PhoneGap - Unable to Write to File for Android

Question

I am working with PhoneGap version 1.8 (cordova-1.8.0.js) and am attempting to make an app for Android. I am debugging on an actual device through Eclipse.

I am trying to write text to a file. I am using the example API code provided by PhoneGap at

http://docs.phonegap.com/en/1.8.0/cordova_file_file.md.html#FileWriter

I have already been able to create apps with my current set-up so I know it works well, I am just unable to write to a file. I have spent hours on this problem but keep getting the following error message:

E/Web Console(27356): Uncaught ReferenceError: LocalFileSystem is not defined at file:///android_asset/www/debug.js:28

line 28 being

window.requestFileSystem(LocalFileSystem.PERSISTENT, 0, gotFS, fail);

I am using the exact code from the API website.

Any suggestions on what I could be doing wrong?

Maybe I am not importing the proper Java libraries in my PhoneGap setup?

I have the following imported:

import android.os.Bundle;
import org.apache.cordova.*;
import android.view.WindowManager;
import android.view.KeyEvent;

Thank you.

EDIT:

I was using

$(document).ready(function () {

Instead of the

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

As it would never fire. Here is my exact code, Also I do have the

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

active within my phonegap project.

full code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>FileWriter Example</title>

<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="cordova-1.8.0.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">

// Wait for Cordova to load
//
document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);

// Cordova is ready
//
function onDeviceReady() {

   alert("device ready"); // this never gets called

    window.requestFileSystem(LocalFileSystem.PERSISTENT, 0, gotFS, fail);
}

function gotFS(fileSystem) {
    fileSystem.root.getFile("readme.txt", {create: true, exclusive: false}, gotFileEntry, fail);
}

function gotFileEntry(fileEntry) {
    fileEntry.createWriter(gotFileWriter, fail);
}

function gotFileWriter(writer) {
    writer.onwriteend = function(evt) {
        console.log("contents of file now 'some sample text'");
        writer.truncate(11);  
        writer.onwriteend = function(evt) {
            console.log("contents of file now 'some sample'");
            writer.seek(4);
            writer.write(" different text");
            writer.onwriteend = function(evt){
                console.log("contents of file now 'some different text'");
            }
        };
    };
    writer.write("some sample text");
}

function fail(error) {
    console.log(error.code);
}

</script>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Example</h1>
<p>Write File</p>
</body>
</html>

I also threw in an alert function on the device ready call, it never gets called at all.

Any thoughts on how this code isn't working?

The only way I can ever get code to fire on start up is using

$(document).ready(function () { 

});

Which isn't good I guess for trying to call the file writter as I keep getting the same error message.

Unknown Unknown · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-12T02:02:13

The issue isn't with writing a file if deviceready isn't firing -- it's with how your phonegap app is setup.

You must import the following in your main activity:

import android.app.Activity; // used to fire deviceready 
import android.os.Bundle;
import org.apache.cordova.*;

PhoneGap - Unable to Write to File for Android

1 Answers