Mobile App/Cordova Development Notes

This page contains notes regarding the development of the Open Food Facts mobile apps (Cordova version).

Source code

The current Open Food Facts apps for iOS, Android and Windows Phone use Apache Cordova (previously known as Phonegap).

Installing Cordova on your machine

• Cordova: http://cordova.apache.org/
• Installing Cordova 3.6 : http://cordova.apache.org/docs/en/3.6.0/guide_overview_index.md.html
• http://cordova.apache.org/docs/en/3.6.0/guide_cli_index.md.html#The%20Command-Line%20Interface
• Following notes are for the Windows Platform, but most of it probably applies for Mac or Linux.

Installing Node.js

Install Node.js

• http://nodejs.org/
• Current Version: v0.10.32

Install Git client

• http://git-scm.com/

Install Cordova

in git-bash client:

npm install -g cordova

cordova -v : 3.6.3-0.2.13

Use cordova platform to know which platform you can install.

cordova platform

Install your platforms

cordova platform add firefoxos
cordova platform add android

Possible errors

"error android_home is not set and android command not in your path" when doing "cordova platform add android"

• • Install Eclipse ADT (Note : for win8 32bit/64bit install 32bit ADT)
  • Setup Environment Variables :
    • Add to existing system variable "path" : <path to adt-bundle\sdk\tools>;<path to adt-bundle\sdk\platform-tools>
  • http://docs.phonegap.com/en/edge/guide_platforms_android_index.md.html
    • http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
    • C:\Users\Stéphane\AppData\Roaming\npm;C:\Users\Stéphane\AppData\Local\Android\android-sdk\tools;C:\Users\Stéphane\AppData\Local\Android\android-sdk\tools;C:\Users\Stéphane\AppData\Local\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools

"error failed to run javac -version make sure"

Java JDK

• http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html
• JAVA_HOME : C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_20
• add to PATH : C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_20\bin

ANT

• http://ant.apache.org/manual/index.html
• set ANT_HOME
• add %ANT_HOME%/bin to path

"Error: Failed to run "java -version"

which java --> an old version of java in C:\Windows\System32 was causing the issue.. :-(

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/24493693/cordova-android-revision-to-low

Run SDK Manager, install Android build tools.

Get the source code

Clone the Open Food Facts Cordova repository

git clone https://github.com/openfoodfacts/cordova-app.git

Android specific issues

Android version code

in config.xml : http://stackoverflow.com/questions/23001780/how-to-get-cordova-3-4-0-to-set-android-version-name-code-on-build

Cordova plugins

• http://plugins.cordova.io/#/package/com.phonegap.plugins.barcodescanner

Camera, File, File transfer plugins

Install the various plugins

cordova plugin add org.apache.cordova.camera
cordova plugin add org.apache.cordova.file
cordova plugin add org.apache.cordova.file-transfer

New names for plugins:

biz_000@Colibri MINGW64 ~/Desktop/cordova-app (master)
$ cordova -v
6.4.0

biz_000@Colibri MINGW64 ~/Desktop/cordova-app (master)
$ cordova plugins
cordova-plugin-barcodescanner 0.7.0 "BarcodeScanner"
cordova-plugin-camera 2.3.0 "Camera"
cordova-plugin-compat 1.0.0 "Compat"
cordova-plugin-file 4.3.0 "File"
cordova-plugin-file-transfer 1.6.0 "File Transfer"
cordova-plugin-whitelist 1.3.0 "Whitelist"

Barcode scanning plugin

You may also have to install Apache Cordova plugin for barcode scanning.

cordova plugin add com.phonegap.plugins.barcodescanner

Moodstocks

Install Moodstocks

• https://moodstocks.com/docs/phonegap/using-the-moodstocks-sdk-in-your-phonegap-application/

Instructions not up to date for Cordova 3.6. This might be an up to date example :

• https://github.com/Moodstocks/moodstocks-phonegap-plugin/blob/master/src/android/Demo.java

public class Demo extends CordovaActivity {

  private boolean scanActivityStarted = false;

  @Override
  public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    this.init();
    // Set by <content src="index.html" /> in config.xml
    super.loadUrl(Config.getStartUrl());
    //super.loadUrl("file:///android_asset/www/index.html")
  }

Moodstocks Bugs

The following pops up on the 2nd scan with Moodstocks:

java.lang.RuntimeException : Unable to start activity ComponentInfo ... The specified child already has a parent. You must call removeView() on the child's parent first.

-> Problem with jQuerymobile not "exiting" properly from scan when clicking on "Back" ?

Moodstocks plugin tutorial

• https://moodstocks.com/docs/phonegap/using-the-moodstocks-sdk-in-your-phonegap-application/

Firefox OS

See #firefoxos on Slack
A port of the app was initiated on Firefox OS. The main issues were with the barcode scanner and the lack of Cordova feature parity for the platform.

Notes from the Hackathon

• Hackpad: https://lite5.framapad.org/p/hack@moz
• PDF presentation: File:Porting OFF on Firefox OS.pdf
• https://github.com/gasolin/qrcode_scanner/
• https://github.com/SunboX/QR-Reader

How to hack it / install it

Get the source code

Clone the Open Food Facts Firefox OS Cordova repository

git clone https://github.com/openfoodfacts/openfoodfacts-ffos.git

Github repo with the app debugged during the Hackathon

Install the App Manager

• https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Firefox_OS/Using_the_App_Manager

Windows Phone

See #windowsphone on Slack

• Listing on the Windows Phone store

Ubuntu OS

Separate application and codebase. See #ubuntu on Slack

Publishing on App Stores

• See Mobile App/AppStores

May be of interest for future apps

• http://ionicframework.com/