Add Custom values to build.gradle file via build-extras.gradle in Cordova

Question

I had updated cordova-android version to 6.4.0 and before that I had 5.1.1 installed. Here the problem was that when updated to 6.4.0 version, while building the project I was getting error. So to overcome that issue I had to add the below code

configurations.all {
        resolutionStrategy {
            force 'com.android.support:support-v4:27.1.0'
        }
}

Now the problem is every time I build the project I have to edit build.gradle file, which is generated while adding the platform to the project in Cordova. As this is not part of Source Control.

To overcome this I have used the solution from this post. Here I am adding the Javascript file and adding the hook in the config.xml

Java script file

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

var android_dir = rootdir + '/platforms/android';
var gradle_file = rootdir + '/build-extras.gradle';
var dest_gradle_file = android_dir + '/build-extras.gradle';

if (fs.existsSync(android_dir) && fs.existsSync(gradle_file)) {
    console.log('Copy ' + gradle_file + ' to ' + android_dir); 
    fs.createReadStream(gradle_file).pipe(fs.createWriteStream (dest_gradle_file));
} else {
    console.log(gradle_file + ' not found. Skipping');
}

Build-extras.gradle

ext.postBuildExtras = {
android {
configurations.all {
        resolutionStrategy {
            force 'com.android.support:support-v4:27.1.0'
         }
      }
   }
}

Hooks in Config.xml

<platform name="android">
    <hook src="scripts/buildGradleHook.js" type="before_build" />
</platform>

The hooks added is not reflecting in the generated android folder. That is build-extras.gradle file is not reflected in android folder.

Answer 1

I tried your solution and found that the vars declared to define the different paths are wrong.

I changed your hook code for this:

module.exports = function(ctx) {
    var fs = ctx.requireCordovaModule('fs'),
    path = ctx.requireCordovaModule('path'),
    rootdir = ctx.opts.projectRoot,
    android_dir = path.join(ctx.opts.projectRoot, 'platforms/android');
    gradle_file = rootdir + '/build-extras.gradle';
    dest_gradle_file = android_dir + '/build-extras.gradle';

    /*
    console.log("Before-Build Hook - rootdir", rootdir);
    console.log("Before-Build Hook - android_dir", android_dir);
    console.log("Before-Build Hook - gradle_file", gradle_file);
    console.log("Before-Build Hook - dest_gradle_file", dest_gradle_file);
    */

    if(!fs.existsSync(gradle_file)){
        console.log(gradle_file + ' not found. Skipping');
        return;
    }else if(!fs.existsSync(android_dir)){
        console.log(android_dir + ' not found. Skipping');
       return;
    }

    console.log('Copy ' + gradle_file + ' to ' + android_dir);
    fs.createReadStream(gradle_file).pipe(fs.createWriteStream(dest_gradle_file));
}

Also, in the Hook doc says it must be executable, so it needs to be wrapped by " module.exports = function(ctx) { }".