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How to share a link (HTML)

[This article is for Windows 8.x and Windows Phone 8.x developers writing Windows Runtime apps. If you’re developing for Windows 10, see the latest documentation]

Links, or Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs), are another common data format that users want to share. The most common reason to share a link is when a user has specifically selected one; however, we also recommend that your app support sharing links:

  • When the content the user selects is also available online.
  • As a secondary source when sharing HTML.

What you need to know

Technologies

Prerequisites

  • You should be familiar with Visual Studio and its associated templates.
  • You should be familiar with JavaScript.

Instructions

Step 1: Get the DataTransferManager object

The DataTransferManager object is the starting point for any sharing operation.

var dataTransferManager = Windows.ApplicationModel.DataTransfer.DataTransferManager.getForCurrentView();
    dataTransferManager.addEventListener("datarequested", shareAsyncHandler);

Step 2: Add an event handler for the datarequested event

Add a DataRequested event handler to fire when the user wants to invoke Share. In a Windows Store app, this occurs automatically when the user invokes the Share charm. If you're developing for Windows Phone, there is no built-in Share charm, so you'll need to add a control for the user to tap and trigger the handler.

dataTransferManager.addEventListener("datarequested", function (e) {
    // Code to handle event goes here.
});

Step 3: Get a DataRequest object

When a datarequested event occurs, your app receives a DataRequest object. This object contains a DataPackage that you can use to provide the content that the user wants to share.

var request = e.request;

To add the link, use the setUri method.

request.data.setUri(new Windows.Foundation.Uri("http://www.fabrikam.com"));

Remarks

For apps that share an activation protocol URI, add some additional information to the DataPackage besides the URI. This helps ensure that target apps can provide a better experience to all users, including those using a different operating system (OS).

  • Provide a good title and description for the content.
  • Include an HTML snippet that describes the content being shared, and includes the URI inline. We recommend including a string that emphasizes that the link works for Windows 8 users and, if possible, provide an additional web link for users on a different operating system (OS).
  • Include a text version of your HTML snippet.

Some target apps might register to support URIs even if they can really only handle http:// or https:// URIs. Providing alternative data formats makes it more likely that the target app will successfully complete your scenario.

Complete example

Here's an example of a function that sets a link for a user to share. For a more complete example, check out our code gallery sample.

function registerForShare() {
    var dataTransferManager = Windows.ApplicationModel.DataTransfer.DataTransferManager.getForCurrentView();
    dataTransferManager.addEventListener("datarequested", shareLinkHandler);
}

function shareLinkHandler(e) {
        var request = e.request;
        request.data.properties.title = "Share Link Example";
        request.data.properties.description = "A demonstration that shows how to add a link (URI) to share.";
        request.data.setUri(new Windows.Foundation.Uri("http://www.fabrikam.com"));
}

Sharing content source app sample

Sharing and exchanging data

How to share files

How to share HTML

How to share text

Quickstart: Sharing content

DataPackage

Windows.ApplicationModel.DataTransfer

Windows.ApplicationModel.DataTransfer.Share