Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your First Ionic App with Cordova on Windows

#ionic #android #angular #java

One Question - Did you noticed that building apk with cordova have smaller size rather than use capacitor ? know me your feedback !

How to build a Ionic app using Cordova in windows

Prequsites :

Install Andorid studio, JDK (preferd version 1.8), gradle.

Tricks

After installed Android studio build a native hello world app and run it through Emulator or physical device for the first time. It will automatically gives you the support of installing gradle & reduce much time to installing & finding gradle version compability.

Checking this info you can run java --version

java version "1.8.0_321"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_321-b07)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.321-b07, mixed mode)

After install JDK you will get a path in your machine like this C:\Program Files\Java or C:\Program Files (x86) you able to see this two folder path.
```
jdk1.8.0_321
jre1.8.0_321
```

Update environment variable

// Add these in User Variables :

ANDROID_HOME : C:\Users\theanam\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk
ANDROID_PLATFORM_TOOLS : C:\Users\theanam\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\platform-tools
ANDROID_TOOLS : C:\Users\theanam\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\tools
JAVA_HOME : C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_321

//Add these in System Variables path:

C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.8.0_321\bin  // Otherwise you will get Jarsigner is not recognized internal or external command

C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_321\bin // Otherwise keytool is not recognized internal or external command

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Oracle\Java\javapath
C:\gradle-7.4.1\bin  // If path not found installed it.

Ionic App build stage & Signing unsigned apk

Go to the App Folder
Open terminal in that folder.
Run keytool -genkey -v -keystore HERE_YOUR_KEY_NAME-key.keystore -alias HERE_YOUR_APP_ALIAS_NAME -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000. You will find a keystore file is generated in your app folder.
Run ionic cordova build android --prod --release --verbose

   After successfully executed this command you will get a message like this,
   Built the following apk(s):
       D:\xyz\ion-cordova\platforms\android\app\build\outputs\apk\release\app-release-unsigned.apk

   It generate an unsigned apk that you never install in a phone so need to sign this apk.

Run jarsigner --verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore HERE_YOUR_KEY_NAME-key.keystore "D:\xyz\ion-cordova\platforms\android\app\build\outputs\apk\release\app-release-unsigned.apk" HERE_YOUR_APP_ALIAS_NAME it will start signing this apk.

Now you are happy to go with the APP.

Signing Off
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Top comments (3)

Sefat Anam • Jun 17 '22 • Edited

If you have already a keystore see the content inside it by

keytool -list -v -keystore my-release-key.keystore

then it will ask you to enter password.