView.setLayoutParams(new ViewGroup.LayoutParams(ViewGroup.LayoutParams.MATCH_PARENT,
        ViewGroup.LayoutParams.MATCH_PARENT));

// Load the specified URL into the WebView
webView.loadUrl("https://www.example.com");

// Add the WebView to the layout
((ViewGroup) findViewById(R.id.activity_main)).addView(webView);

Handling JavaScript Events

Setting a WebViewClient:
- Assign a new WebViewClient instance to the WebView.
- Override 'shouldOverrideUrlLoading()' to manage URL navigation events.
Setting a WebChromeClient:
- Assign a new WebChromeClient instance for additional interactive events, like handling JavaScript dialog boxes within the webpage.

webView.setWebViewClient(new WebViewClient() {
    @Override
    public boolean shouldOverrideUrlLoading(WebView view, String url) {
        // Handle URL navigation events here
        return super.shouldOverrideUrlLoading(view, url);
    }
});

webView.setWebChromeClient(new WebChromeClient());

Additional Considerations

Advanced Functionality: Depending on project needs, you might implement features to handle network errors, caching, and more complex web content interactions.

Upgrading System WebView

System Signature Requirement:
- Upgrading to a higher version of WebView requires the installation of a WebView version signed by the system.
Customer Preferences:
- Alternatively, customers can select from several signed versions offered by the provider for installation.
Considerations and Risks
- System Modification: Updating the system WebView involves altering the device's operating system, which carries risks and may void warranties.
- Compatibility with Android OS: The version of the system WebView depends on the Android OS version on the POS. Older devices might not support the latest WebView versions.
Alternative Approach: Third-Party WebView Libraries
- Using Libraries like Crosswalk: These libraries come with their own WebView component, offering more control over the WebView version in your app.
- Advantages: Bypasses system WebView limitations.
- Trade-offs: May increase app size and introduce potential stability issues.

WebView Version Compatibility Across Different Models

Model

Default version

Q2 Android 6

74.0.3729.186

Q2 Android 7

74.0.3729.186

Q2 Android 12

95.0.4638.74

Q3 Android 7

74.0.3729.186

Available WebView Versions

Download URL

Version

Android requirement

106.0.5249.126

Android version >=6

119.0.6045.134

Android version >= 7

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// Create a new WebView object WebView webView = new WebView(this); // Set the layout parameters for the WebView webView.setLayoutParams(new ViewGroup.LayoutParams(ViewGroup.LayoutParams.MATCH_PARENT, ViewGroup.LayoutParams.MATCH_PARENT)); // Load the specified URL into the WebView webView.loadUrl("https://www.example.com"); // Add the WebView to the layout ((ViewGroup) findViewById(R.id.activity_main)).addView(webView);

webView.setWebViewClient(new WebViewClient() { @Override public boolean shouldOverrideUrlLoading(WebView view, String url) { // Handle URL navigation events here return super.shouldOverrideUrlLoading(view, url); } }); webView.setWebChromeClient(new WebChromeClient());