Camera APIs

Camera APIs provide comprehensive functionality for photo capture, permission management, and error handling in universal apps.

Camera APIs

Comprehensive camera functionality for universal apps with photo capture, permission management, and error handling.

useCamera() Hook

Main hook for camera functionality including photo capture, permission handling, and state management.

Property	Type	Description
datarequired	Object | null	Captured photo data object containing fileSrc (base64/path), fileName, size, mimeType, transport method, and metadata.
loadingrequired	boolean	Operation in progress state, true during photo capture, permission requests, or processing.
error	Object | null	Standardized error object with code, category, message, details, recoverable flag, and suggested action.
progress	Object	Detailed progress tracking with state, phase, message, percentage, transport method, and byte counts.
isWeb	boolean	Environment detection flag, true when running in web browser context.
isNative	boolean	Environment detection flag, true when running in native app (iOS/Android) context.
executerequired	(operation?: string, options?: Object) => void	Primary function to trigger operations: execute("takePhoto"), execute("requestPermission"), or execute("checkPermission").
clear	() => void	Clear data and reset all state (data, error, progress) to initial values.
clearError	() => void	Clear only the error state while preserving data and other states.
permission	Object	Camera permission status object with status, canRequest flag, and lastChecked timestamp.
photo	string | null	Legacy alias for data - Base64 encoded image data (backward compatibility).
takePhoto	() => void	Legacy alias for execute("takePhoto") - Function to trigger camera capture (backward compatibility).
clearPhoto	() => void	Legacy alias for clear() - Function to clear photo state (backward compatibility).

useCameraPermission() Hook

Automatically requests and manages camera permission status with loading states.

Property	Type	Description
permissionrequired	string | null	Current camera permission status: GRANTED, DENIED, NOT_DETERMINED, RESTRICTED. Updates automatically when permissions change.

requestCameraPermission() Function

Promise-based function for explicit camera permission requests with async/await support.

Property	Type	Description
Parameters	void	No parameters required. Function automatically requests camera permission from the system.
Returns	Promise<string>	Promise that resolves with permission status (GRANTED) or rejects with error message if permission denied/failed.

Platform & Device Behavior

Camera API behavior varies across different platforms and device types. See detailed breakdown below.

Platform	Status	Behavior	Notes
🤖 Android Emulator	✅ Supported	Camera works with virtual camera. Photos captured from emulator camera interface.	Uses Android Virtual Device camera simulation
🤖 Android Physical	✅ Supported	Full camera functionality with device hardware camera. High-quality photo capture.	Requires camera permission. Works with front/back cameras.
🍎 iOS Simulator	✅ Supported	Camera works with simulated camera interface. Stock photos available for testing.	Uses iOS Simulator camera simulation with sample images
🍎 iOS Physical	⏳ Coming Soon	Physical device camera support currently in development.	Will support device hardware camera when implemented
🌐 Web Browser	🔄 Fallback	Returns safe defaults. Camera functions available but no actual camera access.	Graceful degradation for web platform compatibility

📸 Avatar Photo Capture Example

Capture and display user avatars with real-time camera access and state management

🎛️ Customize Your Example

Select which hooks and properties to include in your example. All hooks follow a common interface with standardized properties and operations.

useCamera() (required)useCameraPermission()requestCameraPermission()

AvatarCapture.js

1import React from 'react';
2import { useCamera } from "catalyst-core/hooks";
3
4function CameraApp() {
5  const { 
6    // New standardized interface
7    data: photoData,
8    execute: executeCamera
9  } = useCamera();
10
11  const formatFileSize = (bytes) => {
12    if (bytes === 0) return '0 Bytes'
13    const k = 1024
14    const sizes = ['Bytes', 'KB', 'MB', 'GB']
15    const i = Math.floor(Math.log(bytes) / Math.log(k))
16    return parseFloat((bytes / Math.pow(k, i)).toFixed(2)) + ' ' + sizes[i]
17  }
18
19  return (
20    <div style={{ padding: '20px' }}>
21      <h2>📷 Camera Demo</h2>
22
23      {/* Camera Controls */}
24        
25        <button onClick={executeCamera} >
26          "Take Photo"
27        </button>
28        </div>
29        
30        {photoData && (
31          <div>
32            <h3>Photo Captured!</h3>
33            <p>Name: {photoData.fileName}</p>
34            <p>Size: {formatFileSize(photoData.size)}</p>
35            <img src={photoData.fileSrc} alt="Captured" style={{ maxWidth: '300px' }} />
36            
37          </div>
38        )}
39    </div>
40  );
41}
42
43export default CameraApp;

Important Notes

• Platform Support: Android (emulator + physical) and iOS (simulator) supported. iOS physical device coming soon
• Parameters: Camera functions require no parameters - all configuration is handled automatically
• Emulator/Simulator: Camera works in Android emulator and iOS simulator with virtual/sample images
• Permissions: Always check permission status before capturing photos - required on physical devices
• Data Format: Photos returned as base64 JPEG strings ready for immediate display or upload
• Error Handling: Built-in error handling for permission denied, camera unavailable, and capture failures
• Web Fallback: Returns safe defaults when running in web mode for graceful degradation