The Chrome Apps API has the very useful FileSystem API which allows a user to select a file for an app to edit (read and write changes to). However, with the entire Apps API soon to be removed, what other ways exists to edit a file on the local file system?
This is not an opinion-based question, I am asking for all conceivable alternatives.
Per https://developers.chrome.com/apps/migration:
Q: My app uses the chrome.fileSystem API to read and write user-specified files and / or directories. Can this be done on the open web?
A: In general, no. The open web can read single files that the user opens, but cannot retain access to those files, write to those files, or have any access to directories.
If it is critical for your app to read and write directories (e.g. it is a text editor with a folder view), you will need to either have a native helper app and extension combo, or create a native app.
Related
I need to upload a file to OneDrive, via the command line. This will be done through a batch file which is distributed to end users.
From searching on Stack Overflow, I find questions like this one which say that you need to register an app and create an app password, using Azure. I don't have the necessary permissions to do this in the organization where I work, nor can I do anything that requires an admin account. So I can't any install software - I have to use what comes with Windows 10. I can't use VBA either as that's blocked.
I've managed to download files from OneDrive without anything like that, using the process described here:
Open the URL in either of the browser.
Open Developer options using Ctrl+Shift+I.
Go to Network tab.
Now click on download. Saving file isn’t required. We only need the network activity while browser requests the file from the server.
A new entry will appear which would look like “download.aspx?…”.
Right click on that and Copy → Copy as cURL.
Paste the copied content directly in the terminal and append ‘--output file.extension’ to save the content in file.extension since
terminal isn’t capable of showing binary data.
Example:
curl https://xyz.sharepoint.com/personal/someting/_layouts/15/download.aspx?UniqueId=cefb6082%2D696e%2D4f23%2D8c7a%2
…. some long text ….
cCtHR3NuTy82bWFtN1JBRXNlV2ZmekZOdWp3cFRsNTdJdjE2c2syZmxQamhGWnMwdkFBeXZlNWx2UkxDTkJic2hycGNGazVSTnJGUnY1Y1d0WjF5SDJMWHBqTjRmcUNUUWJxVnZYb1JjRG1WbEtjK0VIVWx2clBDQWNyZldid1R3PT08L1NQPg==;
cucg=1’ --compressed --output file.extension
I tried to do something similar after clicking 'upload' on the browser, but didn't find anything useful when trying to filter the requests.
I found these two questions but there is no keyboard shortcut to upload, AFAICT. Also the end user will be uploading a file to a folder I've shared with them from my OneDrive. Opening Chrome or Edge as a minimised window is fine, but I can't just shove a window in their face which automatically clicks on things - they won't like that.
It's just occurred to me that I might be able to use an office application to Save As the file to the necessary onedrive folder, where the keyboard shortcuts are pretty stable, but have no idea how to achieve that via the command line.
The best and more secure way to accomplish this goal I think is going to be with the Rest API for OneDrive.
(Small Files <4MB)
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/developer/rest-api/api/driveitem_put_content?view=odsp-graph-online
(Large files)
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/developer/rest-api/api/driveitem_createuploadsession?view=odsp-graph-online
You still need a Azure AD App Registration (which your admin should be able to configure for you), to provide API access to services in Azure. Coding with the API is going to be far easier and less complicated, not to mention more versatile.
I need help. I'm trying to create a multiplatform mobile application. One of the functionalities is a local file browser that will allow user to select a directory and create a list of file in this directory. I've already spent couple of hours on that issue and I can not find any solution for that.
I've checked http://ngcordova.com/docs/plugins/file/
But if I understand it correctly it is used when I already have a file, it not allows user to pick the directory.
I don't need anything fancy, it should as simple as possible
The Cordova FileSystem plugin (and ngCordova's wrapper) provide the ability the read directories from the file system. They do not provide any UI, so you would use the plugin to ask for a list of directories and then render it as you see fit. (A UL, a table, whatever.) To "browse" you could use a click handler on the list of directories such that when clicked, you then get the files/subdirectories of that folder. Again, the FS plugin adds support for doing that.
How can I enumerate files under a static folder (such as images where all the static images used by my app are stored) while developing a chrome app?
What I have tried:
- looked at these links 1, 2. i am not trying to read from local or user storage. i want to read from static storage. static storage are the folders where an app stores its static contents - assets like images, css, js etc.
- looked at this link. but my app needs to be able to enumerate all files under a static folder without prompting the user for any action/permission.
i will give an example of why this is useful. imagine i want to release an app using which users can read my poems. i want a static folder where i save poems i write. then as i write new poems, these poems should then be made available automatically without having to do any code changes. further i was able to do this on android without any user prompt whatsoever so expect chrome platform should also support this - there cannot be any security excuses.
If you are looking to enumerate app's own files, it's possible via chrome.runtime.getPackageDirectoryEntry.
It returns a DirectoryEntry for the root of your app that you can navigate and iterate through.
See this question: How do I get a list of filenames in a subfolder of a Chrome extension?
You can't. The user will have to choose some parent folder with chrome.fileSystem.chooseEntry at some point. However, you can arrange things so this is done only once when the app is first installed, and then save the FileEntry using the retained-entry API.
I am currently trying to download a small binary file from the web, in order to upload that to another website, both using the API.
Previous versions seemed to have the "file" API module for such purposes, but I can't see anything similar as of the latest (1.14).
The file to be downloaded would be saved in some form of cache (browser cache, preferably), its path stored somewhere, to be then uploaded to another URL via POST.
How would I go about it, when the process should happen completely in the background?
I checked out the how to download a file page, but can't figure out where to download.
Is there a variable URI for the "Downloads" directory, and does a regular Add-On has write privileges in it?.
This is important, because the add-on must be able to function properly on various platforms.
You can use the pref, browser.download.lastDir, which should work for windows/mac as it will be saved in the OS format. However the pref may not always be set if the person has never downloaded anything before. In that case you'll have to build the directory yourself.
var dir = require("sdk/preferences/service").get('browser.download.lastDir');
To build the directory yourself you're going to have to go a little deeper. Check this article on MDN about File I/O which has examples. The DfltDwnld key should give you the directory you want.
Your add-on will have write permissions to everything Firefox has write permission to.
I think it's rather impossible, but will ask anyway. My application uses file association to open some types of files. What I need is to make file associations within my app. For example I have some files in my app's Documents folder and when user wants to open that it would be a great idea to ask him in which application he would like it to open (like Mail app does).
It can possibly be done with URL schemes, but if I don't know what applications user has, it can't be used. So, is there any way to use the device's file associations within an application?
You should take a look at Document Interaction Programming Topics for iOS. It explains how you can use the UIDocumentInteractionController class to present the user a list of apps which support a given file.