Search code examples
androidcordovagradlepluginsaar

Add custom .aar library using AndroidX to Cordova plugin

Objective

I need to develop a plugin for Cordova that implements some code (aar file) I've already developed, for an android app.

System

  • OS: Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS
  • IDEs: VSCode & Android Studio
  • Phone: Nexus 4 - Android 5.1.1
  • Cordova version: 8.1.2 (cordova-lib@8.1.1)
  • SDK informations of the Cordova app(from build.gradle): 
defaultBuildToolsVersion="27.0.1" //String
defaultMinSdkVersion=19 //Integer - Minimum requirement is Android 4.4
defaultTargetSdkVersion=27 //Integer - We ALWAYS target the latest by default
defaultCompileSdkVersion=27 //Integer - We ALWAYS compile with the latest by default

What I've tried

  1. I've made a .aar file from that project & I'm trying to add it to my Cordova plugin. I can import the methods from that project, but the application crashes once I open the activity that uses those methods (the app still builds correctly).
03-21 12:35:59.728 12235-12235/io.cordova.hellocordova E/AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: main
Process: io.cordova.hellocordova, PID: 12235
java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: Failed resolution of: Landroidx/core/content/ContextCompat;
  1. I figured it might be because of androidx thanks to Failed resolution of: Landroidx/core/content/ContextCompat;. So I added that line to my plugin.xml file: 
<!-- I have the same version of androidx.appcompat in my aar library -->
<framework src="androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.0.0-beta01"/>
  1. With that change the app refuses to build and I get those errors (I replaced the absolute project path with <projectpath>): 
AGPBI: {"kind":"error","text":"error: resource android:attr/dialogCornerRadius not found.","sources":[{"file":"/home/benjamin/.gradle/caches/transforms-1/files-1.1/appcompat-1.0.0-beta01.aar/ad380179fb375e61241b11fa4df558eb/res/values-v28/values-v28.xml","position":{"startLine":8,"startColumn":4,"startOffset":447,"endLine":11,"endColumn":12,"endOffset":684}}],"original":"","tool":"AAPT"}
AGPBI: {"kind":"error","text":"error: resource android:attr/dialogCornerRadius not found.","sources":[{"file":"/home/benjamin/Documents/Projects/Git/CordovaPluginProcessSdk/MobileApp/platforms/android/app/build/intermediates/incremental/mergeDebugResources/merged.dir/values-v28/values-v28.xml","position":{"startLine":10}}],"original":"","tool":"AAPT"}
AGPBI: {"kind":"error","text":"error: resource android:attr/fontVariationSettings not found.","sources":[{"file":"/home/benjamin/.gradle/caches/transforms-1/files-1.1/appcompat-1.0.0-beta01.aar/ad380179fb375e61241b11fa4df558eb/res/values/values.xml","position":{"startLine":1303,"startColumn":4,"startOffset":70911,"endColumn":68,"endOffset":70975}}],"original":"","tool":"AAPT"}
AGPBI: {"kind":"error","text":"error: resource android:attr/ttcIndex not found.","sources":[{"file":"/home/benjamin/.gradle/caches/transforms-1/files-1.1/appcompat-1.0.0-beta01.aar/ad380179fb375e61241b11fa4df558eb/res/values/values.xml","position":{"startLine":1303,"startColumn":4,"startOffset":70911,"endColumn":68,"endOffset":70975}}],"original":"","tool":"AAPT"}
<projectpath>/platforms/android/app/build/intermediates/incremental/mergeDebugResources/merged.dir/values-v28/values-v28.xml:7: error: resource android:attr/dialogCornerRadius not found.
<projectpath>/platforms/android/app/build/intermediates/incremental/mergeDebugResources/merged.dir/values-v28/values-v28.xml:11: error: resource android:attr/dialogCornerRadius not found.
<projectpath>/platforms/android/app/build/intermediates/incremental/mergeDebugResources/merged.dir/values/values.xml:228: error: resource android:attr/fontVariationSettings not found.
<projectpath>/platforms/android/app/build/intermediates/incremental/mergeDebugResources/merged.dir/values/values.xml:228: error: resource android:attr/ttcIndex not found.
error: failed linking references.

Failed to execute aapt
com.android.ide.common.process.ProcessException: Failed to execute aapt
    at com.android.builder.core.AndroidBuilder.processResources(AndroidBuilder.java:796)
    at com.android.build.gradle.tasks.ProcessAndroidResources.invokeAaptForSplit(ProcessAndroidResources.java:551)
    at com.android.build.gradle.tasks.ProcessAndroidResources.doFullTaskAction(ProcessAndroidResources.java:285)
    at com.android.build.gradle.internal.tasks.IncrementalTask.taskAction(IncrementalTask.java:109)
    at sun.reflect.GeneratedMethodAccessor274.invoke(Unknown Source)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
    at org.gradle.internal.reflect.JavaMethod.invoke(JavaMethod.java:73)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.DefaultTaskClassInfoStore$IncrementalTaskAction.doExecute(DefaultTaskClassInfoStore.java:173)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.DefaultTaskClassInfoStore$StandardTaskAction.execute(DefaultTaskClassInfoStore.java:134)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.DefaultTaskClassInfoStore$StandardTaskAction.execute(DefaultTaskClassInfoStore.java:121)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter$1.run(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:122)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:336)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:328)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:197)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:107)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeAction(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:111)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeActions(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:92)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:70)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipUpToDateTaskExecuter.execute(SkipUpToDateTaskExecuter.java:63)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ResolveTaskOutputCachingStateExecuter.execute(ResolveTaskOutputCachingStateExecuter.java:54)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ValidatingTaskExecuter.execute(ValidatingTaskExecuter.java:58)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.execute(SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.java:88)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ResolveTaskArtifactStateTaskExecuter.execute(ResolveTaskArtifactStateTaskExecuter.java:52)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.execute(SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.java:52)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.execute(SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.java:54)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteAtMostOnceTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteAtMostOnceTaskExecuter.java:43)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.CatchExceptionTaskExecuter.execute(CatchExceptionTaskExecuter.java:34)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker$1.run(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:248)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:336)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:328)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:197)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:107)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:241)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:230)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.processTask(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:124)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.access$200(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:80)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker$1.execute(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:105)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker$1.execute(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:99)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionPlan.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionPlan.java:625)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionPlan.executeWithTask(DefaultTaskExecutionPlan.java:580)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.run(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:99)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ExecutorPolicy$CatchAndRecordFailures.onExecute(ExecutorPolicy.java:63)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ManagedExecutorImpl$1.run(ManagedExecutorImpl.java:46)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1142)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:617)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ThreadFactoryImpl$ManagedThreadRunnable.run(ThreadFactoryImpl.java:55)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745)
Caused by: java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: com.android.tools.aapt2.Aapt2Exception: AAPT2 error: check logs for details
  1. With those errors, I've come to think that it might be an error between cordova and androidx library. To check that I've tried to add a different library (volley, which is not required for my aar library to work) with that line: 
<framework src="com.android.volley:volley:1.1.1"/>
  1. The app builds successfully. But when I run it, it crashes once we start using elements from the AAR library. (cf. step 1)

Is Cordova compatible with androidx ? If it is, what is preventing me from using it ?

It looks like it's not compatible from the tests & errors I've got, but I haven't found relevant information on the subject on the Cordova documentation website or with a google search. So I can't confirm.

PS: I tried to be as exhaustive as possible, please ask if you're missing information.

Edit #1:

  1. I tried to change androidx back to appcompat in my .aar library. I generated a new .aar & used 
<framework src="com.android.support:appcompat-v7:28.0.0"/>

instead of the androidx import.

Result: Same as (1.) issue.

Conclusion: It might not be because of androidx

  1. I remembered that on the official doc of Cordova they're using an import of appcompat: Cordova - Plugin.xml - Framework. So I used this one:
<!-- Depend on v21 of appcompat-v7 support library -->
<framework src="com.android.support:appcompat-v7:21+" />

And it builds correctly. But still crashes because the function used in the .aar file doesn't exist for this version of the library. 

Process: io.cordova.hellocordova, PID: 16523
    java.lang.NoSuchMethodError: No static method checkSelfPermission(Landroid/content/Context;Ljava/lang/String;)I in class Landroid/support/v4/content/ContextCompat; or its super classes (declaration of 'android.support.v4.content.ContextCompat' appears in /data/app/io.cordova.hellocordova-2/base.apk)

If possible I would like to keep using androidx instead of appcompat because I have other modules that depend on it.

Solution

  • Thanks to this documentation Flutter Doc I migrated my project to be compatible with Androidx. (Like Android Studio would have done using the Refactor > Migrate to AndroidX option) Yes, it's from Flutter and not Cordova, but since it's general information for any Android project, it still fits.

    Main things I've done were:

    • Adding a file gradle.properties to platforms/android
    android.enableJetifier=true
android.useAndroidX=true
    • Upgrading minSdkVersion from 15 to 19
    • Upgrading target & compile sdkVersion from 27 to 28
    • Updating gradle from 3.0.0 to 3.3.2

    Since I created my project with Cordova CLI, I didn't think it would work like a normal Android project regarding those features, so I overlooked it.

    I've ran some tests & the application seems to work OK now.

    Edit #1

    I had to solve that problem again, so I went through the steps that solved my problem before. It seems that the one that solved the issue was changing version in the platform/android/project.properties file from target=android-27 to target=android-28