Android Question help needed: file.makedir

[Zeev Goldstein]

hi

i'm trying to create a directory on external storage
got the permission
on older versions of andriud it works
on version 13 it does not and no error is generated - it just ignores it...
targetSDK = 31

this is the code i use

    File.MakeDir(File.DirRootExternal,"/DirName")

thanks

 

[jahswant]

Flow chart to help choose folder

This flow chart will help you choose the folder in all kinds of different cases: There were reasons to use other folders in the past. Those reasons are no longer relevant, mainly due to new restrictions in Android. Other options to access local and remote files...

www.b4x.com

This is the new way of managing files from your application.

 

[Zeev Goldstein]

Flow chart to help choose folder

This flow chart will help you choose the folder in all kinds of different cases: There were reasons to use other folders in the past. Those reasons are no longer relevant, mainly due to new restrictions in Android. Other options to access local and remote files...

www.b4x.com

This is the new way of managing files fron your application.

thanks for this but this is not what i need
i need EXTERNAL folder as it must be shared with another app that will access it
i see so many other apps that creates folders in external for their use
so my question is how do they do it? how can i do it too?

 

[Andrew (Digitwell)]

I believe it is no longer possible to create an external directory without user intervention.

see :

[B4X] TextEditor - Save and load external files

This is a B4i and B4A example, which demonstrates various external files related tasks. The behavior is not exactly the same as the platforms capabilities and behavior are different. B4A Load external files, including online files, using ContentChooser. Save to an external target, using...

www.b4x.com

 

[Andrew (Digitwell)]

see also :

Question about SDK30 and File.DirRootExternal problem

Hi, So far, my app saves the log files and CSV files in a folder under File.DirRootExternal, but from SDK 30 this is not allowed. It is clear to me that I can save the files under "File.DirInternal or RuntimePermissions.GetSafeDirDefaultExternal". The problem is, however, if the user...

www.b4x.com

 

[DonManfred]

Also pay good attention to all informations listed her

android.jar / targetSdkVersion / minSdkVersion

There are several versioned components that affect the compilation process and the runtime behavior of our apps. The purpose of this tutorial is to explain the differences between them and help you choose which version to use. Each Android version is mapped to an api level. You can see this...

www.b4x.com

 

[Zeev Goldstein]

Also pay good attention to all informations listed her

android.jar / targetSdkVersion / minSdkVersion

There are several versioned components that affect the compilation process and the runtime behavior of our apps. The purpose of this tutorial is to explain the differences between them and help you choose which version to use. Each Android version is mapped to an api level. You can see this...

www.b4x.com

thanks for that detailed reply
i read them all
but
i see so many apps in google play store that are not file managers etc that do the very same - they create a folder in external storage
music apps, all kind of photo / graphics apps etc
so how can they do it?

i can use a radical solution - using my web service to store and retrieve those files so i don't use phone's storage but i think this is totally crazy

one last issue that can help:
if i run my second app as intent, is there a way in 2nd app to know how was it run? - directly by the user or by by app?
i don't want any user activating the 2nd app - only from 1st app

thanks

 

[DonManfred]

they create a folder in external storage
music apps, all kind of photo / graphics apps etc

they are probably OLD apps and do not target sdk 31.

You´ll not be able to do that with new apps on Playstore.

so how can they do it?

Forget about this idea. It will not work anylonger.

All possible solutions are listed here already.

You should implement a system to talk to the other application with INTENT.

Or do save all data in the cloud (your server) and all Clients/Apps communicate with the server.

 

[Zeev Goldstein]

they are probably OLD apps and do not target sdk 31.

You´ll not be able to do that with new apps on Playstore.


Forget about this idea. It will not work anylonger.

All possible solutions are listed here already.

You should implement a system to talk to the other application with INTENT.

Or do save all data in the cloud (your server) and all Clients/Apps communicate with the server.

yes, looks like this is the path i will take - use my server...
now, the question that will lead the solution is - can i tell in app #2 the one that #1 loads as intent (1 calls 2)
how was it loaded?
either as intent by #1 or the user launched it
is there a way to know?

 

[Zeev Goldstein]

what is the "life cycle" for sdk 30?
as my second app uses sdk 30 because of lib limitations

 

[asales]

what is the "life cycle" for sdk 30?

Did you mean this? :

Target API level requirements for Google Play apps - Play Console Help

Starting August 31 2024: New apps and app updates must target Android 14 (API level 34) to be submitted to Google Play (except for Wear OS and Android TV apps, which must target Android 13

support.google.com

 

[KMatle]

You can easily share files from an internal folder to another app. This works without restrictions (so no worries about new Android versions). See my example: Share from internal

 

[Zeev Goldstein]

Did you mean this? :

Target API level requirements for Google Play apps - Play Console Help

Starting August 31 2024: New apps and app updates must target Android 14 (API level 34) to be submitted to Google Play (except for Wear OS and Android TV apps, which must target Android 13

support.google.com

Seems like (if I got it right) using sdk 30 is basically not allowed any more?

 

[asales]

Seems like (if I got it right) using sdk 30 is basically not allowed any more?

Correct!

 

[Zeev Goldstein]

Correct!

OH that's too bad, as one of my apps runs on 30 but not on 31...
How can I overcome this?

 

[Zeev Goldstein]

You can easily share files from an internal folder to another app. This works without restrictions (so no worries about new Android versions). See my example: Share from internal

Wow, are you saying that if I have 2 apps, I can access files in dirinternal of one of them from the second app as well?
If I got this right you solved my problem...

 

[KMatle]

Wow, are you saying that if I have 2 apps, I can access files in dirinternal of one of them from the second app as well?
If I got this right you solved my problem...

No. The user can share e.g. a file manually to another app.

What exactly do you want to achieve? (what do these apps do?) Are both apps from you or do you want to use another app to do some stuff?

 

[Zeev Goldstein]

simple:
i have 2 apps - A and B where A is the main one and the user uses only A
in some cases A needs to run B
for B to run it needs a file shared with it by A
that's why the folder in external is required
b then when ends will leave some data in another file in that folder for A to read and continue

i understand this is going to be banned or already banned by google (i see so many other apps that created folders in external and i can't see why they can and i can't)

 

[asales]

i understand this is going to be banned or already banned by google (i see so many other apps that created folders in external and i can't see why they can and i can't)

"I think" you need a special permission from Google.
See this:

Use of All files access (MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE) permission - Play Console Help

Google Play restricts the use of high-risk or sensitive permissions, including special app access called

support.google.com

and this:

Declare permissions for your app - Play Console Help

Permission requests are evaluated during the release process after adding your Android App Bundle. If your app requests the use of

support.google.com

 

[Zeev Goldstein]

"I think" you need a special permission from Google.
See this:

Use of All files access (MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE) permission - Play Console Help

Google Play restricts the use of high-risk or sensitive permissions, including special app access called

support.google.com

and this:

Declare permissions for your app - Play Console Help

Permission requests are evaluated during the release process after adding your Android App Bundle. If your app requests the use of

support.google.com

Yes, unfortunately Google is going to be Apple like by closing more and more the os.
I've found alternative solutions so this is no more a critical issue for me...