Integrating Twitter API in Android App

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To integrate the Twitter Log-in API into an Android app, the app Consumer Key (API Key) and Consumer Secret (API Secret) is required which can be generated from https://apps.twitter.com/. The Twitter API is integrated into an Android app usually for log-in using the Twitter account, to share tweets, etc.

To generate the Twitter API Key and API Secret:

  • Click on the Apply button to apply for a Twitter Developer Account.

  • Click your primary reason for using Twitter Developer Tools.
  • Click on Next.

  • Your Twitter Developer Account is now created.
  • Click on the ‘Create an app’ button to create an app.

  • In the new open form, fill all the required details.
  • Click on the ‘Create’ button.
  • The application permission mode needs to be selected for the app.
  • Select Read, Write, and Access direct messages.
  • Click on the ‘Save’ button.

  • Open the ‘Settings’ tab.
  • Fill all the required details.
  • Click on ‘Update Settings’.
  • Open the Permissions tab again.
  • Enable ‘Request email from users’.
  • Click on ‘Update Settings’ again.
  • The app ‘Consumer Key’ and ‘Consumer Secrets’, will be available at the ‘Key and Access Tokens’ tab.

Example:

In the below example, we are integrating login through a Twitter account in an Android app.

build.gradle (Module):

In the ‘build.gradle’ (Module) file, we will write the code to add the following twitter dependencies.

Code:

apply plugin: 'com.android.application'
 
android {
    compileSdkVersion 28
    defaultConfig {
        applicationId "com.example.radioapp"
        minSdkVersion 23
        targetSdkVersion 28
        versionCode 1
        versionName "1.0"
        testInstrumentationRunner "android.support.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner"
    }
    buildTypes {
        release {
            minifyEnabled false
            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android-optimize.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
        }
    }
    sourceSets {
        main {
            assets {
                srcDirs 'src/main/assets', 'src/main/res/assets/'
            }
        }
    }
}
 
dependencies {
    implementation fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])
    implementation 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:28.0.0'
    implementation 'com.android.support:support-v4:28.0.0'
    implementation 'com.android.support:support-annotations:28.0.0'
    implementation 'com.android.support.constraint:constraint-layout:1.1.3'
    implementation 'com.android.support:design:28.0.0'
    testImplementation 'junit:junit:4.12'
    androidTestImplementation 'com.android.support.test:runner:1.0.2'
    androidTestImplementation 'com.android.support.test.espresso:espresso-core:3.0.2'
    implementation 'com.google.zxing:core:3.2.1'
    compile 'com.twitter.sdk.android:twitter:3.1.1'
    compile 'com.twitter.sdk.android:twitter-core:3.1.1'
 
    android {
        useLibrary 'org.apache.http.legacy'
    }
}

build.gradle (Project):

In the ‘build.gradle’ (Project) file, the “jcenter()” should be present.

strings.xml:

In the strings.xml file, the ‘Consumer Key’ and ‘Consumer Secret’ generated by Twitter should be placed.

AndroidManifest.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    package="com.example.radioapp">
 
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
 
    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
 
        <activity
            android:name=".MainActivity"
            android:label="@string/app_name" >
 
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
 
        </activity>
        <activity
            android:name=".HomeActivity" />
    </application>
</manifest>

activity_main.xml:

In the activity_main.xml file, we will write the code to add the Twitter login button provided by the Twitter API.

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    tools:context=".MainActivity">
 
 
    <com.twitter.sdk.android.core.identity.TwitterLoginButton
        android:id="@+id/login_button"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
        android:layout_centerVertical="true"
        android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
        android:layout_marginBottom="40dp"/>
 
</RelativeLayout>

MainActivity.java:

In the MainActivity.java file, we will write the below code. The ‘Twitter.initialize(this)’ code should be placed before the ‘setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)’. The Twitter button will disable, when the ‘Twitter.initialize(this)’ is placed after the ‘setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)’.

Code:

package com.example.radioapp;
 
 
import android.content.Intent;
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.util.Log;
import android.widget.Toast;
 
import com.twitter.sdk.android.core.Callback;
import com.twitter.sdk.android.core.DefaultLogger;
import com.twitter.sdk.android.core.Result;
import com.twitter.sdk.android.core.Twitter;
import com.twitter.sdk.android.core.TwitterAuthConfig;
import com.twitter.sdk.android.core.TwitterAuthToken;
import com.twitter.sdk.android.core.TwitterConfig;
import com.twitter.sdk.android.core.TwitterCore;
import com.twitter.sdk.android.core.TwitterException;
import com.twitter.sdk.android.core.TwitterSession;
import com.twitter.sdk.android.core.identity.TwitterLoginButton;
 
public class MainActivity<config> extends AppCompatActivity {
 
    TwitterLoginButton loginButton;
    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        Twitter.initialize(this);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
 
        loginButton = (TwitterLoginButton) findViewById(R.id.login_button);
        loginButton.setCallback(new Callback<TwitterSession>() {
            @Override
            public void success(Result<TwitterSession> result) {
                // Do something with result, which provides a TwitterSession for making API calls
                TwitterSession session = TwitterCore.getInstance().getSessionManager().getActiveSession();
                TwitterAuthToken authToken = session.getAuthToken();
                //String token = authToken.token;
                //  String secret = authToken.secret;
 
                loginMethod(session);
            }
 
            @Override
            public void failure(TwitterException exception) {
                // Do something on failure
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),"Unable to Login",Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
            }
        });
    }
 
    public void loginMethod(TwitterSession twitterSession){
        String userName=twitterSession.getUserName();
        Intent intent= new Intent(MainActivity.this,HomeActivity.class);
        intent.putExtra("username",userName);
        startActivity(intent);
    }
    @Override
    protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {
        super.onActivityResult(requestCode, resultCode, data);
 
        // Pass the activity result to the login button.
        loginButton.onActivityResult(requestCode, resultCode, data);
    }
}

activity_home.xml:

The user after a successful login will be redirected to this activity.

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    tools:context=".HomeActivity">
 
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Hello World!!"
        android:textSize="20dp"
        android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
        android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
        android:layout_marginTop="40dp"
 
        />
 
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/nametextView"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignLeft="@+id/textView"
        android:layout_alignStart="@+id/textView"
        android:layout_below="@+id/textView"
        android:layout_marginTop="48dp"
        android:textSize="16dp"
        android:text="" />
</RelativeLayout>

HomeActivity.java:

In the HomeActivity.java file, we will write the code to display the user name received from the ‘MainActivity.java’ file in TextView.

Code:

package com.example.radioapp;
 
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.widget.TextView;
 
public class HomeActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
    TextView name;
    String user;
    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_home);
 
        user=getIntent().getStringExtra("username");
        name=(TextView)findViewById(R.id.nametextView);
        name.setText(user);
 
    }
}

Output 1:

Output 2: