title: How to send String[] intent extra value from command line?
body: <p>My automated test sends intents via <code>adb shell am</code>, but I'm having trouble specifying an extra that is a <em>String Array</em>.</p>
  
  <p>According to the <a href="https://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/Intent.html#putExtra%28java.lang.String,%20java.lang.String%5b%5d%29">Intent class docs</a>, it is possible to put an <em>String[]</em> extra to an intent.</p>
  
  <p>However the <a href="http://developer.android.com/tools/help/adb.html#IntentSpec">Intent specification docs</a> for the <code>am</code> command does not list a string array type. The only string types I can see in the docs is normal string and perhaps null "string":</p>
  
  <pre><code>--esn &lt;EXTRA_KEY&gt;
      Add a null extra. This option is not supported for URI intents. 
  -e|--es &lt;EXTRA_KEY&gt; &lt;EXTRA_STRING_VALUE&gt;
      Add string data as a key-value pair. 
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Is it avoidable to write a java application for the mere purpose of sending string arrays?</p>
  
  <p>Is there a way to send a <em>String[]</em> extra from the command line?</p>
  
  <p><strong>edit</strong> in case this is not possible this way, what is the preferred way to do this?</p>