Project with plugin variables does not build

[enchev]

From @victorhugom on February 18, 2016 14:16

Error:

malformed document. First element should be <plist>
# build ios

I did:

npm install -g nativescript
tns platform remove ios
tns platform add ios
npm install tns-core-modules@latest --save
tns build ios

And also tried:

remove folder: node_modules
remove folder: platform

npm install -g nativescript
tns platform remove ios
tns platform add ios
npm install tns-core-modules@latest --save
tns build ios

Copied from original issue: NativeScript/NativeScript#1581

[victorhugom-zz]

You can close this issue, after remove and add the plugins is building again

[rosen-vladimirov]

Ok, that's weird. Can you send me the list of plugins you are using?

[victorhugom-zz]

Plugins:

 "nativescript-facebook-plugin": "git+https://github.com/NativeScript/nativescript-facebook-plugin.git",
"nativescript-google-maps-sdk": "^1.2.2",
"nativescript-iqkeyboardmanager": "^1.0.0",
"nativescript-loading-indicator": "^1.0.0",
"nativescript-videoplayer": "git+https://github.com/bradmartin/nativescript-videoplayer.git",

After some investigation I discovered where exactly were the errors:

First: the videoplayer plugin didn't have the tag in the file.
Second: The build process wasn't reading the plugin variables used in the Facebook plugin to build the .plist file correctly

[Plamen5kov]

same problem with the plugin variables on android (they don't get replaced in AndroidManifest.xml

[rosen-vladimirov]

Is this only in the facebook plugin or can be reproduced with any kind of plugin with variables?

[Plamen5kov]

I just tried it out, it looks like it still doesn't work. Here's what id did:

1. tns plugin add nativescript-barcodescanner
2. went to node_modules/nativescript-barcodescanner/platforms/android/AndroidManifest.xml and added this line to manifest:

<tag>{APP_ID}</tag>

1. went to <app_name>/node_modules/nativescript-barcodescanner/package.json and added

    "variables": {
        "APP_ID": {
             "defaultValue": "myAppId"
        }
    }

to the "nativescript" key as described here: #882

1. run tns prepare android

Error:

tns prepare android
Copying template files...
Project successfully created.
Processing node_modules failed. Exception: Unable to find the value for APP_ID plugin variable into project package.json file. Verify that your package.json file is correct and try again.
Sending exception report (press Ctrl+C to stop).....

Cli version: 1.6.1.
same happens with 1.6.0

[dtopuzov]

Still valid in {N} 2.0.1 with steps Plamen5kov described.

[Plamen5kov]

Still able to reproduce with cli 2.1.1.
Build doesn't crash but APP_ID is still not replaced with the value from package.json

EDIT: First I tried putting the APP_ID in the package.json of the plugin, but then the build failed, because CLI searched for the APP_ID in the project <app_name>./package.json file.
After I moved the "variables" object to <app_name>./package.json file, the build didn't fail, but the variable wasn't replaced in the AndroidManifest.xml

EDIT 2: Actually I wasn't testing correctly, the plugin needs to have declared

"variables": {
        "APP_ID": {
...

in it's package.json and then follows the tns plugin add ... command which asks you for a variable id if a default hasn't been set and adds:

    "nativescript-barcodescanner-variables": {
      "APP_ID": "myAppId"
    }

to the <app_name>/package.json file.

If the user follows the correct flow, the prepare command replaces the APP_ID in the AndroidManifest.xml file with the correct value.