How to pass drawable between activities

1) Passing in intent as extras

In the Activity A you decode your image and send it via intent:

• Using this method (extras) image is passed in 162 milliseconds time interval

Bitmap bitmap = BitmapFactory.decodeResource(getResources(), R.drawable.ic_launcher);     
ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
bitmap.compress(Bitmap.CompressFormat.PNG, 100, baos); 
byte[] b = baos.toByteArray();

Intent intent = new Intent(this, ActivityB.class);
intent.putExtra("picture", b);
startActivity(intent);

In Activity B you receive intent with byte array (decoded picture) and apply it as source to ImageView:

Bundle extras = getIntent().getExtras();
byte[] b = extras.getByteArray("picture");

Bitmap bmp = BitmapFactory.decodeByteArray(b, 0, b.length);
ImageView image = (ImageView) findViewById(R.id.imageView1);

image.setImageBitmap(bmp);

2) Saving image file and passing its reference to another activity

• WHY to do so? – taken from http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers/browse_frm/thread/9309931b3f060284#

“The size limit is: keep it as small as possible. Definitely don’t put
a bitmap in there unless it is no larger than an icon (32×32 or
whatever).

• In *Activity A* save the file (Internal Storage)

String fileName = "SomeName.png";
try {
    FileOutputStream fileOutStream = openFileOutput(fileName, MODE_PRIVATE);
    fileOutStream.write(b);  //b is byte array 
                             //(used if you have your picture downloaded
                             // from the *Web* or got it from the *devices camera*)
                             //otherwise this technique is useless
    fileOutStream.close();
} catch (IOException ioe) {
    ioe.printStackTrace();
}

• Pass location as String to Activity B

Intent intent = new Intent(this, ActivityB.class);
intent.putExtra("picname", fileName);

• In *Activity B* retrieve the file

Bundle extras = getIntent().getExtras();
String fileName = extras.getString("picname");

• Make *drawable* out of the picture

File filePath = getFileStreamPath(fileName);
Drawable d = Drawable.createFromPath(filePath.toString());

• Apply it to the ImageView resource

someImageView.setBackgroundDrawable(d);