There is an undocumented change to version code handling by the Crosswalk and Android build systems based on Cordova CLI 5.1.1. This change was implemented by the Apache Cordova project. This new version of Cordova CLI automatically modifies the android:versionCode when building for Crosswalk and Android. Because our CLI 5.1.1 build system is now more compatible with standard Cordova CLI, this change results in a discrepancy in the way your android:versionCode is handled when building for Crosswalk (15) or Android with CLI 5.1.1 when compared to building with CLI 4.1.2.
If you have never published an app to an Android store this change should have little or no impact for you. This change might affect your attempts to side-load an app onto a device, in which case the simplest solution is to uninstall the previously side-loaded app before installing the new app.
Here's what Cordova CLI 5.1.1 (Cordova-Android 4.x) is doing with the android:versionCode number (which you specify in the App Version Code field within the Build Settings section of the Projects tab):
Cordova-Android 4.x (Intel XDK CLI 5.1.1 for Crosswalk or Android builds) does this:
- multiplies your android:versionCode by 10
then, if you are doing a Crosswalk (15) build:
- adds 2 to the android:versionCode for ARM builds
- adds 4 to the android:versionCode for x86 builds
otherwise, if you are performing a standard Android build (non-Crosswalk):
- adds 0 to the android:versionCode if the Minimum Android API is < 14
- adds 8 to the android:versionCode if the Minimum Android API is 14-19
- adds 9 to the android:versionCode if the Minimum Android API is > 19 (i.e., >= 20)
If you HAVE PUBLISHED a Crosswalk app to an Android store this change may impact your ability to publish a newer version of your app! In that case, if you are building for Crosswalk, add 6000 (six with three zeroes) to your existing App Version Code field in the Crosswalk Build Settings section of the Projects tab. If you have only published standard Android apps in the past and are still publishing only standard Android apps you should not have to make any changes to the App Version Code field in the Android Builds Settings section of the Projects tab.
The workaround described above only applies to Crosswalk CLI 5.1.1 builds!
When you build with CLI 4.1.2 (which uses Cordova-Android 3.6) you will get the old Intel XDK behavior where: 60000 and 20000 (six with four zeros and two with four zeroes) are added to the android:versionCode for Crosswalk builds and no change is made to the android:versionCode for standard Android builds.
NOTE:
- Android API 14 corresponds to Android 4.0
- Android API 19 corresponds to Android 4.4
- Android API 20 corresponds to Android 5.0
- CLI 5.1.1 (Cordova-Android 4.x) does not allow building for Android 2.x or Android 3.x
There is an undocumented change to version code handling by the Crosswalk and Android build systems based on Cordova CLI 5.1.1. This change was implemented by the Apache Cordova project. This new version of Cordova CLI automatically modifies the android:versionCode when building for Crosswalk and Android. Because our CLI 5.1.1 build system is now more compatible with standard Cordova CLI, this change results in a discrepancy in the way your android:versionCode is handled when building for Crosswalk (15) or Android with CLI 5.1.1 when compared to building with CLI 4.1.2.
Here's what Cordova CLI 5.1.1 (Cordova-Android 4.x) is doing with the android:versionCode number (which you specify in the App Version Code field within the Build Settings section of the Projects tab):
Cordova-Android 4.x (Intel XDK CLI 5.1.1 for Crosswalk or Android builds) does this:
then, if you are doing a Crosswalk (15) build:
otherwise, if you are performing a standard Android build (non-Crosswalk):
If you HAVE PUBLISHED a Crosswalk app to an Android store this change may impact your ability to publish a newer version of your app! In that case, if you are building for Crosswalk, add 6000 (six with three zeroes) to your existing App Version Code field in the Crosswalk Build Settings section of the Projects tab. If you have only published standard Android apps in the past and are still publishing only standard Android apps you should not have to make any changes to the App Version Code field in the Android Builds Settings section of the Projects tab.
When you build with CLI 4.1.2 (which uses Cordova-Android 3.6) you will get the old Intel XDK behavior where: 60000 and 20000 (six with four zeros and two with four zeroes) are added to the android:versionCode for Crosswalk builds and no change is made to the android:versionCode for standard Android builds.
NOTE: