Application specific directory

[Italo]

I’m sure I’m missing something here but I can’t find what.

I’m using @Taifun file extension to be able to write a file (an image to use as sprite) without asking permission in the app specific directory but when I get to the point where the canvas saves the image, it says the app doesn’t have permission. So obviously there’s something I don’t understand here.
Can anyone point out what is it?

Here the directory is created:

And here (a different screen) the file should be saved but it shows the permission request, and after I grant the permission, it shows error 908. I understand it shouldn’t need to ask for permission right?

[Fabio (FábioESantos)]

What happens if you write the path instead of using the ApplicationSpecificDirectory block when saving or setting the image?

[bodymindpower (Anke)]

See here:

Private & app-specific directory - permissions

And again my “beloved” - apparently never ending - topic “permissions”: When I save a text in the private or in the app-specific directory (ASD), WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permissison is requested in both cases. If I deny, none of the text files are saved / created. No permissions (READ / WRITE) should be required for these (private) directories. Under Android 10 and especially under Android 11, the ASD is of outstanding importance (→ scoped storage). @Kodular Therefore, remove the permissions…

[vknow360 (Sunny Gupta)]

@Italo

Can anyone point out what is it?

I am not able to describe it correctly but I will try.
App Inventor uses a lot of util classes to shorten long and repeated lines of code.One of them is FileUtil.
Canvas uses that to save file and (I don’t know why) FileUtil asserts Write permission to Form.
This is similar in Image component also.It uses MediaUtil class to set image which automatically asserts Read permission to Form.
You need read permission even when you want to load image from URL.

[Italo]

In that case the app will require permission to access the external storage and I want to avoid that. Is just a game I would like to keep it clean for the user, so they don’t suspect anything wrong about it. If I require access to their storage, I see in the reviews people don’t like that in games.

[Italo]

Ok, well. In a way is good to know I got it right and it wasn’t my mistake. I really though my inexperience with files was rearing its ugly head again!

[Italo]

Thanks for that explanation! I’ll see if I can do what I need to do in a different way then.

[bodymindpower (Anke)]

@Italo

If I require access to their storage, I see in the reviews people don’t like that in games.

I’m sure they don’t like it at all, in any app. And I feel the same way.

[bodymindpower (Anke)]

Btw, my very first post in the Kodular forum was about this topic at the beginning of 2019.

READ_ / WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permissions / app-Specific (Private) External Storage

Hello especially to the developers, for several reasons I want to switch from App Inventor to Kodular. Unfortunately, Kokular also has a permission issue (READ_WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE) when saving to an app-specific folder. I have already posted this issue in the App Inventor Forum, but have not received a satisfactory answer. I would like to save files in the so-called “app-specific (private) external storage”. According to Google, this does not require READ_ / WRITE_EXTERNAL STORAGE permissio…

[Fabio (FábioESantos)]

In one of my projects, I save the students handouts in the ASD.

@Fabio

write the path instead of using the ApplicationSpecificDirectory block

I write the path to the ASD and it doesn’t ask for permission.

[Italo]

Would you mind showing the blocks you used for that?

[Fabio (FábioESantos)]

[Italo]

So when saving you typed the path manually instead of using the block that returns the path.
I might try that.

But according to @vknow360’s explanation, I think this problem only happens when using the canvas or image component. Is that right?

@vknow360

Canvas uses that to save file and (I don’t know why) FileUtil asserts Write permission to Form.
This is similar in Image component also.It uses MediaUtil class to set image which automatically asserts Read permission to Form.
You need read permission even when you want to load image from URL.

[bodymindpower (Anke)]

@Italo

So when saving you typed the path manually instead of using the block that returns the path.
I might try that.

For some components you need the relative path (e.g.: File comp.): Private & app-specific directory - permissions

[Fabio (FábioESantos)]

@Italo

So when saving you typed the path manually instead of using the block

Yes, that’s what I meant.

[Fabio (FábioESantos)]

So, would that not happen because I’m using the TaifunFile for coping?

[bodymindpower (Anke)]

Exactly, see in the extension description: App Inventor Extensions: File | Pura Vida Apps