title: Android manifest XML provider tag. android:authorities
body: <p>I have been going through the NotePad sample application for android-17 when I came across this tag in the manifest XML file:</p>
  
  <pre><code>    &lt;provider android:name="NotePadProvider"
          android:authorities="com.google.provider.NotePad"
          android:exported="false"&gt;
          &lt;grant-uri-permission android:pathPattern=".*" /&gt;
      &lt;/provider&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I looked up the defenition and I see that <code>com.google.provider.NotePad</code> is being listed as one of the authorities for the provider. I am assuming that <code>NotePadProvider</code> is referencing the class <code>NotePadProvider</code> defined in the <code>NotePadProvider.java</code> file but I want to ask if that is really the case to make sure I am on the right track. </p>
  
  <p>Also I am wondering what exactly is <code>com.google.provider.NotePad</code> and where is it defined and what is the purpose of <code>com.google.provider.NotePad</code> and what does it mean that <code>com.google.provider.NotePad</code> is the authority for the provider exactly.</p>