File
This API is based on the W3C File API. An API to read, write and navigate file system hierarchies.
Objects
- DirectoryEntry
- DirectoryReader
- File
- FileEntry
- FileError
- FileReader
- FileSystem
- FileTransfer
- FileTransferError
- FileUploadOptions
- FileUploadResult
- FileWriter
- Flags
- LocalFileSystem
- Metadata
Permissions
Android
app/res/xml/config.xml
<plugin name="File" value="org.apache.cordova.FileUtils" />
<plugin name="FileTransfer" value="org.apache.cordova.FileTransfer" />
app/AndroidManifest.xml
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
Bada
No permissions are required.
BlackBerry WebWorks
www/plugins.xml
<plugin name="File" value="org.apache.cordova.file.FileManager" />
<plugin name="FileTransfer" value="org.apache.cordova.http.FileTransfer" />
www/config.xml
<feature id="blackberry.io.file" required="true" version="1.0.0.0" />
<feature id="blackberry.utils" required="true" version="1.0.0.0" />
<feature id="blackberry.io.dir" required="true" version="1.0.0.0" />
<rim:permissions>
<rim:permit>access_shared</rim:permit>
</rim:permissions>
iOS
config.xml
<plugin name="File" value="CDVFile" />
<plugin name="FileTransfer" value="CDVFileTransfer" />
webOS
No permissions are required.
Windows Phone
No permissions are required.
File
This object contains attributes of a single file.
Properties
- name: The name of the file. (DOMString)
- fullPath: The full path of the file including the file name. (DOMString)
- type: The mime type of the file. (DOMString)
- lastModifiedDate: The last time the file was modified. (Date)
- size: The size of the file in bytes. (long)
Methods
- slice: Select only a portion of the file to be read.
Details
The File
object contains attributes of a single file. You can get an instance of a File object by calling the file method of a FileEntry
object.
Supported Platforms
- Android
- BlackBerry WebWorks (OS 5.0 and higher)
- iOS
- Windows Phone 7 and 8
- Windows 8
slice
Return a new File object, for which FileReader will return only the specified portion of the file. Negative values for start or end are measured from the end of the file. The indexes are always relative to the current slice (see the full example).
Parameters:
- start - The index of the first byte to read, inclusive.
- end - The index of the byte after the last one to read.
Quick Example
var slicedFile = file.slice(10, 30);
Full Example
var slice1 = file.slice(100, 400);
var slice2 = slice1.slice(20, 35);
var slice3 = file.slice(120, 135);
// slice2 and slice3 are equivalent.
Supported Platforms:
- Android
- iOS
FileReader
FileReader is an object that allows one to read a file.
Properties
- readyState: One of the three states the reader can be in EMPTY, LOADING or DONE.
- result: The contents of the file that has been read. (DOMString)
- error: An object containing errors. (FileError)
- onloadstart: Called when the read starts. . (Function)
- onprogress: Called while reading the file, reports progress (progess.loaded/progress.total). (Function) -NOT SUPPORTED
- onload: Called when the read has successfully completed. (Function)
- onabort: Called when the read has been aborted. For instance, by invoking the abort() method. (Function)
- onerror: Called when the read has failed. (Function)
- onloadend: Called when the request has completed (either in success or failure). (Function)
Methods
- abort: Aborts reading file.
- readAsDataURL: Read file and return data as a base64 encoded data url.
- readAsText: Reads text file.
- readAsBinaryString: Reads file as binary and returns a binary string.
- readAsArrayBuffer: Reads file as an ArrayBuffer.
Details
The FileReader
object is a way to read files from the devices file system. Files can be read as text or as a base64 data encoded string. Users register their own event listeners to receive the loadstart, progress, load, loadend, error and abort events.
Supported Platforms
- Android
- BlackBerry WebWorks (OS 5.0 and higher)
- iOS
- Windows Phone 7 and 8
- Windows 8
Read As Data URL
Parameters: - file - the file object to read
Quick Example
function win(file) {
var reader = new FileReader();
reader.onloadend = function(evt) {
console.log("read success");
console.log(evt.target.result);
};
reader.readAsDataURL(file);
};
var fail = function(evt) {
console.log(error.code);
};
entry.file(win, fail);
Read As Text
Parameters:
- file - the file object to read
- encoding - the encoding to use to encode the file's content. Default is UTF8.
Quick Example
function win(file) {
var reader = new FileReader();
reader.onloadend = function(evt) {
console.log("read success");
console.log(evt.target.result);
};
reader.readAsText(file);
};
var fail = function(evt) {
console.log(error.code);
};
entry.file(win, fail);
Abort Quick Example
function win(file) {
var reader = new FileReader();
reader.onloadend = function(evt) {
console.log("read success");
console.log(evt.target.result);
};
reader.readAsText(file);
reader.abort();
};
function fail(error) {
console.log(error.code);
}
entry.file(win, fail);
Full Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>FileReader Example</title>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="cordova-2.6.0.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">
// Wait for Cordova to load
//
function onLoad() {
document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);
}
// Cordova is ready
//
function onDeviceReady() {
window.requestFileSystem(LocalFileSystem.PERSISTENT, 0, gotFS, fail);
}
function gotFS(fileSystem) {
fileSystem.root.getFile("readme.txt", null, gotFileEntry, fail);
}
function gotFileEntry(fileEntry) {
fileEntry.file(gotFile, fail);
}
function gotFile(file){
readDataUrl(file);
readAsText(file);
}
function readDataUrl(file) {
var reader = new FileReader();
reader.onloadend = function(evt) {
console.log("Read as data URL");
console.log(evt.target.result);
};
reader.readAsDataURL(file);
}
function readAsText(file) {
var reader = new FileReader();
reader.onloadend = function(evt) {
console.log("Read as text");
console.log(evt.target.result);
};
reader.readAsText(file);
}
function fail(evt) {
console.log(evt.target.error.code);
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Example</h1>
<p>Read File</p>
</body>
</html>
iOS Quirks
- encoding parameter is not supported, UTF8 encoding is always used.
