The Application Manager service can launch any application, not just the core applications described in this chapter. However, it’s limited at this time; to launch another application, you will need to know the application ID and the available parameters. Currently, webOS does not include dynamic registration for resource handlers or any broadcast services to allow you to determine which applications are available and which services they offer at runtime.

You can launch News in its current form with this call:

this.controller.serviceRequest("palm://com.palm.applicationManager", {
     method: "open",
     parameters: {
         id: "com.palm.app.news",
         params: {}
     }
});

News is launched as if from the Launcher to the feedList scene. If it is already launched, it will be maximized and put into the foreground view.

With the addition of an application assistant, an application is able to accept launch arguments through an explicit entry point, the handleLaunch method. Chapter 10 covers these topics in detail and explores the general use of launch requests.