Based on [1] I think we're overthinking here... I might have missed something, but as far as I understood it all, the only thing preventing new plugin versions from working on older cordova-android based projects is the POSSIBLE FACT that these projects will still have android:targetSdkVersion="N < 23". It's not a sure bet, it's a possibility. My project, for example, will already have android:targetSdkVersion="23" when I upgrade to cordova-android 5.x with all the plugins upgraded too, so even if I only upgraded the plugins it would still work.
It's common sense for android developers to bump the targetSdkVersion to the latest once a new one comes out, the android APIs are always backwards compatible, even if it means for the google team to code migration or compatibility code (which they have always done afaik). If an app developer is upgrading his plugins on an existing app, there is no obvious reason for him not to also bump the targetSdkVersion. An app developer will always want to support the largest and newest devices, it's a larger audience for them anyway. With that said, I don't think any of the mentioned complexity is needed (package.json metadata, plugman version tryouts, engine tags in plugin.xml or reflection). We just need to add hooks to the plugins that check the targetSdkVersions on plugin_install, and warn the user about this if it's bellow 23. [1] > They won't be compatible because Cordova-Android compiles against API 22, and these plugins will require API 23 so that they can detect permissions and support Marshmellow. 2015-09-23 15:33 GMT-03:00 Joe Bowser <[email protected]>: > On Wed, Sep 23, 2015 at 11:30 AM, Joe Bowser <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > On Wed, Sep 23, 2015 at 11:22 AM, Homer, Tony <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > >> Joe- > >> > >> As far as I can tell, the API 23 calls are currently unguarded so smores > >> will only work on M Preview. > >> I know your smores branch is a POC, but I was wondering about backwards > >> compatibility. > >> Do you anticipate adding Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.M > >> guard clauses for backwards compatibility? > >> > >> > > This already exists in each of the plugins when they do the permissions > > check, and smores works perfectly fine on Lollipop so far. Right now, if > > you aren't running M, you don't do the permissions check, and you don't > > call the methods. I haven't tested it on earlier versions of Android, > but > > I expect it to work on Kitkat and Jellybean the same way. > > > > > > > > And yes, we can probably create a utility method, that said, most plugins > aren't directly affected by this, only the ones that require extra > permissions. It'd be good if we had an idea of what third party plugins > people are actually using that would run afowl of this and see where they > would fail. But I already have more than enough work currently, and > adopting other people's plugins is not something I want to get in the habit > of doing. > > > > > Tony > >> > >> On 9/23/15, 1:56 PM, "Joe Bowser" <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > >> >On Wed, Sep 23, 2015 at 9:36 AM, Carlos Santana <[email protected]> > >> >wrote: > >> > > >> >> No need to major version change for the Plugins, the API of the > didn't > >> >> change. > >> >> Web developer still uses the same JS API to use the plugin. > >> >> > >> >> > >> >I would do a major version bump on Geolocation. The API itself didn't > >> >change but the behaviour certainly did. On Marshmallow we have to add > >> >this > >> >extra shim that asks for permission, which means that there's now code > >> >attached to Android Geolocation that didn't exist before. All the > other > >> >plugins should still be fine. > >> > > >> > > >> >> Yes I did some thinking around the plugin search website. I think is > a > >> >>good > >> >> topic for the F2F. > >> >> Now that IBM is using Cordova Plugin more heavily to package our > mobile > >> >> SDKs using Cordova Plugins, I think is beneficial to expose more info > >> >>about > >> >> the plugin including engine tags > >> >> > >> >> I would not go and build our own backend and have our own registry > with > >> >> cordova metadata. > >> >> > >> >> I think the solution is to put