Build and test a PhoneGap App

This post is the continuation of:

• How to develop a PhoneGap App for Iphone and Android

In this example, we will try to build/compile the App to obtain the APK file to try in some Android device.

To start, we need a user in PhoneGap website, once registered we can start deploying our content from GitHub. In this case we will use the source code of CoinMarketRank.io, can be obtained or get forked from the CoinMarketRank_PhoneGap repository.

Now we can create a new App. (https://build.phonegap.com/). Click on “New App”.

And put the URL of your PhoneGap source code (like the example)

Now we can start the push from GitHub and after this, build/compile and generate the unsigned APK binary file for Android Devices.

Click to download the APK file. (We will sing and distribute on the Apple Store and Google Play Store marketplaces in the next post! )

Once downloaded the file, we can share in some FTP, Dropbox or some place internet visible. (In this example we use FileZilla to upload the APK file to  http://coinmarketrank.io/android/CoinMarketRank.apk )

(NOTE: You can automatize the upload of the APK file to Android phones using the web/app http://www.apkinstall.com/ )

Now you can download the app from some navigator/browser of you Android device.

In this example we will use GenyMotion to emule (using VirtualBox) some Android Devices using Virtual Machines.

We can launch a Custom Phone with Android 4.1.1 for example.

Once started, Open the browser and download, for example: http://coinmarketrank.io/android/CoinMarketRank.apk

And install the App!

(Remember to activate unknown Sources!)

And just try it!

Of course, also you can use in a real device the adb command to upload the APK file!

Using the Android SDK framework command line tools

• adb install CoinMarketRank.apk

 

Another way to test the APK file in multiple devices at same time is using Testing Cloud Services like Monkop. Just push the APK file and let the Service do the Rest.

The process/service is a little bit slow… but it works!

The testing results/reports are awesome, also contains videos of the use of the App in diverse devices and Android versions.

You can try in multiple phones/tablets.

And usability automatic testing videos!

Another way is using https://appetize.io/ , very easy, just upload and test it!

Example of the app CoinMarketRank.io running here.

Continues in this post:

• How to test IPA PhoneGap App file on Iphone devices

By MrAddon