5 min read

Using Multimedia with Phonegap

Anurag : Dec 17, 2012 12:00:00 AM

Phonegap Framework

This is in continuation to our PhoneGap tutorial series. This tutorial teaches you how to access the various device APIs in your PhoneGap app. If you are new to PhoneGap, you might want to look at our introductory tutorial on building a simple app with PhoneGap.

Device APIs

Phonegap provides us to access to use several device APIs easily. This way we can develop complex apps using the device's capabilities, while maintaining the ease of a cross-platform app. The device capabilities we have access to include

1. Accelerometer

Allows the user to capture device’s motion in x, y, z direction.

2. Camera

Provides access to the device's default camera application to capture photo/video and access the photo library.

3. Capture

Provides access to the audio, image, and video capture capabilities of the device using device's media capture applications.

4. Compass

Allows obtaining the direction that the device is pointing to.

5. Connection

Access to the device's cellular and wifi connection to quickly check the network state, and cellular network information, based on which the app can behave differently.

6. Contacts

Access to the in-built contact app.

7. Device

Describes the device's hardware and software. This API gathers device-specific information.

8. Events

Meant to handle Cordova lifecycle events. It allows the user to hook into native events through JavaScript (like app launch).

9. File

Allows the user to hook into native file system through JavaScript to read, write and navigate file system hierarchies.

10. Geolocation

Gives access to the device's GPS sensor. We can make our application location aware using this library.

11. Globalization

Obtains information and performs operations specific to the user's locale and timezone.

12. Media

Ability to record and play back audio files on a device.

13. Notification

Visual, audible, and tactile device notifications.

14. Splashscreen

Enables to show and hide the application’ s splash screen.

15.Storage

Access to the devices native storage options.

Creating a Sample Application

In this tutorial of PhoneGap, we are going to develop an application which will be using two device APIs : Camera and Media.

Step 1. Create a New Project

Launch Terminal.app
Drag the bin folder (located in the permanent folder location of Cordova, from the "Install CordovaLib" section above) to the Terminal.app icon in your Dock, it should launch a new Terminal window
Type in ./create <project_folder_path> <package_name> <project_name> then press "Enter"

Locate your new project folder that you just created
Launch the .xcodeproj file in the folder

Step 2. Writing Code

For designing the app UI we are using the JQuery and JQueryMobile framework in this app. More information about using JQueryMobile and the downloads required can be taken from its official site: http://jquerymobile.com/demos/1.2.0/

In index.html -->

Using JQueryMobile & JQuery, a page with two buttons is created as follows :

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html>

<head>

<title>Multimedia with Phonegap</title>

</head>

<body>

<h1>Multimedia</h1>

</div>

<br>

<a href="Camera.html" data-transition="slideup" data-role="button">Use Camera</a>

<br>

<a href="PlayAudio.html" data-transition="slideup" data-role="button">Play Audio/Video</a>

</div>

<h1>Using Multimedia with Phonegap</h1>

</div>

</div>

</body>

</html>

The page will look like :

tutorial explaining how to build a simple phonegap app

Please note here that we have to download the JQuery & JQueryMobile scripts, css files to make them work.

We have to create two more HTML files which are to be displayed when the buttons on this page are clicked. Add two files Camera.html and PlayAudio.html with the following code :

In Camera.html -->

<!DOCTYPE HTML>

<html>

<head>

<title>Camera</title>

</head>

<body>

<h1>Camera</h1>

</div>

<h4>Device's Camera</h4>

<button onclick="capturePhoto();">Capture Photo</button> <br>

<button onclick="capturePhotoEdit();">Capture Editable Photo</button> <br>

<button onclick="getPhoto(pictureSource.PHOTOLIBRARY);">From Photo Library</button><br>

<button onclick="getPhoto(pictureSource.SAVEDPHOTOALBUM);">From Photo Album</button><br>

<hr>

<hr>

</div>

</div>

<h1>Using Camera with Phonegap</h1>

</div>

</body>

</html>

In PlayAudio.html →

<!DOCTYPE HTML>

<html>

<head>

<title>Play Audio</title>

</head>

<body>

<h1>Audio/Video</h1>

</div>

<h4><U>Play Your Video File</U></h4>

</video>

<h4><U>Play Your Audio File</U></h4>

<div data-role="button" id="pauseaudio" data-theme="e">Pause</div>

<br>

<div class="ui-block-a"> Current: <span id="audio_position">0 sec</span></div>

<div class="ui-block-b">Total: <span id=media_dur>0</span> sec</div>

</div>

<h1>Playing Audio/Video with Phonegap</h1>

</div>

</body>

</html>

The pages displayed on the button click will be like :

experienced developers for phonegap framework

how to develop simple application using phonegap framework

Now for camera page we have 4 buttons: capture photo, capture editable photo, from photos library, from photos album, clicking on these will result into calling the methods from Javascript camera.js. Create the file and write the following :

In camera.js -->

var pictureSource; // picture source

var destinationType; // sets the format of returned value

var imageurl;

$('#page-camera').live('pageinit',function(){

pictureSource=navigator.camera.PictureSourceType;

destinationType=navigator.camera.DestinationType;

var pictureDiv = document.getElementById('picture');

// hide image elements

pictureDiv.style.display = 'none';

});

// Called when a photo is successfully retrieved

function onPhotoDataSuccess(imageData) {

// Uncomment to view the base64 encoded image data

// console.log(imageData);

var pictureDiv = document.getElementById('picture');

// hide image elements

pictureDiv.style.display = 'block';

// Get image handle

var smallImage = document.getElementById('smallImage');

// Unhide image elements

smallImage.style.display = 'block';