the metadata of plugin.xml into > >> >> package.json. We can show fast results in main search, but then user > >> can > >> >> drill into the plugin details, and we can have a view with more > >> >>information > >> >> and allow the user to select a specific version like we have today in > >> >>our > >> >> plugin website search using the cordova registry. > >> >> > >> >> The website can fetch the package.json and it will have the > information > >> >>to > >> >> display to the user. > >> >> > >> >> So what I think we need to do is document and automate the > information > >> >>from > >> >> plugin.xml including engine tags into the package.json. > >> >> > >> >> Today we have some sort of duplicate information between the > "cordova" > >> >>and > >> >> "keywords", I think it would be a good time to clean it up and add an > >> >>array > >> >> in cordova.engines > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> On Wed, Sep 23, 2015 at 12:19 PM Nikhil Khandelwal > >> >><[email protected] > >> >> > > >> >> wrote: > >> >> > >> >> > Merging threads. I was no aware of any security implications of > using > >> >> > reflection - Perhaps if the reflection target can be controlled > >> >>through > >> >> > external data. In any case, I understand your hesitation with use > of > >> >> > reflection. I would love to have longer discussions on the F2F on > >> what > >> >> > approaches we could use to make this easier for Cordova developers. > >> >> > > >> >> > Joe: Could you add the appropriate engine tags in any case? That's > >> how > >> >> > Cordova currently handles versioning between plugins & platforms. > >> >>Also, > >> >> > does this imply that the plugins should have a major version bump > as > >> >>it > >> >> is > >> >> > a breaking change? Please create the 5.x branches and if you could > >> >> submit a > >> >> > PR - I had other minor code review comments on the diffs below. > >> >> > > >> >> > Carlos: I understand in the extreme case it can be a fairly > >> >>complicated > >> >> > implementation with lots of criteria to use to determine the ideal > >> >>plugin > >> >> > that might work given a set of platforms. However, trying a couple > of > >> >> > previous versions of the plugins might work 80% of the time and > that > >> >> might > >> >> > be good enough. This requires more thought as there are quite a few > >> >> > scenarios here. > >> >> > > >> >> > As for plugin search website helping you find the correct engine > tags > >> >>- I > >> >> > like the idea. But this might requires us maintaining a backend for > >> >> plugin > >> >> > search as this is specified in plugin.xml (and not package.json - > or > >> >>did > >> >> we > >> >> > finally move this?). > >> >> > > >> >> > Thanks, > >> >> > Nikhil > >> >> > > >> >> > -----Original Message----- > >> >> > From: Carlos Santana [mailto:[email protected]] > >> >> > Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2015 6:14 PM > >> >> > To: [email protected] > >> >> > Subject: Re: [Android] 5.0.x release branch? > >> >> > > >> >> > +1 we should always use the engine tag to mark the minimum > compatible > >> >> > +version at least > >> >> > > >> >> > -1 for cordova CLI to automagically to install an older version. It > >> >>will > >> >> > be a pain to get this implemented right, we would need to download > >> all > >> >> the > >> >> > package.json for multiple versions of the plugin and pick the > lowest > >> >> common > >> >> > denominator based on engine tags and remember that one plugin > support > >> >> > multiple engine tags across different platform versions and > >> >>CLI/plugman. > >> >> > > >> >> > This brings an interesting feature to implement In the plugin > search > >> >> > website, to display the engine tags for a specific plugin version. > >> >> Allowing > >> >> > a developer to search for a compatible plugin for their current > app. > >> >> > > >> >> > - Carlos > >> >> > Sent from my iPhone > >> >> > > >> >> > > >> >> > -----Original Message----- > >> >> > From: Joe Bowser [mailto:[email protected]] > >> >> > Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2015 6:17 PM > >> >> > To: [email protected] > >> >> > Subject: Re: [Android] 5.0.x release branch? > >> >> > > >> >> > I'm completely against using reflection for this purpose. Version > >> >>codes > >> >> > were invented for a reason and we don't have any mechanism in place > >> to > >> >> unit > >> >> > test any Android code (or any other native code on any of the > >> >>platforms). > >> >> > > >> >> > I will vote against any release that includes reflection for this > >> >>purpose > >> >> > since reflection has only brought us security issues and extreme > >> >>WebView > >> >> > breakage when used (Simon can tell you the tales of the HTC > >> >>console.log > >> >> > reflection code.). Reflection is a worst-case scenario tool like > >> >>when a > >> >> > method in WebView marked as deprecated completely disappears, not > >> >> something > >> >> > we should make a habit of using often. If we open the door for > this, > >> >> we'll > >> >> > get reflection creeping elsewhere, like the Plugins API. > >> >> > > >> >> > Just say no to reflection. > >> >> > > >> >> > > >> >> > On Tue, Sep 22, 2015, 5:57 PM Nikhil Khandelwal > >> >><[email protected]> > >> >> > wrote: > >> >> > > >> >> > > Thanks, Joe for the detailed explanation. I understand why we've > >> >>taken > >> >> > > this route. It's good that this is only a build failure. One of > the > >> >> > > complaints we commonly hear from Cordova developers is that "I > have > >> >>a > >> >> > > cordova project with a certain version of the platform, I need to > >> >>find > >> >> > > the plugin that will work with it". Our CLI always defaults to > add > >> >>the > >> >> > > latest released version of the plugin. > >> >> > > > >> >> > > After this breaking change, an existing cordova project with > >> >> > > cordova-android < 5.x, cannot build with the latest version of > the > >> >> > > following plugins: > >> >> > > - camera > >> >> > > - geolocation > >> >> > > - contacts. > >> >> > > These are some of the most popular plugins in cordova plugin > >> >>ecosystem > >> >> > [1]. > >> >> > > > >> >> > > I propose that we should do our best to avoid disruptive breaking > >> >> > > changes here. Some ideas that come to mind: > >> >> > > - As Joe mentioned below - reflection. It has the downsides that > >> Joe > >> >> > > mentioned. No one likes to write code like this it but results in > >> >> > > least grief for Cordova users. Some pain here for plugin > developers > >> >> > > will simplify the experience for large number of corodva JS > >> >> > > developers. I know we are doing some of this in cordova-ios [2] > and > >> >> > > would love to find ways on how to make this manageable and not > >> super > >> >> > ugly. > >> >> > > - Add an '<engine name="cordova-android" version=">=5.0.0" /> ' > >> to > >> >> > > the plugins - failure happens at plugin add in this scenario. > >> >> > > Cordova-lib could be more intelligent to detect this error and > >> >>resort > >> >> > > to using an older version of the plugin. The downside of this is > >> >>that > >> >> > > these projects cannot use the latest and greatest of these > plugins. > >> >> > > > >> >> > > Thanks, > >> >> > > Nikhil > >> >> > > > >> >> > > [1] > >> >> > > > >> >> > https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3a%2f%2fcordov > >> >> > > > >> >>a.apache.org > %2fuse-the-force-luke%2fplugins%2f%3fsortBy%3dDownloads&da > >> >> > > > >> >>ta=01%7c01%7cnikhilkh%40microsoft.com > %7c5d1a100510734c0605f508d2c3b4b9 > >> >> > > > >> >>c2%7c72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=7apFzmhrtn%2bKulHrNn46 > >> >> > > kkRG%2bZp3KarDUTf2y0i7P5I%3d > >> >> > > [2] > >> >> > > > >> >> > https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fgithu > >> >> > > > >> >>b.com > %2fapache%2fcordova-plugin-camera%2fblob%2fmaster%2fsrc%2fios%2fC > >> >> > > > >> >>DVCamera.m%23L44&data=01%7c01%7cnikhilkh%40microsoft.com > %7c5d1a1005107 > >> >> > > > >> >>34c0605f508d2c3b4b9c2%7c72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=CkH > >> >> > > zeZ9uQUfYPDdAGlO2PJ9xJz89sZI5bdMRSlQtrMo%3d > >> >> > > > >> >> > > Thanks, > >> >> > > Nikhil > >> >> > > > >> >> > > > >> >> > > -----Original Message----- > >> >> > > From: Joe Bowser [mailto:[email protected]] > >> >> > > Sent: Monday, September 21, 2015 6:32 PM > >> >> > > To: [email protected] > >> >> > > Subject: Re: [Android] 5.0.x release branch? > >> >> > > > >> >> > > On Mon, Sep 21, 2015 at 5:43 PM Nikhil Khandelwal > >> >> > > <[email protected]> > >> >> > > wrote: > >> >> > > > >> >> > > > Can you explain why latest plugins will not be compatible with > >> >>older > >> >> > > > versions of Cordova? > >> >> > > > >> >> > > > >> >> > > They won't be compatible because Cordova-Android compiles against > >> >>API > >> >> > > 22, and these plugins will require API 23 so that they can detect > >> >> > > permissions and support Marshmellow. > >> >> > > > >> >> > > > >> >> > > > Can this be avoided by any means? > >> >> > > > >> >> > > > >> >> > > Only with a lot of Java reflection, and I'd rather not subject > >> >>plugin > >> >> > > developers to that, or try to hide it under the hood in some > awful > >> >> > > utility class that everyone will want to see die. I'm very much > a > >> >>fan > >> >> > > of if statements because they work, and they're easy to read and > >> >> > > debug, unlike when bad things happen to things you reflect into. > >> >> > > Plugins that require API 23 will only work with Cordova-Android > 5.0 > >> >> > > and up. This only impacts five of our core plugins, but any > plugin > >> >> > > that requires permissions from the Android Manifest will have to > be > >> >> > > updated. If we can avoid using advanced language tricks to make > >> the > >> >> > APKs compatible, we should do that. > >> >> > > > >> >> > > When you mean they would not be compatible - will it result in a > >> >>build > >> >> > > or > >> >> > > > runtime failure? > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > This will be a build failure, since API 22 does not have these > >> >> > > permissions, nor does it have the code required for API 23. > >> >> > > > >> >> > > > >> >> > > > For marshmallow, what is the guidance that we need to issue to > >> the > >> >> > > > larger Cordova plugin ecosystem? Joe you are ahead of the curve > >> >>here > >> >> > > > compared to most other plugin developers - a blot post > explaining > >> >> > > > what are known gotchas would be great. I really hope we can use > >> >>our > >> >> > > > Cordova blog to communicate these changes actively to the > plugin > >> >> > ecosystem. > >> >> > > > This mailing list only gets 400+ subscribers. > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > There will be a blog post once 5.0 is released. We're not > forcing > >> >> > > people to upgrade to 5.0, and we will be supporting the 4.x > branch > >> >>for > >> >> > > six months. This does mean we're stuck supporting 3.x, 4.x and > 5.x > >> >> > > for a brief window, but I have no control over when Marshmallow > is > >> >> > > released, only whether we want to support it or not. I think we > >> do, > >> >> but > >> >> > I could be wrong. > >> >> > > > >> >> > > At least this should be easier than the jump from 3.x to 4.x for > >> >>most > >> >> > > people, but the alternative is that your plugin just doesn't work > >> at > >> >> > > all on Marshmallow. We need to at least give plugin developers > >> this > >> >> > > option, since it'll roll out on all the Nexus devices in the next > >> >>two > >> >> > > weeks, and we'll hear more about it. > >> >> > > > >> >> > > > >> >> > > > Can you re-base your cordova-android over the current master? > >> It's > >> >> > > > hard to see a diff in the current form: > >> >> > > > > >> >>https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fgit > >> >> > > > hu > >> >> > > > > >> >>b.com%2fapache%2fcordova-android%2fcompare%2fmaster...infil00p%3asmo > >> >> > > > re > >> >> > > > > >> >>s&data=01%7c01%7cnikhilkh%40microsoft.com%7cb451a04dccc64fabdb9608d2 > >> >> > > > c2 > >> >> > > > > >> >>edb23c%7c72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=j0bxz39itXdtylHJ > >> >> > > > lv > >> >> > > > PYoJpZqXMhFjyTV35I9X5Yxzs%3d > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > I had to do a merge commit to get this to happen (boo), but it > >> >>should > >> >> > > be mostly cleaned up now. It seems some style cleanup creeped > into > >> >> > > the most recent changes, but this should be a bit more readable. > >> >> > > > >> >> > > > >> >> > > > -Nikhil > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > -----Original Message----- > >> >> > > > From: Joe Bowser [mailto:[email protected]] > >> >> > > > Sent: Monday, September 21, 2015 2:14 PM > >> >> > > > To: dev <[email protected]> > >> >> > > > Subject: [Android] 5.0.x release branch? > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > Hey > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > In the next two weeks, Marshmallow will most likely getting > >> >>released > >> >> > > > with the brand new Nexus 6P being released from Huawei. Given > >> >>that > >> >> > > > most of the Nexus devices will be getting this release, we > should > >> >> > > > probably release the 5.0.x branch of Android soon, and get the > >> new > >> >> > > plugins updated. > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > It should be noted that the latest plugins will not be > compatible > >> >> > > > with older versions of Cordova, which is a big deal. This is > due > >> >>to > >> >> > > > the use of various compatibility checks to make sure they > support > >> >> > > > Marshmallow and older versions of Android. > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > So, if everyone can look over the smores branches of my GitHub > >> >> > > > before I create the 5.0.x branch and pull the changes into it, > >> >>that > >> >> > > > would be > >> >> > > awesome. > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > > >> >>https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fgit > >> >> > > > hu > >> >> > > > > >> >>b.com%2finfil00p%2fcordova-android%2ftree%2fsmores&data=01%7c01%7cni > >> >> > > > kh > >> >> > > > > >> >>ilkh%40microsoft.com%7c1785194b1f82494fc2d908d2c2c99f36%7c72f988bf86 > >> >> > > > f1 > >> >> > > > > >> >>41af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=%2fPKmL8KTsz5dnC3A75yMatXLQUnfK0Nv07% > >> >> > > > 2b > >> >> > > > ve4PVcCE%3d > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > > >> >>https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fgit > >> >> > > > hu > >> >> > > > > >> >>b.com%2finfil00p%2fcordova-plugin-geolocation%2ftree%2fsmores&data=0 > >> >> > > > 1% > >> >> > > > > >> >>7c01%7cnikhilkh%40microsoft.com%7c1785194b1f82494fc2d908d2c2c99f36%7 > >> >> > > > c7 > >> >> > > > > >> >>2f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=o6cLXM4f3kpUGCTlIv65ft8lKv > >> >> > > > 6p > >> >> > > > c5qbeY%2bdUxiP4bc%3d > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > > >> >>https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fgit > >> >> > > > hu > >> >> > > > > >> >>b.com%2finfil00p%2fcordova-plugin-camera%2ftree%2fsmores&data=01%7c0 > >> >> > > > 1% > >> >> > > > > >> >>7cnikhilkh%40microsoft.com%7c1785194b1f82494fc2d908d2c2c99f36%7c72f9 > >> >> > > > 88 > >> >> > > > > >> >>bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=kNsHIv6Uw2ITcT1ABmNq1JCmPTSigCG > >> >> > > > Rb > >> >> > > > 4zWC8maWpE%3d > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > > >> >>https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fgit > >> >> > > > hu > >> >> > > > > >> >>b.com%2finfil00p%2fcordova-plugin-contacts%2ftree%2fsmores&data=01%7 > >> >> > > > c0 > >> >> > > > > >> >>1%7cnikhilkh%40microsoft.com%7c1785194b1f82494fc2d908d2c2c99f36%7c72 > >> >> > > > f9 > >> >> > > > > >> >>88bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=rZ%2f1AALPAtUwgSXyOL1uk1b0Y%2 > >> >> > > > fe > >> >> > > > EmqLOdU%2fwua2TbLU%3d > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > Work on audio is still outstanding, BUT for some reason Audio > >> >>broke > >> >> > > > recently on both Lollipop and Marshmallow. I didn't test it > out > >> >>on > >> >> > > > KitKat or Jellybean yet, but I'm wondering whether we should > keep > >> >> > > > maintaining this or support the standard HTML5 audio and deal > >> with > >> >> > > > the asset issue somehow (which isn't straight forward). > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > I hopefully want to get a 5.0.x branch happening this week if > we > >> >>can. > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > What do people think? > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > Joe > >> >> > > > > >> >> > > > >> >> > > >> >> > >> > >> > >> --------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] > >> For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] > >> > >> > > > -- *Frederico Galvão* Diretor de Tecnologia PontoGet Inovação Web ( +55(62) 8131-5720 * www.pontoget.com.br <http://www.pontoget.com/>
