CODEWITHSUNDEEP
androidvisual-studio-cordova
Andrew Lindzon
Andrew Lindzon

Reputation: 71

Visual Studio 2017 Cordova; change target folder for Android build

I have figured out how to get visual studio to compile and test with cordova 7.1.0 even though in theory it is supposed to only work with 6.3.1 But I have one more issue with Android.

Deploy is looking for the apk in platforms\android\build\outputs\apk

Build now puts the apk in platforms\android\build\outputs\apk\debug

So if I build it, then copy the apk then tell visual studio to debug, it works since it can fine the apk in platforms\android\build\outputs\apk

So every time I want to test, I have to delete the apk, built it, then copy it, then build it again to allow visual studio to deploy it.

Is there a setting in visual studio, the project, or the registry that I can use to change either the deploy folder or the build folder so they match?

Upvotes: 4

Views: 1074

Answers (2)

Kiet Vo
Kiet Vo

Reputation: 31

I followed the advice from here https://stackoverflow.com/a/49270052/9874134 but tweaked it a bit to make it work for my case.

The cordova android platform 6.4+ puts the built apk here:

[project]\platforms\android\app\build\outputs\apk\debug\app-debug.apk

Visual Studio seems to be looking for it here:

[project]\platforms\android\build\outputs\apk\app-debug.apk

I added an "after_build" hook that copies the app-debug.apk and output.json files to the folder VS is looking in. I had to manually add the folder structures (for both the location of files being copied and location of hook file). I just added the following file, and the build process picks it up automatically.

The next step is a bit different to the advice. The "after_build" hook copies the app-debug.apk and app-release files to the folder VS is looking in:

I placed copy_android_apk.js under [project]\scripts\

[project]\scripts\copy_android_apk.js

I added an "after_build" hook element in [project]\config.xml

<platform name="android">
  <hook src="scripts/copy_android_apk.js" type="after_build" />
</platform>

contents of copy_android_apk.js:

#!/usr/bin/env node

module.exports = function (context) {
    console.log(" -- manual step -- have to copy apk to this folder because that is where VS is looking for it...");

    var fs = require('fs');
    var path = require('path');
    var rootdir = process.argv[2];

    var srcfile = path.join(process.cwd(), "platforms\\android\\app\\build\\outputs\\apk\\debug\\app-debug.apk");
    var destfile = path.join(process.cwd(), "platforms\\android\\build\\outputs\\apk\\app-debug.apk");

    var destdir = path.dirname(destfile);

    //Create the output directory if it doesn't exist
    if (!fs.existsSync(destdir)) {
        mkdirSyncRecursive(destdir);
    }

    if (fs.existsSync(srcfile) && fs.existsSync(destdir)) {
        fs.createReadStream(srcfile).pipe(
            fs.createWriteStream(destfile));
    }

    srcfile = path.join(process.cwd(), "platforms\\android\\app\\build\\outputs\\apk\\release\\app-release.apk");
    destfile = path.join(process.cwd(), "platforms\\android\\build\\outputs\\apk\\app-release.apk");

    destdir = path.dirname(destfile);
    if (fs.existsSync(srcfile) && fs.existsSync(destdir)) {
        fs.createReadStream(srcfile).pipe(
            fs.createWriteStream(destfile));
    }

    /**
     * Splits whole path into segments and checks each segment for existence and recreates directory tree from the bottom.
     * If since some segment tree doesn't exist it will be created in series.
     * Existing directories will be skipped.
     * @param {String} directory
     */
    function mkdirSyncRecursive(directory) {
        var path = directory.replace(/\\$/, '').split('\\');
        for (var i = 1; i <= path.length; i++) {
            var segment = path.slice(0, i).join('/');
            !fs.existsSync(segment) ? fs.mkdirSync(segment) : null;
        }
    }
}

Upvotes: 1

Andrew Lindzon
Andrew Lindzon

Reputation: 71

I tried something that appears to have worked. I cleared the Cordova Cache, Tools/Options Tools for Appache Cordova Cordova Tools

Then I restarted Visual Studio

Now it works and will publish the debug directly to the device.

Although the app launched successfully Visual Studio stopped responding, which I recall also happened once in a while after the initial update to 2017, but seemed to go away. After restarting Visual Studio again, and Deploying the debug to Android Device, it operated properly.

Upvotes: 0

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