Read As Binary String
Currently supported on iOS and Android only.
Parameters: - file - the file object to read
Quick Example
function win(file) {
var reader = new FileReader();
reader.onloadend = function(evt) {
console.log("read success");
console.log(evt.target.result);
};
reader.readAsBinaryString(file);
};
var fail = function(evt) {
console.log(error.code);
};
entry.file(win, fail);
Read As Array Buffer
Currently supported on iOS and Android only.
Parameters: - file - the file object to read
Quick Example
function win(file) {
var reader = new FileReader();
reader.onloadend = function(evt) {
console.log("read success");
console.log(new Uint8Array(evt.target.result));
};
reader.readAsArrayBuffer(file);
};
var fail = function(evt) {
console.log(error.code);
};
entry.file(win, fail);
FileWriter
FileWriter is an object that allows one to write a file.
Properties
- readyState: One of the three states the reader can be in INIT, WRITING or DONE.
- fileName: The name of the file to be written. (DOMString)
- length: The length of the file to be written. (long)
- position: The current position of the file pointer. (long)
- error: An object containing errors. (FileError)
- onwritestart: Called when the write starts. . (Function)
- onprogress: Called while writing the file, reports progress (progress.loaded/progress.total). (Function) -NOT SUPPORTED
- onwrite: Called when the request has completed successfully. (Function)
- onabort: Called when the write has been aborted. For instance, by invoking the abort() method. (Function)
- onerror: Called when the write has failed. (Function)
- onwriteend: Called when the request has completed (either in success or failure). (Function)
Methods
- abort: Aborts writing file.
- seek: Moves the file pointer to the byte specified.
- truncate: Shortens the file to the length specified.
- write: Writes data to the file with a UTF-8 encoding.
Details
The FileWriter
object is a way to write files to the device file system (UTF-8 encoded). Users register their own event listeners to receive the writestart, progress, write, writeend, error and abort events.
A FileWriter is created for a single file. You can use it to write to a file multiple times. The FileWriter maintains the file's position and length attributes, so you can seek and write anywhere in the file. By default, the FileWriter writes to the beginning of the file (will overwrite existing data). Set the optional append boolean to true in the FileWriter's constructor to begin writing to the end of the file.
Supported Platforms
- Android
- BlackBerry WebWorks (OS 5.0 and higher)
- iOS
- Windows Phone 7 and 8
- Windows 8
Seek Quick Example
function win(writer) {
// fast forwards file pointer to end of file
writer.seek(writer.length);
};
var fail = function(evt) {
console.log(error.code);
};
entry.createWriter(win, fail);
Truncate Quick Example
function win(writer) {
writer.truncate(10);
};
var fail = function(evt) {
console.log(error.code);
};
entry.createWriter(win, fail);
Write Quick Example
function win(writer) {
writer.onwrite = function(evt) {
console.log("write success");
};
writer.write("some sample text");
};
var fail = function(evt) {
console.log(error.code);
};
entry.createWriter(win, fail);
Append Quick Example
function win(writer) {
writer.onwrite = function(evt) {
console.log("write success");
};
writer.seek(writer.length);
writer.write("appended text");
};
var fail = function(evt) {
console.log(error.code);
};
entry.createWriter(win, fail);
Abort Quick Example
function win(writer) {
writer.onwrite = function(evt) {
console.log("write success");
};
writer.write("some sample text");
writer.abort();
};
var fail = function(evt) {
console.log(error.code);
};
entry.createWriter(win, fail);
Full Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>FileWriter Example</title>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="cordova-2.6.0.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">
// Wait for Cordova to load
//
document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);
// Cordova is ready
//
function onDeviceReady() {
window.requestFileSystem(LocalFileSystem.PERSISTENT, 0, gotFS, fail);
}
function gotFS(fileSystem) {
fileSystem.root.getFile("readme.txt", {create: true, exclusive: false}, gotFileEntry, fail);
}
function gotFileEntry(fileEntry) {
fileEntry.createWriter(gotFileWriter, fail);
}
function gotFileWriter(writer) {
writer.onwriteend = function(evt) {
console.log("contents of file now 'some sample text'");
writer.truncate(11);
writer.onwriteend = function(evt) {
console.log("contents of file now 'some sample'");
writer.seek(4);
writer.write(" different text");
writer.onwriteend = function(evt){
console.log("contents of file now 'some different text'");
}
};
};
writer.write("some sample text");
}
function fail(error) {
console.log(error.code);
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Example</h1>
<p>Write File</p>
</body>
</html>
FileSystem
This object represents a file system.
