How to get file path from Intent Filter (email attachment/download)

Question

I have defined the following Intent filter in my manifest which allows me to open .ips files that are downloaded from the browser and also from email attachments.

<intent-filter
                android:icon='@drawable/ic_launcher'
                android:label="@string/quick_patcher_label"
                android:priority='1'>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.EDIT" />
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.PICK" />
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
            <data android:mimeType="*/*" />
            <data android:pathPattern="*.ips" />
        </intent-filter>
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />

            <data android:mimeType="*/*" android:scheme="http" android:host="*" android:pathPattern=".*\\.ips" />
            <data android:mimeType="*/*" android:scheme="https" android:host="*" android:pathPattern=".*\\.ips" />
        </intent-filter>

I tried part of the answer for this question which resulted in "false" as the file name, and I tried this one too. How can I retrieve the file path of the file I've opened with this intent filter from within my activity?

EDIT: Found this in another question, it works when opening from downloads but gives a NullPointerException for opening from emails. Anyone know why that is?

public String getRealPathFromURI(Uri contentUri) {
    String[] proj = { MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA };
    Cursor cursor = managedQuery(contentUri, proj, null, null, null);
    int column_index = cursor.getColumnIndexOrThrow(MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA);
    cursor.moveToFirst();
    return cursor.getString(column_index);
}

Answer 1

How can I retrieve the file path of the file I've opened with this intent filter from within my activity?

There might not be a "file path". You use getIntent().getData() to get the Uri of the data. Then, use ContentResolver and openInputStream() to get an InputStream for the data from that Uri .

Answer 2

From emails, you are probably getting EXTRA_TEXT and not a STREAM. So the STREAM comes out null.

Emails never exist as a file. You can save them to a file. But then they are no longer an email.

So, next time you are asked: "When is an email not an email?", you will know the answer and the asker will bow to your superior wisdom and ask to be your disciple. But I digress...