// Show the captured photo

// The inline CSS rules are used to resize the image

smallImage.src = "data:image/jpeg;base64," + imageData;

}

// Called when a photo is successfully retrieved

function onPhotoURISuccess(imageURI) {

// Uncomment to view the image file URI

console.log(imageURI);

var pictureDiv = document.getElementById('picture');

// hide image elements

pictureDiv.style.display = 'block';

// Get image handle

var largeImage = document.getElementById('largeImage');

// Unhide image elements

largeImage.style.display = 'block';

// Show the captured photo

// The inline CSS rules are used to resize the image

largeImage.src = imageURI;

//small image

var smallImage = document.getElementById('smallImage');

// Unhide image elements

smallImage.style.display = 'block';

// Show the captured photo

// The inline CSS rules are used to resize the image

smallImage.src = imageURI;

imageurl = imageURI;

}

// A button will call this function

function capturePhoto() {

// Take picture using device camera and retrieve image as base64-encoded string

navigator.camera.getPicture(onPhotoDataSuccess, onFail, { quality: 50, saveToPhotoAlbum:true, });

}

// A button will call this function

function capturePhotoEdit() {

// Take picture using device camera, allow edit, and retrieve image as base64-encoded string

navigator.camera.getPicture(onPhotoDataSuccess, onFail, { quality: 20, allowEdit: true });

}

// A button will call this function

function getPhoto(source) {

//alert('getPhoto: ');

// Retrieve image file location from specified source

navigator.camera.getPicture(onPhotoURISuccess, onFail, { quality: 50,

destinationType: destinationType.FILE_URI,

sourceType: source });

}

// Called if something bad happens.

function onFail(message) {

alert('Failed because: ' + message);

}

Now for audioVideo page we have will use the <video> tag in html and for playing, pause, stop functions of audio we have 3 buttons and clicking on these will result into calling the methods from Javascript audio.js. Create the file and write the following :

In audio.js -->

// The Audio player

var my_media = null;

var mediaTimer = null;

// duration of media (song)

var dur = -1;

// need to know when paused or not

var is_paused = false;

//Set audio position on page

function setAudioPosition(position) {

$("#audio_position").html(position + " sec");

}

//onSuccess Callback

function onSuccess() {

setAudioPosition(dur);

clearInterval(mediaTimer);

mediaTimer = null;

my_media = null;

is_paused = false;

dur = -1;

}

//onError Callback

function onError(error) {

alert('code: ' + error.code + '\n' +

'message: ' + error.message + '\n');

clearInterval(mediaTimer);

mediaTimer = null;

my_media = null;

is_paused = false;

setAudioPosition("0");

}

function playAudio(src) {

if (my_media === null) {

// ui niceties

$("#media_dur").html("0");

$("#audio_position").html("Loading...");

// Create Media object from src

my_media = new Media(src, onSuccess, onError);

// Play audio

//alert('Playing Audio');

my_media.play();

} else {

if (is_paused) {

// to resume where paused in song: call .play()

is_paused = false;

my_media.play();

}

// Update my_media position every second

if (mediaTimer === null) {

mediaTimer = setInterval(function() {

my_media.getCurrentPosition(

// success callback

function(position) {

if (position > -1) {

setAudioPosition(Math.round(position));

// getDuration() can take a few seconds so keep trying

// this could be done a better way, no callback for it

if (dur <= 0) {

dur = my_media.getDuration();

if (dur > 0) {

dur = Math.round(dur);

$("#media_dur").html(dur);

}

// error callback

function(e) {

alert("Error getting pos=" + e);

setAudioPosition("Error: " + e);

}

);

}, 1000);

}

//Pause audio

function pauseAudio() {

if (is_paused) return;

if (my_media) {

is_paused = true;

my_media.pause();

}

//Stop audio

function stopAudio() {

if (my_media) {

// A successful .stop() will call .release()

my_media.stop();

my_media = null;

}

if (mediaTimer) {

clearInterval(mediaTimer);

mediaTimer = null;

}

is_paused = false;

dur = 0;

}

$('#page-audio').live('pageinit',function(){

$("#playaudio").live('tap', function() {

// Note: two ways to access media file: web and local file

//var src = 'http://audio.ibeat.org/content/p1rj1s/p1rj1s_-_rockGuitar.mp3';

// local (on device): copy file to project's /assets folder:

var src = './background.mp3';

playAudio(src);

});

$("#pauseaudio").live('tap', function() {

pauseAudio();

});

$("#stopaudio").live('tap', function() {

stopAudio();

});

Please note here that we have two resources for playing audio - ‘background.mp3’ and video - ‘3.mp4’. Add them in the ‘www’ folder and give the corresponding path when accessed respectively.

Now for all the scripts to make them work we have to call them in our ‘index.html’. So add the following in the index.html file :

Our final index.html would look like :

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html>

<head>

<title>Multimedia with Phonegap</title>

</head>

<body>

<h1>Multimedia</h1>

</div>

<br>

<a href="Camera.html" data-transition="slideup" data-role="button">Use Camera</a>

<br>

<a href="PlayAudio.html" data-transition="slideup" data-role="button">Play Audio/Video</a>

</div>

<h1>Using Multimedia with Phonegap</h1>

</div>

</div>

</body>

</html>

Before proceeding do assure you have added all the assets needed. The app will have the following resources as shown in the following figure :

Using Multimedia with Phonegap

Now run the app. We can now obtain the desired functionality of camera and play audio and video.

NOTE : This tutorial has been developed by using Phonegap 2.0.0 version. We can use the latest update of Phonegap which is 2.2.0.

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