Properties
- name: The name of the file system. (DOMString)
- root: The root directory of the file system. (DirectoryEntry)
Details
The FileSystem
object represents information about the file system. The name of the file system will be unique across the list of exposed file systems. The root property contains a DirectoryEntry
object which represents the root directory of the file system.
Supported Platforms
- Android
- BlackBerry WebWorks (OS 5.0 and higher)
- iOS
- Windows Phone 7 and 8
- Windows 8
File System Quick Example
function onSuccess(fileSystem) {
console.log(fileSystem.name);
console.log(fileSystem.root.name);
}
// request the persistent file system
window.requestFileSystem(LocalFileSystem.PERSISTENT, 0, onSuccess, null);
Full Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>File System Example</title>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="cordova-2.6.0.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">
// Wait for Cordova to load
//
document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);
// Cordova is ready
//
function onDeviceReady() {
window.requestFileSystem(LocalFileSystem.PERSISTENT, 0, onFileSystemSuccess, fail);
}
function onFileSystemSuccess(fileSystem) {
console.log(fileSystem.name);
console.log(fileSystem.root.name);
}
function fail(evt) {
console.log(evt.target.error.code);
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Example</h1>
<p>File System</p>
</body>
</html>
FileEntry
This object represents a file on a file system. It is defined in the W3C Directories and Systems specification.
Properties
- isFile: Always true. (boolean)
- isDirectory: Always false. (boolean)
- name: The name of the FileEntry, excluding the path leading to it. (DOMString)
- fullPath: The full absolute path from the root to the FileEntry. (DOMString)
NOTE: The following attributes are defined by the W3C specification, but are not supported by Cordova:
- filesystem: The file system on which the FileEntry resides. (FileSystem)
Methods
- getMetadata: Look up metadata about a file.
- setMetadata: Set metadata on a file.
- moveTo: Move a file to a different location on the file system.
- copyTo: Copy a file to a different location on the file system.
- toURL: Return a URL that can be used to locate a file.
- remove: Delete a file.
- getParent: Look up the parent directory.
- createWriter: Creates a FileWriter object that can be used to write to a file.
- file: Creates a File object containing file properties.
Supported Platforms
- Android
- BlackBerry WebWorks (OS 5.0 and higher)
- iOS
- Windows Phone 7 and 8
- Windows 8
getMetadata
Look up metadata about a file.
Parameters:
- successCallback - A callback that is called with a Metadata object. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs retrieving the Metadata. Invoked with a FileError object. (Function)
Quick Example
function success(metadata) {
console.log("Last Modified: " + metadata.modificationTime);
}
function fail(error) {
alert(error.code);
}
// Request the metadata object for this entry
entry.getMetadata(success, fail);
setMetadata
Set metadata on a file. Only works on iOS currently - this will set the extended attributes of a file.
Parameters:
- successCallback - A callback that is called when the metadata was successfully set. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called when the metadata was not successfully set. (Function)
- metadataObject - An object that contains the metadata keys and values. (Object)
Quick Example
function success() {
console.log("The metadata was successfully set.");
}
function fail() {
alert("There was an error in setting the metadata");
}
// Set the metadata
entry.setMetadata(success, fail, { "com.apple.MobileBackup": 1});
iOS Quirk
- only the "com.apple.MobileBackup" extended attribute is supported. Set the value to 1 to NOT enable the file to be backed up by iCloud. Set the value to 0 to re-enable the file to be backed up by iCloud.
Quick Example
function setFileMetadata(localFileSystem, filePath, metadataKey, metadataValue)
{
var onSetMetadataWin = function() {
console.log("success setting metadata")
}
var onSetMetadataFail = function() {
console.log("error setting metadata")
}
var onGetFileWin = function(parent) {
var data = {};
data[metadataKey] = metadataValue;
parent.setMetadata(onSetMetadataWin, onSetMetadataFail, data);
}
var onGetFileFail = function() {
console.log("error getting file")
}
var onFSWin = function(fileSystem) {
fileSystem.root.getFile(filePath, {create: true, exclusive: false}, onGetFileWin, onGetFileFail);
}
var onFSFail = function(evt) {
console.log(evt.target.error.code);
}
window.requestFileSystem(localFileSystem, 0, onFSWin, onFSFail);
}
setFileMetadata(LocalFileSystem.PERSISTENT, "Backups/sqlite.db", "com.apple.MobileBackup", 1);
moveTo
Move a file to a different location on the file system. It is an error to attempt to:
- move a file into its parent if a name different from its current one isn't provided;
- move a file to a path occupied by a directory;
In addition, an attempt to move a file on top of an existing file must attempt to delete and replace that file.
Parameters:
- parent - The parent directory to which to move the file. (DirectoryEntry)
- newName - The new name of the file. Defaults to the current name if unspecified. (DOMString)
- successCallback - A callback that is called with the FileEntry object of the new file. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs when attempting to move the file. Invoked with a FileError object. (Function)
Quick Example
function success(entry) {
console.log("New Path: " + entry.fullPath);
}
function fail(error) {
alert(error.code);
}
function moveFile(entry) {
var parent = document.getElementById('parent').value,
parentName = parent.substring(parent.lastIndexOf('/')+1),
parentEntry = new DirectoryEntry(parentName, parent);
// move the file to a new directory and rename it
entry.moveTo(parentEntry, "newFile.txt", success, fail);
}
copyTo
Copy a file to a new location on the file system. It is an error to attempt to:
- copy a file into its parent if a name different from its current one is not provided.
