Hi Rob,

I don’t have an exact example but this comes pretty close to what you want to achieve which is to change an attribute value on application tag.

So the trick is basically to build a plugin that has no source code, its only used to push the configurations to the in the AndroidManifest.xml 

https://github.com/Chuckytuh/cordova-plugin-allow-backup

Please also check out this thread, it may be helpful:

https://www.outsystems.com/forums/discussion/45641/how-do-i-include-a-permission-in-the-androidmanifest-xml/

Best regards,

Daniel Martins

Thank you Daniel, I will look into this.

I was already looking at this cordova plugin to change the manifest, but it's readme also points toward the edit-config option in the Cordova configuration as a more simple alternative.

I am able to add something in the AndroidManifest.xml by adding a plugin to the code. These were my steps:

1. Create a folder for your plugin code.
2. Only add a plugin.xml file in the folder. See content of the file attached.
3. Zip the folder and add it to a new (mobile) module as resource.
4. Configure the Extensibility Configuration to use the zip as plugin source, see example below.
5. Build the app.
6. Check the manifest of the generated APK to see the property. You can do this with AndroidStudio via Build > Analyse APK or File > Profile and debug APK

Extensibility configuration (change-manifest.zip attached):

{
    "resource": "changemanifest.zip",
    "plugin": {
        "resource": "change-manifest"
    }
}

This worked perfectly with a new app. Thanks Daniel for the pointer. 

However, I still have issues with implementing this in my original app. MABS gives an error that I'm modifying a field that is already modified, while I use the same plugins in my newly created app.

"Failed to install 'change-manifest': Error: There was a conflict trying to modify attributes with <edit-config> in plugin change-manifest. The conflicting plugin, undefined, already modified the same attributes. The conflict must be resolved before change-manifest can be added. You may use --force to add the plugin and overwrite the conflicting attributes."

Still need to figure out what is happening there!

Hi Rob,

That issue with the "there was a conflict trying to modify attributes with <edit-config> in plugin change-manifest", happens when 2 different plug-ins make use of the same property.

    <edit-config file="AndroidManifest.xml" target="/manifest/application" mode="merge">

            <application android:requestLegacyExternalStorage="true"

        </edit-config>

The "merge" should allow the manifest configurations to be merged, but it's not assuming the merge. It's assuming conflict and is throwing an error.

In one of the plugins manifest could you please add the merge mode?

Thank you,

Best regards

I could not find any edits on the application tag in other plugins:

• CameraPlugin
• FileOpener
• FilePlugin
• BuildInfo Plugin
• SaveToGallery Plugin

So I just added them systematically to a new app. SaveToGallery and FilePlugin are fine, it breaks when I add FileOpener. I am using this specific version.

It adds some config to the AndroidManifest, but I don't see why it is conflicting, it is not targeting the application tag itself:

    <platform name="android">
<source-file src="src/android/io/github/pwlin/cordova/plugins/fileopener2/FileOpener2.java" target-dir="src/io/github/pwlin/cordova/plugins/fileopener2" />
<source-file src="src/android/io/github/pwlin/cordova/plugins/fileopener2/FileProvider.java" target-dir="src/io/github/pwlin/cordova/plugins/fileopener2" />
<config-file target="res/xml/config.xml" parent="/*">
<feature name="FileOpener2">
<param name="android-package" value="io.github.pwlin.cordova.plugins.fileopener2.FileOpener2" />
</feature>
</config-file>
<config-file target="AndroidManifest.xml" parent="/*">
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
</config-file>
<config-file target="AndroidManifest.xml" parent="application">
<provider android:name="io.github.pwlin.cordova.plugins.fileopener2.FileProvider" android:authorities="${applicationId}.opener.provider" android:exported="false" android:grantUriPermissions="true">
<meta-data android:name="android.support.FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS" android:resource="@xml/opener_paths" />
</provider>
</config-file>
<source-file src="src/android/res/xml/opener_paths.xml" target-dir="res/xml" />
<preference name="ANDROID_SUPPORT_V4_VERSION" default="27.+"/>
<framework src="com.android.support:support-v4:$ANDROID_SUPPORT_V4_VERSION"/>
</platform>

Hi Mikko thanks for your input.

Adding merge mode on those configs still don't make the error disappear. From what I get from the Manifest documentation the <uses-permission> tag is a sibling of application, so that couldn't be the issue. I've build the app with omitting the <config-file target="AndroidManifest.xml" parent="application"> part from the plugin.xml and that 'solved' the conflict. But it should be there of course, and mode=merge still gives the merge issue.

Any ideas on how to bypass this?

edit:
I've also tried to copy all the attributes that need to be on the Application tag when all plugins are added, together with my new attribute and set the mode of <edit-config> to "overwrite". That also fails (maybe this fails due to obvious reasons, but my knowledge is very limited on this topic).

Hi Rob,

From my experience mode="merge" solved the issue.

If you can’t figure it out, I suggest you to open a support ticket.

Best regards,

Keep us updated 

It would be so cool if we could set those permissions in the Service Studio...