www/docs/en/1.5.0/phonegap/camera/camera.getPicture.md - cordova-docs - Git at Google

 ---
 license: >
     Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
     or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
     distributed with this work for additional information
     regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
     to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
     "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
     with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at

         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

     Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
     software distributed under the License is distributed on an
     "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
     KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
     specific language governing permissions and limitations
     under the License.

 title: camera.getPicture
 ---

 camera.getPicture
 =================

 Takes a photo using the camera or retrieves a photo from the device's album.  The image is returned as a base64 encoded `String` or as the URI of an image file.

     navigator.camera.getPicture( cameraSuccess, cameraError, [ cameraOptions ] );

 Description
 -----------

 Function `camera.getPicture` opens the device's default camera application so that the user can take a picture (if `[Camera](camera.html).sourceType = [Camera](camera.html).PictureSourceType.CAMERA`, which is the default). Once the photo is taken, the camera application closes and your application is restored.

 If `[Camera](camera.html).sourceType = [Camera](camera.html).PictureSourceType.PHOTOLIBRARY` or `[Camera](camera.html).PictureSourceType.SAVEDPHOTOALBUM`, then a photo chooser dialog is shown, from which a photo from the album can be selected.

 The return value will be sent to the `[cameraSuccess](parameter/cameraSuccess.html)` function, in one of the following formats, depending on the `[cameraOptions](parameter/cameraOptions.html)` you specify:

 - A `String` containing the Base64 encoded photo image.
 - A `String` representing the image file location on local storage (default).

 You can do whatever you want with the encoded image or URI, for example:

 - Render the image in an `<img>` tag _(see example below)_
 - Save the data locally (`LocalStorage`, [Lawnchair](http://brianleroux.github.com/lawnchair/), etc)
 - Post the data to a remote server

 Note: The image quality of pictures taken using the camera on newer devices is quite good.  _Encoding such images using Base64 has caused memory issues on some of these devices (iPhone 4, BlackBerry Torch 9800)._  Therefore, using FILE_URI as the '[Camera](camera.html).destinationType' is highly recommended.

 Supported Platforms
 -------------------

 - Android
 - BlackBerry WebWorks (OS 5.0 and higher)
 - iPhone
 - Windows Phone 7 ( Mango )

 Quick [Example](../storage/storage.opendatabase.html)
 -------------

 Take photo and retrieve Base64-encoded image:

     navigator.camera.getPicture(onSuccess, onFail, { quality: 50 });

     function onSuccess(imageData) {
         var image = document.getElementById('myImage');
         image.src = "data:image/jpeg;base64," + imageData;
     }

     function onFail(message) {
         alert('Failed because: ' + message);
     }

 Take photo and retrieve image file location:

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

     function onSuccess(imageURI) {
         var image = document.getElementById('myImage');
         image.src = imageURI;
     }

     function onFail(message) {
         alert('Failed because: ' + message);
     }


 Full [Example](../storage/storage.opendatabase.html)
 ------------

     <!DOCTYPE html>
     <html>
       <head>
         <title>Capture Photo</title>

         <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="cordova-1.5.0.js"></script>
         <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) {
           // Uncomment 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) {
           // Uncomment 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>
       </head>
       <body>
         <button onclick="capturePhoto();">Capture Photo</button> <br>
         <button onclick="capturePhotoEdit();">Capture Editable Photo</button> <br>
         <button onclick="getPhoto(pictureSource.PHOTOLIBRARY);">From Photo Library</button><br>
         <button onclick="getPhoto(pictureSource.SAVEDPHOTOALBUM);">From Photo Album</button><br>
         <img style="display:none;width:60px;height:60px;" id="smallImage" src="" />
         <img style="display:none;" id="largeImage" src="" />
       </body>
     </html>
	---
	license: >
	Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
	or more contributor license agreements. See the NOTICE file
	distributed with this work for additional information
	regarding copyright ownership. The ASF licenses this file
	to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
	"License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
	with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at

	http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

	Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
	software distributed under the License is distributed on an
	"AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
	KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the
	specific language governing permissions and limitations
	under the License.

	title: camera.getPicture
	---

	camera.getPicture
	=================

	Takes a photo using the camera or retrieves a photo from the device's album. The image is returned as a base64 encoded `String` or as the URI of an image file.

	navigator.camera.getPicture( cameraSuccess, cameraError, [ cameraOptions ] );

	Description
	-----------

	Function `camera.getPicture` opens the device's default camera application so that the user can take a picture (if `[Camera](camera.html).sourceType = [Camera](camera.html).PictureSourceType.CAMERA`, which is the default). Once the photo is taken, the camera application closes and your application is restored.

	If `[Camera](camera.html).sourceType = [Camera](camera.html).PictureSourceType.PHOTOLIBRARY` or `[Camera](camera.html).PictureSourceType.SAVEDPHOTOALBUM`, then a photo chooser dialog is shown, from which a photo from the album can be selected.

	The return value will be sent to the `[cameraSuccess](parameter/cameraSuccess.html)` function, in one of the following formats, depending on the `[cameraOptions](parameter/cameraOptions.html)` you specify:

	- A `String` containing the Base64 encoded photo image.
	- A `String` representing the image file location on local storage (default).

	You can do whatever you want with the encoded image or URI, for example:

	- Render the image in an `<img>` tag _(see example below)_
	- Save the data locally (`LocalStorage`, [Lawnchair](http://brianleroux.github.com/lawnchair/), etc)
	- Post the data to a remote server

	Note: The image quality of pictures taken using the camera on newer devices is quite good. _Encoding such images using Base64 has caused memory issues on some of these devices (iPhone 4, BlackBerry Torch 9800)._ Therefore, using FILE_URI as the '[Camera](camera.html).destinationType' is highly recommended.

	Supported Platforms
	-------------------

	- Android
	- BlackBerry WebWorks (OS 5.0 and higher)
	- iPhone
	- Windows Phone 7 ( Mango )

	Quick [Example](../storage/storage.opendatabase.html)
	-------------

	Take photo and retrieve Base64-encoded image:

	navigator.camera.getPicture(onSuccess, onFail, { quality: 50 });

	function onSuccess(imageData) {
	var image = document.getElementById('myImage');
	image.src = "data:image/jpeg;base64," + imageData;
	}

	function onFail(message) {
	alert('Failed because: ' + message);
	}

	Take photo and retrieve image file location:

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

	function onSuccess(imageURI) {
	var image = document.getElementById('myImage');
	image.src = imageURI;
	}

	function onFail(message) {
	alert('Failed because: ' + message);
	}


	Full [Example](../storage/storage.opendatabase.html)
	------------

	<!DOCTYPE html>
	<html>
	<head>
	<title>Capture Photo</title>

	<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="cordova-1.5.0.js"></script>
	<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) {
	// Uncomment 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) {
	// Uncomment 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>
	</head>
	<body>
	<button onclick="capturePhoto();">Capture Photo</button> <br>
	<button onclick="capturePhotoEdit();">Capture Editable Photo</button> <br>
	<button onclick="getPhoto(pictureSource.PHOTOLIBRARY);">From Photo Library</button><br>
	<button onclick="getPhoto(pictureSource.SAVEDPHOTOALBUM);">From Photo Album</button><br>
	<img style="display:none;width:60px;height:60px;" id="smallImage" src="" />
	<img style="display:none;" id="largeImage" src="" />
	</body>
	</html>