Parameters:
- parent - The parent directory to which to copy the file. (DirectoryEntry)
- newName - The new name of the file. Defaults to the current name if unspecified. (DOMString)
- successCallback - A callback that is called with the FileEntry object of the new file. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs when attempting to copy the file. Invoked with a FileError object. (Function)
Quick Example
function win(entry) {
console.log("New Path: " + entry.fullPath);
}
function fail(error) {
alert(error.code);
}
function copyFile(entry) {
var parent = document.getElementById('parent').value,
parentName = parent.substring(parent.lastIndexOf('/')+1),
parentEntry = new DirectoryEntry(parentName, parent);
// copy the file to a new directory and rename it
entry.copyTo(parentEntry, "file.copy", success, fail);
}
toURL
Returns a URL that can be used to locate the file.
Quick Example
// Request the URL for this entry
var fileURL = entry.toURL();
console.log(fileURL);
remove
Deletes a file.
Parameters:
- successCallback - A callback that is called after the file has been deleted. Invoked with no parameters. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs when attempting to delete the file. Invoked with a FileError object. (Function)
Quick Example
function success(entry) {
console.log("Removal succeeded");
}
function fail(error) {
alert('Error removing file: ' + error.code);
}
// remove the file
entry.remove(success, fail);
getParent
Look up the parent DirectoryEntry containing the file.
Parameters:
- successCallback - A callback that is called with the file's parent DirectoryEntry. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs when attempting to retrieve the parent DirectoryEntry. Invoked with a FileError object. (Function)
Quick Example
function success(parent) {
console.log("Parent Name: " + parent.name);
}
function fail(error) {
alert(error.code);
}
// Get the parent DirectoryEntry
entry.getParent(success, fail);
createWriter
Create a FileWriter object associated with the file that the FileEntry represents.
Parameters:
- successCallback - A callback that is called with a FileWriter object. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs while attempting to create the FileWriter. Invoked with a FileError object. (Function)
Quick Example
function success(writer) {
writer.write("Some text to the file");
}
function fail(error) {
alert(error.code);
}
// create a FileWriter to write to the file
entry.createWriter(success, fail);
file
Return a File object that represents the current state of the file that this FileEntry represents.
Parameters:
- successCallback - A callback that is called with a File object. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs when creating the File object (e.g. the underlying file no longer exists). Invoked with a FileError object. (Function)
Quick Example
function success(file) {
console.log("File size: " + file.size);
}
function fail(error) {
alert("Unable to retrieve file properties: " + error.code);
}
// obtain properties of a file
entry.file(success, fail);
DirectoryEntry
This object represents a directory on a file system. It is defined in the W3C Directories and Systems specification.
Properties
- isFile: Always false. (boolean)
- isDirectory: Always true. (boolean)
- name: The name of the DirectoryEntry, excluding the path leading to it. (DOMString)
- fullPath: The full absolute path from the root to the DirectoryEntry. (DOMString)
NOTE: The following attributes are defined by the W3C specification, but are not supported by Cordova:
- filesystem: The file system on which the DirectoryEntry resides. (FileSystem)
Methods
The following methods can be invoked on a DirectoryEntry object:
- getMetadata: Look up metadata about a directory.
- setMetadata: Set metadata on a directory.
- moveTo: Move a directory to a different location on the file system.
- copyTo: Copy a directory to a different location on the file system.
- toURL: Return a URL that can be used to locate a directory.
- remove: Delete a directory. The directory must be empty.
- getParent: Look up the parent directory.
- createReader: Create a new DirectoryReader that can read entries from a directory.
- getDirectory: Create or look up a directory.
- getFile: Create or look up a file.
- removeRecursively: Delete a directory and all of its contents.
Supported Platforms
- Android
- BlackBerry WebWorks (OS 5.0 and higher)
- iOS
- Windows Phone 7 and 8
- Windows 8
getMetadata
Look up metadata about a directory.
Parameters:
- successCallback - A callback that is called with a Metadata object. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs retrieving the Metadata. Invoked with a FileError object. (Function)
Quick Example
function success(metadata) {
console.log("Last Modified: " + metadata.modificationTime);
}
function fail(error) {
alert(error.code);
}
// Request the metadata object for this entry
entry.getMetadata(success, fail);
setMetadata
Set metadata on a directory. Only works on iOS currently - this will set the extended attributes of a directory.
Parameters:
- successCallback - A callback that is called when the metadata was successfully set. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called when the metadata was not successfully set. (Function)
- metadataObject - An object that contains the metadata keys and values. (Object)
Quick Example
function success() {
console.log("The metadata was successfully set.");
}
function fail() {
alert("There was an error in setting the metadata");
}
// Set the metadata
entry.setMetadata(success, fail, { "com.apple.MobileBackup": 1});
iOS Quirk
- only the "com.apple.MobileBackup" extended attribute is supported. Set the value to 1 to NOT enable the directory to be backed up by iCloud. Set the value to 0 to re-enable the directory to be backed up by iCloud.
