OnDeviceReady

OnDeviceReady is a commonly used name for the event handler in Cordova-based applications that runs when the Cordova device APIs have finished loading and are ready to be used. The term helps developers distinguish code that relies on Cordova from code that can execute immediately at startup.

In typical practice, the deviceready event is bound early in the startup sequence, usually with a statement such as document.addEventListener('deviceready', onDeviceReady, false). The onDeviceReady function (or another similarly named function) contains initialization code that depends on Cordova plugins and device features. Until this event fires, calls to Cordova plugins may not be available, so placing plugin initialization and feature checks inside onDeviceReady helps avoid errors.

The purpose of onDeviceReady is to ensure that the application interacts with the device only after the Cordova environment is fully initialized. This event marks a transition from generic web view startup to a Cordova-enabled runtime, enabling access to hardware features, plugins, and platform services.

Names and usage can vary, but the pattern remains the same: bind a handler to the deviceready event and place Cordova-dependent code inside that handler. In modern development, some projects may use alternative startup hooks or framework-specific wrappers, but the underlying principle is the same—execute device-dependent logic only after the device APIs are available.

Note that onDeviceReady specifically pertains to Cordova/PhoneGap ecosystems. Other platforms or newer tooling like Capacitor may employ different lifecycle events, though the goal is similar: ensure Cordova or plugin functionality is ready before use.