Getting Started with Android

This guide describes how to set up your development environment for Cordova and run a sample application. Note that Cordova used to be called PhoneGap, so some of the sites still use the old PhoneGap name.

  1. Requirements

  • Eclipse 3.4+

  1. Install SDK + Cordova

  1. Setup New Project

  • Launch Eclipse, and select menu item New > Android Project. Fill out the three panels of the New Android Project wizard shown below.

  • In the root directory of your project, create two new directories: - /libs - assets/www
  • Copy cordova-1.6.1.js from your Cordova download earlier to assets/www
  • Copy cordova-1.6.1.jar from your Cordova download earlier to /libs

  • Copy xml folder from your Cordova download earlier to /res

  • Verify that cordova-1.6.1.jar is listed in the Build Path for your project. Right click on the /libs folder and go to Build Paths/ > Configure Build Path…. Then, in the Libraries tab, add cordova-1.6.1.jar to the project. If Eclipse is being temperamental, you might need to refresh (F5) the project once again.

  • Edit your project's main Java file found in the src folder in Eclipse:
    • Add import org.apache.cordova.*;
    • Change the class's extend from Activity to DroidGap
    • Replace the setContentView() line with super.loadUrl("file:///android_asset/www/index.html");

  • Right click on AndroidManifest.xml and select Open With > XML Editor

  • Paste the following permissions between the <uses-sdk…/> and <application…/> tags.

      <supports-screens 
      android:largeScreens="true" 
      android:normalScreens="true" 
      android:smallScreens="true" 
      android:resizeable="true" 
      android:anyDensity="true" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.VIBRATE" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_LOCATION_EXTRA_COMMANDS" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_SMS" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_CONTACTS" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_CONTACTS" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" /> 
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.GET_ACCOUNTS" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.BROADCAST_STICKY" />

  • Support orientation changes by pasting the following inside the <activity> tag.

      android:configChanges="orientation|keyboardHidden"

  • Your AndroidManifest.xml file should look like

  1. Hello World

  • Create and open a new file named index.html in the assets/www directory. Paste the following code:

      <!DOCTYPE HTML>
  <html>
  <head>
  <title>Cordova</title>
  <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="cordova-1.6.1.js"></script>
  </head>
  <body>
  <h1>Hello World</h1>
  </body>
  </html>

5A. Deploy to Simulator

  • Right click the project and go to Run As > Android Application
  • Eclipse will ask you to select an appropriate AVD. If there isn't one, then you'll need to create it.

5B. Deploy to Device

  • Make sure USB debugging is enabled on your device and plug it into your system. (Settings > Applications > Development)
  • Right click the project and go to Run As > Android Application

Done!