Quick Example
function setFolderMetadata(localFileSystem, subFolder, metadataKey, metadataValue)
{
var onSetMetadataWin = function() {
console.log("success setting metadata")
}
var onSetMetadataFail = function() {
console.log("error setting metadata")
}
var onGetDirectoryWin = function(parent) {
var data = {};
data[metadataKey] = metadataValue;
parent.setMetadata(onSetMetadataWin, onSetMetadataFail, data);
}
var onGetDirectoryFail = function() {
console.log("error getting dir")
}
var onFSWin = function(fileSystem) {
fileSystem.root.getDirectory(subFolder, {create: true, exclusive: false}, onGetDirectoryWin, onGetDirectoryFail);
}
var onFSFail = function(evt) {
console.log(evt.target.error.code);
}
window.requestFileSystem(localFileSystem, 0, onFSWin, onFSFail);
}
setFolderMetadata(LocalFileSystem.PERSISTENT, "Backups", "com.apple.MobileBackup", 1);
moveTo
Move a directory to a different location on the file system. It is an error to attempt to:
- move a directory inside itself or to any child at any depth;
- move a directory into its parent if a name different from its current one is not provided;
- move a directory to a path occupied by a file;
- move a directory to a path occupied by a directory which is not empty.
In addition, an attempt to move a directory on top of an existing empty directory must attempt to delete and replace that directory.
Parameters:
- parent - The parent directory to which to move the directory. (DirectoryEntry)
- newName - The new name of the directory. Defaults to the current name if unspecified. (DOMString)
- successCallback - A callback that is called with the DirectoryEntry object of the new directory. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs when attempting to move the directory. Invoked with a FileError object. (Function)
Quick Example
function success(entry) {
console.log("New Path: " + entry.fullPath);
}
function fail(error) {
alert(error.code);
}
function moveDir(entry) {
var parent = document.getElementById('parent').value,
parentName = parent.substring(parent.lastIndexOf('/')+1),
newName = document.getElementById('newName').value,
parentEntry = new DirectoryEntry(parentName, parent);
// move the directory to a new directory and rename it
entry.moveTo(parentEntry, newName, success, fail);
}
copyTo
Copy a directory to a different location on the file system. It is an error to attempt to:
- copy a directory inside itself at any depth;
- copy a directory into its parent if a name different from its current one is not provided.
Directory copies are always recursive - that is, they copy all contents of the directory.
Parameters:
- parent - The parent directory to which to copy the directory. (DirectoryEntry)
- newName - The new name of the directory. Defaults to the current name if unspecified. (DOMString)
- successCallback - A callback that is called with the DirectoryEntry object of the new directory. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs when attempting to copy the underlying directory. Invoked with a FileError object. (Function)
Quick Example
function win(entry) {
console.log("New Path: " + entry.fullPath);
}
function fail(error) {
alert(error.code);
}
function copyDir(entry) {
var parent = document.getElementById('parent').value,
parentName = parent.substring(parent.lastIndexOf('/')+1),
newName = document.getElementById('newName').value,
parentEntry = new DirectoryEntry(parentName, parent);
// copy the directory to a new directory and rename it
entry.copyTo(parentEntry, newName, success, fail);
}
toURL
Returns a URL that can be used to locate the directory.
Quick Example
// Get the URL for this directory
var dirURL = entry.toURL();
console.log(dirURL);
remove
Deletes a directory. It is an error to attempt to:
- delete a directory that is not empty;
- delete the root directory of a filesystem.
Parameters:
- successCallback - A callback that is called after the directory has been deleted. Invoked with no parameters. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs when attempting to delete the directory. Invoked with a FileError object. (Function)
Quick Example
function success(entry) {
console.log("Removal succeeded");
}
function fail(error) {
alert('Error removing directory: ' + error.code);
}
// remove this directory
entry.remove(success, fail);
getParent
Look up the parent DirectoryEntry containing the directory.
Parameters:
- successCallback - A callback that is called with the directory's parent DirectoryEntry. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs when attempting to retrieve the parent DirectoryEntry. Invoked with a FileError object. (Function)
Quick Example
function success(parent) {
console.log("Parent Name: " + parent.name);
}
function fail(error) {
alert('Failed to get parent directory: ' + error.code);
}
// Get the parent DirectoryEntry
entry.getParent(success, fail);
createReader
Creates a new DirectoryReader to read entries in a directory.
Quick Example
// create a directory reader
var directoryReader = entry.createReader();
getDirectory
Creates or looks up an existing directory. It is an error to attempt to:
- create a directory whose immediate parent does not yet exist.
Parameters:
- path - The path to the directory to be looked up or created. Either an absolute path, or a relative path from this DirectoryEntry. (DOMString)
- options - Options to specify whether the directory is created if it doesn't exist. (Flags)
- successCallback - A callback that is invoked with a DirectoryEntry object. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs creating or looking up the directory. Invoked with a FileError object. (Function)
Quick Example
function success(parent) {
console.log("Parent Name: " + parent.name);
}
function fail(error) {
alert("Unable to create new directory: " + error.code);
}
// Retrieve an existing directory, or create it if it does not already exist
entry.getDirectory("newDir", {create: true, exclusive: false}, success, fail);
getFile
Creates or looks up a file. It is an error to attempt to:
- create a file whose immediate parent does not yet exist.
