I am trying out the Camera API for Phonegap and I have ran into a problem. Using the code from the Official Documentation:

<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">

    var pictureSource;   // picture source
    var destinationType; // sets the format of returned value 

    // Wait for PhoneGap to connect with the device
    //
    document.addEventListener("deviceready",onDeviceReady,false);

    // PhoneGap is ready to be used!
    //
    function onDeviceReady() {
        pictureSource=navigator.camera.PictureSourceType;
        destinationType=navigator.camera.DestinationType;
    }

    // Called when a photo is successfully retrieved
    //
    function onPhotoDataSuccess(imageData) {
      // Unment to view the base64 encoded image data
      // console.log(imageData);

      // Get image handle
      //
      var smallImage = document.getElementById('smallImage');

      // Unhide image elements
      //
      smallImage.style.display = 'block';

      // Show the captured photo
      // The inline CSS rules are used to resize the image
      //
      smallImage.src = "data:image/jpeg;base64," + imageData;
    }

    // Called when a photo is successfully retrieved
    //
    function onPhotoURISuccess(imageURI) {
      // Unment to view the image file URI 
      // console.log(imageURI);

      // Get image handle
      //
      var largeImage = document.getElementById('largeImage');

      // Unhide image elements
      //
      largeImage.style.display = 'block';

      // Show the captured photo
      // The inline CSS rules are used to resize the image
      //
      largeImage.src = imageURI;
    }

    // A button will call this function
    //
    function capturePhoto() {
      // Take picture using device camera and retrieve image as base64-encoded string
      navigator.camera.getPicture(onPhotoDataSuccess, onFail, { quality: 50 });
    }

    // A button will call this function
    //
    function capturePhotoEdit() {
      // Take picture using device camera, allow edit, and retrieve image as base64-encoded string  
      navigator.camera.getPicture(onPhotoDataSuccess, onFail, { quality: 20, allowEdit: true }); 
    }

    // A button will call this function
    //
    function getPhoto(source) {
      // Retrieve image file location from specified source
      navigator.camera.getPicture(onPhotoURISuccess, onFail, { quality: 50, 
        destinationType: destinationType.FILE_URI,
        sourceType: source });
    }

    // Called if something bad happens.
    // 
    function onFail(message) {
      alert('Failed because: ' + message);
    }

    </script>

And my button:

<button onclick="capturePhoto();">Capture Photo</button>

And img tag:

<img style="display:none;width:60px;height:60px;" id="smallImage" src="" />

The camera opens up fine, and takes a photo no problem, however, it does not show up on the page.

I have more code that lets you select an image form the photo album, and this works perfectly, displaying it in a different image tag.

I believe the problem is that it cannot find imageData.

The captured photo does get saved to the phone, and it can be displayed using the other button, but I want it to show straight after taking the photo.

I am using JQM btw and piling my APK using the Phonegap:Build web piler.

I am trying out the Camera API for Phonegap and I have ran into a problem. Using the code from the Official Documentation:

<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">

    var pictureSource;   // picture source
    var destinationType; // sets the format of returned value 

    // Wait for PhoneGap to connect with the device
    //
    document.addEventListener("deviceready",onDeviceReady,false);

    // PhoneGap is ready to be used!
    //
    function onDeviceReady() {
        pictureSource=navigator.camera.PictureSourceType;
        destinationType=navigator.camera.DestinationType;
    }

    // Called when a photo is successfully retrieved
    //
    function onPhotoDataSuccess(imageData) {
      // Unment to view the base64 encoded image data
      // console.log(imageData);

      // Get image handle
      //
      var smallImage = document.getElementById('smallImage');

      // Unhide image elements
      //
      smallImage.style.display = 'block';

      // Show the captured photo
      // The inline CSS rules are used to resize the image
      //
      smallImage.src = "data:image/jpeg;base64," + imageData;
    }

    // Called when a photo is successfully retrieved
    //
    function onPhotoURISuccess(imageURI) {
      // Unment to view the image file URI 
      // console.log(imageURI);

      // Get image handle
      //
      var largeImage = document.getElementById('largeImage');

      // Unhide image elements
      //
      largeImage.style.display = 'block';

      // Show the captured photo
      // The inline CSS rules are used to resize the image
      //
      largeImage.src = imageURI;
    }

    // A button will call this function
    //
    function capturePhoto() {
      // Take picture using device camera and retrieve image as base64-encoded string
      navigator.camera.getPicture(onPhotoDataSuccess, onFail, { quality: 50 });
    }

    // A button will call this function
    //
    function capturePhotoEdit() {
      // Take picture using device camera, allow edit, and retrieve image as base64-encoded string  
      navigator.camera.getPicture(onPhotoDataSuccess, onFail, { quality: 20, allowEdit: true }); 
    }

    // A button will call this function
    //
    function getPhoto(source) {
      // Retrieve image file location from specified source
      navigator.camera.getPicture(onPhotoURISuccess, onFail, { quality: 50, 
        destinationType: destinationType.FILE_URI,
        sourceType: source });
    }

    // Called if something bad happens.
    // 
    function onFail(message) {
      alert('Failed because: ' + message);
    }

    </script>

And my button:

<button onclick="capturePhoto();">Capture Photo</button>

And img tag:

<img style="display:none;width:60px;height:60px;" id="smallImage" src="" />

The camera opens up fine, and takes a photo no problem, however, it does not show up on the page.

I have more code that lets you select an image form the photo album, and this works perfectly, displaying it in a different image tag.

I believe the problem is that it cannot find imageData.

The captured photo does get saved to the phone, and it can be displayed using the other button, but I want it to show straight after taking the photo.

I am using JQM btw and piling my APK using the Phonegap:Build web piler.

• javascript
• jquery-mobile
• cordova

3 Answers 3

The documentation on Phonegap is wrong. To get the base64 encoded picture you need to call

 navigator.camera.getPicture(onPhotoDataSuccess, onFail, { quality:50, destinationType:Camera.DestinationType.DATA_URL });

It is much easier and cleaner to use the file URI (but be careful if you want the image to persist, on iOS the images are saved to a temporary folder - http://docs.phonegap./en/1.7.0/cordova_camera_camera.md.html#Camera). You can display the images right away as follows:

navigator.camera.getPicture(displayPicture, function(err){}, {quality : 40, 
        destinationType : Camera.DestinationType.FILE_URI, 
        sourceType : Camera.PictureSourceType.CAMERA});

function displayPicture(file_uri){
 var img_tag = '<img style="width:60px;height:60px;" id="smallImage" src="'+file_uri+'" />';
//Attach the img tag where ever you want it ... $(<some parent tag>).append(img_tag) etc.

}

In the CapturePhoto() function, add this option;

destinationType : Camera.DestinationType.FILE_URI,

As Phonegap says, using FILE_URI is the best practice for taking pictures with new generation phones.

To show the image use this approach in the getPhotoDataSuccess;

$('#smallImage').attr("src",imageURI);