Top Android NFC Libraries

Top Android NFC Libraries.

Introduction to Android NFC Libraries

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a technology that allows devices to communicate wirelessly over short distances. It is commonly used for contactless payments, data transfer, and authentication. In Android, NFC functionality is provided through various libraries that simplify the implementation of NFC features in your applications.

In this tutorial, we will explore some of the top Android NFC libraries and learn how to install and use them in your projects. We will provide code examples in both Kotlin and Java, where applicable, to cater to developers using different programming languages.

1. Android Beam

Android Beam is a built-in NFC feature in Android devices that enables easy sharing of data between devices. It allows users to transfer files, URLs, and other types of data by simply tapping their devices together.

To use Android Beam in your application, you need to add the following permission to your AndroidManifest.xml file:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.NFC" />

Next, you can listen for NFC beam events in your activity by implementing the NfcAdapter.CreateNdefMessageCallback interface. Here's an example in Kotlin:

class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity(), NfcAdapter.CreateNdefMessageCallback {

    private var nfcAdapter: NfcAdapter? = null

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)
        
        nfcAdapter = NfcAdapter.getDefaultAdapter(this)
        nfcAdapter?.setNdefPushMessageCallback(this, this)
    }

    override fun createNdefMessage(event: NfcEvent?): NdefMessage {
        // Create and return an NDEF message to be sent via Android Beam
        val textRecord = NdefRecord.createTextRecord(null, "Hello, world!")
        return NdefMessage(arrayOf(textRecord))
    }
}

2. NFC Tools

NFC Tools is a powerful library that provides a wide range of NFC-related functionalities. It allows you to read and write NFC tags, communicate with other NFC devices, and handle NFC events.

To include NFC Tools in your project, add the following dependency to your app-level build.gradle file:

implementation 'com.github.skjolber:nfc-tools-android:1.2.1'

Here's an example of reading an NFC tag using NFC Tools in Java:

import com.github.skjolber.nfc.NfcReader;
import com.github.skjolber.nfc.NfcTag;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    private NfcReader nfcReader;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
        
        nfcReader = new NfcReader(this);
    }

    @Override
    protected void onResume() {
        super.onResume();
        nfcReader.enableForegroundDispatch();
    }

    @Override
    protected void onPause() {
        super.onPause();
        nfcReader.disableForegroundDispatch();
    }

    @Override
    protected void onNewIntent(Intent intent) {
        super.onNewIntent(intent);
        NfcTag nfcTag = nfcReader.createTag(intent);
        // Read tag data and perform necessary actions
    }
}

3. NFC NDEF Library

The NFC NDEF Library simplifies the creation and parsing of NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) messages. It provides a high-level API for handling NDEF records and messages, making it easier to work with NFC data.

To include NFC NDEF Library in your project, add the following dependency to your app-level build.gradle file:

implementation 'com.github.ganeshrvel:android-nfc-ndef-lib:1.2.0'

Here's an example of creating an NDEF message with a text record using NFC NDEF Library in Kotlin:

import com.ganeshrvel.nfclib.NfcManager;
import com.ganeshrvel.nfclib.models.NdefRecordModel;
import com.ganeshrvel.nfclib.models.NdefMessageModel;

class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {

    private lateinit var nfcManager: NfcManager

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)
        
        nfcManager = NfcManager(this)
    }

    private fun createNdefMessage(): NdefMessageModel {
        val textRecord = NdefRecordModel.createTextRecord("Hello, world!")
        return NdefMessageModel(arrayOf(textRecord))
    }
}

Additional Libraries

Here are a few more NFC libraries that you may find useful:

• NFCLink: A library for NFC peer-to-peer communication.
• NfcCore: A library for low-level NFC access and card emulation.
• Ionic NFC: A PhoneGap plugin for NFC functionality in Ionic applications.

Remember to check the documentation and GitHub repositories of each library for more detailed usage instructions and code examples.

That's it! You now have an overview of some of the top Android NFC libraries and how to use them in your projects. Happy coding!

Note: Make sure to add the necessary permissions and handle runtime permissions appropriately when working with NFC in your Android applications.