Parameters:
- path - The path to the file to be looked up or created. Either an absolute path, or a relative path from this DirectoryEntry. (DOMString)
- options - Options to specify whether the file is created if it doesn't exist. (Flags)
- successCallback - A callback that is invoked with a FileEntry object. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs creating or looking up the file. Invoked with a FileError object. (Function)
Quick Example
function success(parent) {
console.log("Parent Name: " + parent.name);
}
function fail(error) {
alert("Failed to retrieve file: " + error.code);
}
// Retrieve an existing file, or create it if it does not exist
entry.getFile("newFile.txt", {create: true, exclusive: false}, success, fail);
removeRecursively
Deletes a directory and all of its contents. In the event of an error (e.g. trying to delete a directory that contains a file that cannot be removed), some of the contents of the directory may be deleted. It is an error to attempt to:
- delete the root directory of a filesystem.
Parameters:
- successCallback - A callback that is called after the DirectoryEntry has been deleted. Invoked with no parameters. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs when attempting to delete the DirectoryEntry. Invoked with a FileError object. (Function)
Quick Example
function success(parent) {
console.log("Remove Recursively Succeeded");
}
function fail(error) {
alert("Failed to remove directory or it's contents: " + error.code);
}
// remove the directory and all it's contents
entry.removeRecursively(success, fail);
BlackBerry Quirks
May fail with a ControlledAccessException in the following cases:
- Access is attempted on an directory created by a previous installation of an application.
solution: insure temporary directories are cleaned manually, or by the application before reinstall
- if device is connected by usb
solution: disconnect usb cable from device and run again
DirectoryReader
An object that lists files and directories in a directory. Defined in the Directories and Systems specification.
Methods
- readEntries: Read the entries in a directory.
Supported Platforms
- Android
- BlackBerry WebWorks (OS 5.0 and higher)
- iOS
- Windows Phone 7 and 8
- Windows 8
readEntries
Read the entries in this directory.
Parameters:
- successCallback - A callback that is passed an array of FileEntry and DirectoryEntry objects. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs retrieving the directory listing. Invoked with a FileError object. (Function)
Quick Example
function success(entries) {
var i;
for (i=0; i<entries.length; i++) {
console.log(entries[i].name);
}
}
function fail(error) {
alert("Failed to list directory contents: " + error.code);
}
// Get a directory reader
var directoryReader = dirEntry.createReader();
// Get a list of all the entries in the directory
directoryReader.readEntries(success,fail);
FileTransfer
FileTransfer is an object that allows you to upload files to a server or download files from a server.
Properties
- onprogress: Called with a ProgressEvent whenever a new chunk of data is transferred. (Function)
Methods
- upload: sends a file to a server.
- download: downloads a file from server.
- abort: Aborts an in-progress transfer.
Details
The FileTransfer
object provides a way to upload files to a remote server using an HTTP multi-part POST request. Both HTTP and HTTPS protocols are supported. Optional parameters can be specified by passing a FileUploadOptions object to the upload method. On successful upload, the success callback will be called with a FileUploadResult object. If an error occurs, the error callback will be invoked with a FileTransferError object.
It is also possible to download a file from remote and save it on the device (only iOS and Android).
Supported Platforms
- Android
- BlackBerry WebWorks (OS 5.0 and higher)
- iOS
- Windows Phone 7 and 8
- Windows 8
upload
Parameters:
- filePath - Full path of the file on the device
- server - URL of the server to receive the file (must already be encoded using encodeURI())
- successCallback - A callback that is called with a Metadata object. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs retrieving the Metadata. Invoked with a FileTransferError object. (Function)
- options - Optional parameters such as file name and mimetype
- trustAllHosts - Optional parameter, defaults to false. If set to true then it will accept all security certificates. This is useful as Android rejects self signed security certificates. Not recommended for production use. Supported on Android and iOS. (boolean)
Quick Example
// !! Assumes variable fileURI contains a valid URI to a text file on the device
var win = function(r) {
console.log("Code = " + r.responseCode);
console.log("Response = " + r.response);
console.log("Sent = " + r.bytesSent);
}
var fail = function(error) {
alert("An error has occurred: Code = " + error.code);
console.log("upload error source " + error.source);
console.log("upload error target " + error.target);
}
var options = new FileUploadOptions();
options.fileKey="file";
options.fileName=fileURI.substr(fileURI.lastIndexOf('/')+1);
options.mimeType="text/plain";
var params = {}; params.value1 = "test"; params.value2 = "param";
options.params = params;
var ft = new FileTransfer();
ft.upload(fileURI, encodeURI("http://some.server.com/upload.php"), win, fail, options);
Full Example
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">
<html>
<head>
<title>File Transfer Example</title>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="cordova-2.6.0.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">
// Wait for Cordova to load
//
document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);
// Cordova is ready
//
function onDeviceReady() {
