Android Question Read file from download folder

[Douwe Siegersma]

Hello,

I want the user to open a file from the download folder. I use the following code

Sub Activity_Create(FirstTime As Boolean)
    Activity.LoadLayout("Layout1")
    RP.CheckAndRequest(RP.PERMISSION_READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE)
   
    Shared = File.Combine(File.DirRootExternal, "Download")
    Log(Shared)
End Sub

Private Sub Button2_Click
    Dim HL As List
    HL.Initialize
    HL = File.ListFiles(Shared)
    For i = 0 To HL.Size-1
        ListView1.AddSingleLine(HL.Get(i))
    Next
End Sub
[CODE=b4x]

I added this to the Manifest:

AddManifestText(<uses-permission
android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"
android:maxSdkVersion="18" />
)

The listview shows only folders, no files.
Where do I go wrong?

 

[DonManfred]

Where do I go wrong?

Using File.DirRootExternal! You do not have access to this folder.

SaveAs - Let the user select a target folder + list of other related methods

B4A + B4i example: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/b4x-texteditor-save-and-load-external-files.132731/#post-838166 List of classes or libraries that can be used to access secondary storages: ContentChooser (Phone libray) - allows the user to select a resource or file using external...

www.b4x.com

 

[Douwe Siegersma]

Ok, but is there a way to get access?

 

[Douwe Siegersma]

I studied the texteditor example. In the download folder I can see the files but they are all grayed out and can not be selected.

 

[Douwe Siegersma]

With the texteditor I can save the textfile in the download folder, but I can't open it again. Weird...

 

[Erel]

I've just tried it on Android 12 and I can save and load from the downloads folder.

 

[Douwe Siegersma]

Maybe I fooled around to much with userpermissions.
I'm now using the ExternalStorage library to copy the file the user picks to File.DirInternal.

 

[Erel]

1. No permission is needed.
2. ExternalStorage will not work with the downloads folder on newer versions of Android.
3. Use ContentChooser as demonstrated in TextEditor example.

 

[Douwe Siegersma]

I'm testing on an Android 11 tablet and it works fine. But I shall take a look at the TextEditor example again.
Thank you for your support.