apply plugin within ext.postBuildExtras block

[christocracy]

By performing apply plugin within ext.postBuildExtras block, other plugins can have the opportunity to provide their own play-services dependency overrides within their own build-extras.gradle.

Providing a build-extras.gradle allows one's Cordova app to have the final word on play-services dependencies to resolve conflicts with other plugins.

I am the author of one these plugins, cordova-background-geolocation-lt, which conflicts with cordova-plugin-fcm.

This method of providing your application's own custom build-extras.gradle goes like this:

Step 1. In your application's config.xml, define a <hook /> script

config.xml

<platform name="android">
    <hook src="scripts/android/copyGradleBuildExtras.js" type="before_build" />
    .
    .
    .
</platform>

Step 2. Create file scripts/android/copyGradleBuildExtras.js

scripts/android/copyBuildExtras.js

var fs = require ('fs');
var path = require('path');

var sourcePath = path.resolve(__dirname, 'build-extras.gradle');
var destPath = path.resolve(process.cwd(), 'platforms', 'android', 'build-extras.gradle');

// cp scripts/android/build-extras.gradle platforms/android/build-extras.gradle
fs.createReadStream(sourcePath).pipe(fs.createWriteStream(destPath));

Step 3. Define your custom scripts/android/build-extras.gradle overrides

This file allows your app to have the last word on any gradle dependencies -- no more need to fork plugins to "pin" play-services version. (insert your own desired play-services version, I chose latest 11.0.2, but you can choose to pin any desired version (the version must be the same for each dependency)

scripts/android/build-extras.gradle

ext.postBuildExtras {
    dependencies {
        // These are the play-services dependencies required by cordova-background-geolocation
        compile ("com.google.android.gms:play-services-base:11.0.2") {
            force = true;
    	}
    	compile ("com.google.android.gms:play-services-location:11.0.2") {
            force = true;
    	}
    
    	// These are the cordova-plugin-fcm dependency overrides
    	compile ("com.google.firebase:firebase-core:11.0.2") {
            force = true
    	}
    	compile ("com.google.firebase:firebase-messaging:11.0.2") {
            force = true
    	}
      
        /* uncomment when using maps (eg: cordova-plugin-googlemaps)
        compile ("com.google.android.gms:play-services-maps:11.0.2") {
            force = true;
        }
        */

        /* uncomment when using firebase-messaging (eg: phonegap-plugin-push)
        compile ("com.google.firebase:firebase-messaging:11.0.2"), {
            force: true;
        }
        */
    }       
}

I implemented this method by following the Cordova Guide Setting Gradle Properties

[christocracy]

Is there anyone alive maintaining this plugin or is it dead?

[dagrinchi]

Thanks a lot! @christocracy

[0xGerard]

this another solution more: here