// Retrieve image file location from specified source
navigator.camera.getPicture(uploadPhoto,
function(message) { alert('get picture failed'); },
{ quality: 50,
destinationType: navigator.camera.DestinationType.FILE_URI,
sourceType: navigator.camera.PictureSourceType.PHOTOLIBRARY }
);
}
function uploadPhoto(imageURI) {
var options = new FileUploadOptions();
options.fileKey="file";
options.fileName=imageURI.substr(imageURI.lastIndexOf('/')+1);
options.mimeType="image/jpeg";
var params = {};
params.value1 = "test";
params.value2 = "param";
options.params = params;
var ft = new FileTransfer();
ft.upload(imageURI, encodeURI("http://some.server.com/upload.php"), win, fail, options);
}
function win(r) {
console.log("Code = " + r.responseCode);
console.log("Response = " + r.response);
console.log("Sent = " + r.bytesSent);
}
function fail(error) {
alert("An error has occurred: Code = " + error.code);
console.log("upload error source " + error.source);
console.log("upload error target " + error.target);
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Example</h1>
<p>Upload File</p>
</body>
</html>
Setting Upload Headers
Supported on Android and iOS
function win(r) {
console.log("Code = " + r.responseCode);
console.log("Response = " + r.response);
console.log("Sent = " + r.bytesSent);
}
function fail(error) {
alert("An error has occurred: Code = " + error.code);
console.log("upload error source " + error.source);
console.log("upload error target " + error.target);
}
var uri = encodeURI("http://some.server.com/upload.php");
var options = new FileUploadOptions();
options.fileKey="file";
options.fileName=fileURI.substr(fileURI.lastIndexOf('/')+1);
options.mimeType="text/plain";
var headers={'headerParam':'headerValue'};
options.headers = headers;
var ft = new FileTransfer();
ft.upload(fileURI, uri, win, fail, options);
Android Quirks
If you experience problems uploading to a Nginx server then make sure you have the chunkedMode option set to false.
download
Parameters:
- source - URL of the server to download the file (must already be encoded using encodeURI())
- target - Full path of the file on the device
- successCallback - A callback that is called with a FileEntry object. (Function)
- errorCallback - A callback that is called if an error occurs retrieving the Metadata. Invoked with a FileTransferError object. (Function)
- trustAllHosts - Optional parameter, defaults to false. If set to true then it will accept all security certificates. This is useful as Android rejects self signed security certificates. Not recommended for production use. Supported on Android and iOS. (boolean)
- options - Optional parameters, currently only supports headers (such as Authorization (Basic Authentication), etc).
Quick Example
// !! Assumes filePath is a valid path on the device
var fileTransfer = new FileTransfer();
var uri = encodeURI("http://some.server.com/download.php");
fileTransfer.download(
uri,
filePath,
function(entry) {
console.log("download complete: " + entry.fullPath);
},
function(error) {
console.log("download error source " + error.source);
console.log("download error target " + error.target);
console.log("upload error code" + error.code);
},
false,
{
headers: {
"Authorization": "Basic dGVzdHVzZXJuYW1lOnRlc3RwYXNzd29yZA=="
}
}
);
abort
Aborts an in-progress transfer. The onerror callback will be called with a FileTransferError object which has an error code of FileTransferError.ABORT_ERR.
Supported Platforms
- Android
- iOS
Quick Example
// !! Assumes variable fileURI contains a valid URI to a text file on the device
var win = function(r) {
console.log("Code = " + r.responseCode);
console.log("Response = " + r.response);
console.log("Sent = " + r.bytesSent);
}
var fail = function(error) {
alert("An error has occurred: Code = " + error.code);
console.log("upload error source " + error.source);
console.log("upload error target " + error.target);
}
var options = new FileUploadOptions();
options.fileKey="file";
options.fileName=fileURI.substr(fileURI.lastIndexOf('/')+1);
options.mimeType="text/plain";
var params = {};
params.value1 = "test";
params.value2 = "param";
options.params = params;
var ft = new FileTransfer();
ft.upload(fileURI, encodeURI("http://some.server.com/upload.php"), win, fail, options);
ft.abort(win, fail);
onprogress
Called with a ProgressEvent whenever a new chunk of data is transferred.
Supported Platforms
- Android
- iOS
Example
fileTransfer.onprogress = function(progressEvent) {
if (progressEvent.lengthComputable) {
loadingStatus.setPercentage(progressEvent.loaded / progressEvent.total);
} else {
loadingStatus.increment();
}
};
fileTransfer.download(...); // or fileTransfer.upload(...);
Quirks - On both Android an iOS, lengthComputable is false for downloads that use gzip encoding.
FileUploadOptions
A FileUploadOptions
object can be passed to the FileTransfer objects upload method in order to specify additional parameters to the upload script.
Properties
- fileKey: The name of the form element. If not set defaults to "file". (DOMString)
- fileName: The file name you want the file to be saved as on the server. If not set defaults to "image.jpg". (DOMString)
- mimeType: The mime type of the data you are uploading. If not set defaults to "image/jpeg". (DOMString)
- params: A set of optional key/value pairs to be passed along in the HTTP request. (Object)
- chunkedMode: Should the data be uploaded in chunked streaming mode. If not set defaults to "true". (Boolean)
- headers: A map of header name => header value. To specify multiple values for a header, use an array of values. (Object)
Description
A FileUploadOptions
object can be passed to the FileTransfer objects upload method in order to specify additional parameters to the upload script.
