Cordova Video Chat code sample - How To guide

Here we explain how to run origin VideoChat code sample for browser on Cordova/PhoneGap environment

Complete Video Chat API integration guide for Web/Javascript and Hybrid apps is here

Integration details

1. Make sure you have the latest Cordova installed:

cordova --version

The output will be something like this:

9.0.0

If Cordova is not installed - run the following command:

npm install -g cordova

2. Create Cordova app:

cordova create sample-videochat-cordova com.sample.videochat SampleVideoChatCordova

You can use the Create your first Cordova app guide to get more info how to create your 1st Cordova app.

3. Change directory to newly created Cordova app:

cd sample-videochat-cordova

4. Add platforms:

cordova platform add ios --save && cordova platform add android --save

5. Install cordova-plugin-device plugin:

cordova plugin add cordova-plugin-device

6. Install cordova-custom-config plugin

cordova plugin add cordova-custom-config

7. Install cordova-plugin-statusbar plugin

cordova plugin add cordova-plugin-statusbar

Then add the following lines into config.xml (for iOS 10+):

<platform name="ios">
  ...
  <custom-config-file parent="NSCameraUsageDescription" platform="ios" target="*-Info.plist">
    <string>Access to camera to make video calls.</string>
  </custom-config-file>
  <custom-config-file parent="NSMicrophoneUsageDescription" platform="ios" target="*-Info.plist">
    <string>Access to microphone to make calls.</string>
  </custom-config-file>
</platform>

And the following for Android:

<platform name="android">
  ...
  <custom-preference name="android-minSdkVersion" value="21" />
  <custom-preference name="android-targetSdkVersion" value="28" />
  <custom-config-file parent="/*" target="AndroidManifest.xml">
    <uses-permission android:name="android.webkit.PermissionRequest" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />
    <uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera" />
    <uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera.autofocus" />
  </custom-config-file>
</platform>

Also, don’t forget to put the xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" attribute in the root widget element.

More info on Android permissions.

8. Install cordova-plugin-android-permissions plugin

cordova plugin add cordova-plugin-android-permissions

9. move to WKWebView for iOS

cordova plugin add cordova-plugin-wkwebview-engine

Then to setup the required permissions:

<platform name="ios">
  ...
  <feature name="CDVWKWebViewEngine">
    <param name="ios-package" value="CDVWKWebViewEngine" />
  </feature>
  <preference name="CordovaWebViewEngine" value="CDVWKWebViewEngine" />
  <preference name="WKWebViewOnly" value="true" />
</platform>

More info on permissions https://github.com/apache/cordova-plugin-wkwebview-engine#required-permissions

10. Install cordova-plugin-iosrtc plugin to make video calling work at iOS:

cordova plugin add cordova-plugin-iosrtc

Then follow all the steps from the Building Steps guide to connect the plugin in a right way.

11. Install iOS Deployment Tools if you want to launch iOS app on iOS device.

12. Take sources from https://github.com/ConnectyCube/connectycube-web-samples/tree/master/videochat to your connectycube-cordova-samples/sample-videochat-cordova app:

• clone connectycube-web-samples repository;
• navigate to the connectycube-web-samples/videochat and run npm install && npm run build to prepare dist;
• copy dist’s content to the connectycube-cordova-samples/sample-videochat-cordova/www folder of your Cordova app

13. Create and add index.js file into www folder:

const loadScript = path => {
  let $script = document.createElement("script");

  $script.type = "text/javascript";
  $script.async = false;
  $script.src = path;
  document.body.appendChild($script);
};

const onDeviceReady = () => {
  if (window.device.platform === "Android") {
    const { permissions } = cordova.plugins;

    permissions.requestPermissions([permissions.CAMERA, permissions.RECORD_AUDIO, permissions.MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS]);
  }

  if (window.device.platform === "iOS") {
    const { iosrtc } = cordova.plugins;

    // Connect 'iosrtc' plugin, only for iOS devices
    iosrtc.registerGlobals();
    // Use speaker audio output
    iosrtc.selectAudioOutput("speaker");
    // Request audio and/or camera permission if not requested yet
    iosrtc.requestPermission(true, true, function(permissionApproved) {
      console.log("requestPermission status: ", permissionApproved ? "Approved" : "Rejected");
    });
    // Refresh video element
    window.addEventListener("orientationchange", () => iosrtc.refreshVideos());
    window.addEventListener("scroll", () => iosrtc.refreshVideos());
  }

  loadScript("main.js");
};

document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);

14. Change <meta name="viewport" content="..." /> and connect cordova.js, index.js scripts instead of main.js at your index.html file:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="initial-scale=1, width=device-width, viewport-fit=cover" />
    ...
  </head>
  ...
  <script type="text/javascript" src="cordova.js"></script>
  <script type="text/javascript" src="index.js"></script>
</html>

15. Finally, use the following commands to run the sample:

cordova run ios --device # for run on device
cordova emulate ios # for run on emulator

cordova run android --device # for run on device
cordova emulate android # for run on emulator

The complete sample source code is available at GitHub repository

Debugging

The following tools will help you debug your Cordova application:

• Safari Web inspector

Can’t build yourself?

Got troubles with building Cordova code sample? Just create an issue at Issues page - we will create the sample for you. For FREE!