Phonegap Cordova installation Windows

After hours of frustration... here's what i discovered.

1. Ignore the installation documentation and all the command line, node.js stuff (seriously you will waste hours on this.
2. Go to github and simply download the PhoneGap master .zip
3. In that zip are project files for window phone, etc platform... just use those templates.

I don't know how such an easy process could have worse documentation. It as if it was written by lawyers.

I faced the same problem and struggled for an hour to get pass through by reading the documents and the other issues reported in Stack Overflow but I didn't find any answer to it. So, here is the guide to successfully run the phonegap/cordova in Windows Machine.

Follow these steps

1. Download and Install node.js from http://nodejs.org/
2. Run the command npm install -g phonegap (in case of phonegap installation) or run the command npm install -g cordova (in case of Cordova installation).

3. As the installation gets completed you can notice this:

   C:\Users\binaryuser\AppData\Roaming\npm\cordova -> C:\Users\binaryuser\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\cordova\bin\cordovacordova@3.0.9 C:\Users\binaryuser\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\cordova├── ncallbacks@1.0.0├── open@0.0.3├── colors@0.6.2├── semver@1.1.0├── shelljs@0.1.2├── follow-redirects@0.0.3 (underscore@1.5.2)├── elementtree@0.1.3 (sax@0.3.5)├── optimist@0.6.0 (wordwrap@0.0.2, minimist@0.0.2)├── xcode@0.5.1 (node-uuid@1.3.3, pegjs@0.6.2)├── glob@3.2.6 (inherits@2.0.1, minimatch@0.2.12)├── plist@0.4.3 (xmlbuilder@0.4.2, xmldom@0.1.16)├── tar@0.1.18 (inherits@2.0.1, block-stream@0.0.7, fstream@0.1.24)├── prompt@0.2.7 (revalidator@0.1.5, pkginfo@0.3.0, read@1.0.5, utile@0.1.7, winston@0.6.2)├── request@2.22.0 (json-stringify-safe@4.0.0, aws-sign@0.3.0, qs@0.6.5, oauth-sign@0.3.0, forever-agent@0.5.0, cookie-jar@0.3.0, tunnel-agent@0.3.0, mime@1.2.11, node-uuid@1.4.1, http-signature@0.10.0, hawk@0.13.1, form-data@0.0.8)├── express@3.0.0 (methods@0.0.1, fresh@0.1.0, range-parser@0.0.4, crc@0.2.0, cookie@0.0.4, commander@0.6.1, debug@0.7.2, mkdirp@0.3.3, send@0.1.0, connect@2.6.0)├── ripple-emulator@0.9.18 (connect-xcors@0.5.2, colors@0.6.0-1, accounting@0.3.2, request@2.12.0, moment@1.7.2, express@3.1.0)├── npm@1.3.11└── plugman@0.11.0 (ncallbacks@1.1.0, osenv@0.0.3, bplist-parser@0.0.4, underscore@1.4.4, semver@2.0.11, dep-graph@1.1.0, elementtree@0.1.5, xcode@0.6.1, nopt@1.0.10, rc@0.3.0, tar.gz@0.1.1, npm@1.3.4)

4. Notice the above line you can see the path were the file is mentioned. Copy that path. In my case it is C:\Users\binaryuser\AppData\Roaming\npm\cordova so use cd C:\Users\binaryuser\AppData\Roaming\npm\ and type cordova. There it is, it finally works.

5. Since the -g key value isn't working you have set the Environment Variables path:
   1. Press Win + Pause|Break or right click on Computer and choose Properties.
   2. Click Advanced system settings on the left.
   3. Click Environment Variables under the Advanced tab.
   4. Select the PATH variable and click Edit.
   5. Copy the path mentioned above to the value field and press OK.

This answer was first posted here: cordova/phonegap does not make android directory

With the release of Cordova 3.3.0, it seems the PhoneGap team is trying to address the naming confusion. The documentations have been updated to recommend people using the cordova command instead. Do not use the phonegap command anymore.

Here is a fresh installation guide for a guaranteed trouble free set up:

1. Install Cordova (forget the name PhoneGap from now on). For PC:

   C:> npm install -g cordova

2. From command prompt, navigate to the folder you want to create your project using:

   cordova create hello com.example.hello HelloWorldcd hello

3. Define the OS you want to suppport for example:

   cordova platform add wp8

4. Install plugins (If needed). For example we want the following:

   cordova plugin add org.apache.cordova.devicecordova plugin add org.apache.cordova.cameracordova plugin add org.apache.cordova.media-capturecordova plugin add org.apache.cordova.media

5. Finally, generate the app using:

   cordova build wp8

Here is a link to the PhoneGapCordova 3.3.0 Documentationhttp://docs.phonegap.com/en/3.3.0/guide_cli_index.md.html#The%20Command-Line%20Interface