WP7 Quirk
- chunkedMode: This parameter is ignored on WP7.
FileUploadResult
A FileUploadResult
object is returned via the success callback of the FileTransfer upload method.
Properties
- bytesSent: The number of bytes sent to the server as part of the upload. (long)
- responseCode: The HTTP response code returned by the server. (long)
- response: The HTTP response returned by the server. (DOMString)
Description
The FileUploadResult
object is returned via the success callback of the FileTransfer upload method.
iOS Quirks
- iOS does not include values for responseCode nor bytesSent in the success callback FileUploadResult object.
Flags
This object is used to supply arguments to the DirectoryEntry
getFile and getDirectory methods, which look up or create files and directories, respectively.
Properties
- create: Used to indicate that the file or directory should be created, if it does not exist. (boolean)
- exclusive: By itself, exclusive has no effect. Used with create, it causes the file or directory creation to fail if the target path already exists. (boolean)
Supported Platforms
- Android
- BlackBerry WebWorks (OS 5.0 and higher)
- iOS
- Windows Phone 7 and 8
- Windows 8
Quick Example
// Get the data directory, creating it if it doesn't exist.
dataDir = fileSystem.root.getDirectory("data", {create: true});
// Create the lock file, if and only if it doesn't exist.
lockFile = dataDir.getFile("lockfile.txt", {create: true, exclusive: true});
LocalFileSystem
This object provides a way to obtain root file systems.
Methods
- requestFileSystem: Requests a filesystem. (Function)
- resolveLocalFileSystemURI: Retrieve a DirectoryEntry or FileEntry using local URI. (Function)
Constants
-
LocalFileSystem.PERSISTENT
: Used for storage that should not be removed by the user agent without application or user permission. -
LocalFileSystem.TEMPORARY
: Used for storage with no guarantee of persistence.
Details
The LocalFileSystem
object methods are defined on the window object.
Supported Platforms
- Android
- BlackBerry WebWorks (OS 5.0 and higher)
- iOS
- Windows Phone 7 and 8
- Windows 8
Request File System Quick Example
function onSuccess(fileSystem) {
console.log(fileSystem.name);
}
// request the persistent file system
window.requestFileSystem(LocalFileSystem.PERSISTENT, 0, onSuccess, onError);
Resolve Local File System URI Quick Example
function onSuccess(fileEntry) {
console.log(fileEntry.name);
}
window.resolveLocalFileSystemURI("file:///example.txt", onSuccess, onError);
Full Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Local File System Example</title>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="cordova-2.6.0.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">
// Wait for Cordova to load
//
document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);
// Cordova is ready
//
function onDeviceReady() {
window.requestFileSystem(LocalFileSystem.PERSISTENT, 0, onFileSystemSuccess, fail);
window.resolveLocalFileSystemURI("file:///example.txt", onResolveSuccess, fail);
}
function onFileSystemSuccess(fileSystem) {
console.log(fileSystem.name);
}
function onResolveSuccess(fileEntry) {
console.log(fileEntry.name);
}
function fail(evt) {
console.log(evt.target.error.code);
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Example</h1>
<p>Local File System</p>
</body>
</html>
Metadata
This interface supplies information about the state of a file or directory.
Properties
- modificationTime: This is the time at which the file or directory was last modified. (Date)
Details
The Metadata
object represents information about the state of a file or directory. You can get an instance of a Metadata object by calling the getMetadata method of a DirectoryEntry
or FileEntry
object.
Supported Platforms
- Android
- BlackBerry WebWorks (OS 5.0 and higher)
- iOS
- Windows Phone 7 and 8
- Windows 8
Quick Example
function win(metadata) {
console.log("Last Modified: " + metadata.modificationTime);
}
// Request the metadata object for this entry
entry.getMetadata(win, null);
FileError
A 'FileError' object is set when an error occurs in any of the File API methods.
Properties
- code: One of the predefined error codes listed below.
Constants
FileError.NOT_FOUND_ERR
FileError.SECURITY_ERR
FileError.ABORT_ERR
FileError.NOT_READABLE_ERR
FileError.ENCODING_ERR
FileError.NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR
FileError.INVALID_STATE_ERR
FileError.SYNTAX_ERR
FileError.INVALID_MODIFICATION_ERR
FileError.QUOTA_EXCEEDED_ERR
FileError.TYPE_MISMATCH_ERR
FileError.PATH_EXISTS_ERR
Description
The FileError
object is the only parameter of any of the File API's error callbacks. Developers must read the code property to determine the type of error.
FileTransferError
A FileTransferError
object is returned via the error callback when an error occurs.
Properties
- code One of the predefined error codes listed below. (Number)
- source URI to the source (String)
- target URI to the target (String)
- http_status HTTP status code. This attribute is only available when a response code is received from the HTTP connection. (Number)
Constants
FileTransferError.FILE_NOT_FOUND_ERR
FileTransferError.INVALID_URL_ERR
FileTransferError.CONNECTION_ERR
FileTransferError.ABORT_ERR
Description
The FileTransferError
object is returned via the error callback when an error occurs when uploading or downloading a file.