How to install Phonegap & Cordova with Eclipse on Windows 7

PhoneGap / Cordova is a powerful tool that allows you to write applications in JavaScript and cross-compile them for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Android, iOS, and a number of other platforms.


Step 1 - First check the system configuration and details like OS and architecture. 

Step 2 - Then, go to "phonegap.com" to read the basic start guide. Go to => Developer => Install.

Step 3 - Before installing PhoneGap / Cordova, we want to install "Node.js" as a media to get the library. Go to "Nodejs.org" website, click on "INSTALL" button to get the application and we can start the installation.

Step 4 - I don't think Phonegap is more useful than Cordova. So I choose to use Cordova. Go to Start => open "Node.js Command Prompt". 

We can use this command to install Phonegap, Cordova and Ant.

   > npm install -g cordova

   > npm install -g phonegap

   > npm install -g ant

Here, I am going to install cordova and ant.

Step 5 - Next, we need to download and install java. That's important in order to make eclipse run correctly. If you use 64bit windows version, you must download and install 64bit JDk version.

After installing check java is installed correctly and working fine.

Step 6 - Now Java has installed in your system. Now we must set Environment Variable path for java bin folder.

Step 7 - After that, we need to download Eclipse ADT Bundle for Android from eclipse website "developer.android.com". It's the basic environment to develop mobile apps. I am using 64bit windows, so I choose Eclipse 64bit.

Step 8 - After downloading it successfully, we need to extract the eclipse into choose partition. In my case, I have copied in "C:/ Drive". Then set the variable path "platform_tools and tool" from sdk folder.

Step 9 - After that, open the Eclipse, when we open for first time, it will ask for workspace and choose your new path for the project using cordova.

Step 10 - Cordova really need this in order to compile platforms on your project. Now we want to download Apache-ant, copy it to your specified location like "C:" then set the environment variable path.

Now, let's check ant is installed correctly using this command.

Step 11 - Now we can continue cordova prerequisites. Create new project "Hello World" on previously created workspace. Open your workspace by Node.js and redirect to that workspace using this command. 
"cordova create hello com.example.hello helloworld"

Step 12 - After creating, go to hello project folder. Here, we can see the cordova files. Now we want to add android platform using the below command, while using it for the first time, you may get this Error "Please install Android target android-19" this is for we want to update "Android SDK Manager" to use this command open SDk manager "android".
Go to Eclipse => Window => Android SDK Manager => Then Update.

Error Screenshot :

After updating "Android SDK Manager" again add android platform.

Check your platform, that installed on your project by using the below command:

Step 13 - If we want to remove installed platform use the below command:

Step 14 - And in the basic installation, in the last command, you must build your project by using "cordova build".

Now, android platform is added in your platform folder.

Step 15 - Furthermore, we want open our whole project through Eclipse ADT. Open Eclipse and choose New => Project => Android => Android Project from Existing Code => Browse your project "hello" from your workspace => Finish and start to code.

Your html file is under assets folder. But cordova will hide your www folder due to security reason.

Step 16 - Now let's un-hide your "www" folder, select "Helloworld" then click on properties.

Select "exclude modules" and remove form here

Now you can see the www folder has showed up. You can type your own code on index.html (Default index file).

Step 17 - We need to configure virtual device or emulator on Eclipse, for testing. Before configuring emulator, we must update the Android manager, otherwise may get some error. 

Step 18 - We can run application on eclipse or also we can run Node.js command promt. Before run the application we must open emulator. 

We can use this command on Node.js "cordova emulate android" before running we must go to project path "c:\workspace\hello\platforms>". 

That's it...