CloudDB.StoreValue Block not accepting file from Shared folder

TIMAI2 · July 23, 2022, 2:29pm

You will with the compiled app

Anke · July 23, 2022, 2:42pm

Does this work for you?
So saving the image directly to a non-ASD folder:

grafik

SteveJG · July 23, 2022, 2:43pm

Tim's code works on apk in Android 8.1 but as he mentioned requires manual Storage permission in Settings. On Android 11 the apk works without asking for permissions.

The example 'works' to share the image between devices.

Anke · July 23, 2022, 2:44pm

I tested my blocks on Android 9 with Companion:

It does not work, as I said.
canvas2cdb_1.aia (3.3 KB)

Taifun · July 23, 2022, 3:40pm

In the subject of this thread you are talking about Shared folder... this is misleading, because the folder /Shared not realy is shared storage in the sense, Android is understanding it... it is only an arbitrary folder in the root directory of the emulated sdcard, which is called /Shared...
You might want to adjust the subject accordingly to avoid misunderstandings...

Taifun

SteveJG · July 23, 2022, 3:51pm

The thread started out discussing the Shared folder that exists in the device operating system in an attempt to solve the app design. I prefer to allow developers to read all the posts to understand what I was doing (try to do). Perhaps I should have indicated not accepting file from the device folder called Shared folder . The file was moved from the Ads to 'Shared' and also to Pictures. Both locations are accessible to an Image or Label component but CloudDB can not use it at a source o valueToStore.

Developers can read your post to 'avoid misunderstandings" I believe. Thank you for your 'technical' point.

Tim's potential solution how to get a Canvas image into the CloudDB does not use a folder called Shared of course.

Anke · July 23, 2022, 5:42pm

What does all this have to do with CloudDB?
It doesn't work outside of ASD on any Android version (but it should).

TIMAI2 · July 23, 2022, 5:47pm

It has everything to do with CloudDB (sharing between devices)
It has nothing to do with not working outside of the ASD - which you seem to be obsessed with....

Anke · July 23, 2022, 6:13pm

Then I'm curious about your explanation.
Of course it does, it should and had to work there too.

Anke · July 24, 2022, 8:34am

Yes, my fault, it has nothing to do with it, but it doesn't work with DefaultFileScope = Legacy or Shared (at least not on Android 11+). You can ONLY choose DefaultFileScope = App or Private.

But I'm still curious how to share these images from CloudDB across apps.

TIMAI2 · July 24, 2022, 8:57am

Each device has the same app
Each user can call back the taglist (which are the tags for the images)
Then the user, selecting from the taglist, can then download the image from cloudDB to their device

Each user can generate images and upload them with a tag to the cloudDB, an updated taglist would show new images...

Alternatively, the developer can store a set of images to the cloudDB (with, say, an admin app), and these images can be downloaded to the user app for use in the app.

It would make good sense to resize images before uploading to cloudDB in order to minimise size and maximise speed.

Anke · July 24, 2022, 10:01am

Ok, then there was a misunderstanding because I meant/said "across apps".
Of course it should work with the same app for different users.

But the question remains: why isn't it possible for one of the Shared folders (with DefaultFileScope = Legacy or Shared)?

TIMAI2 · July 24, 2022, 11:35am

I believe it is to do with the location of the AppInventorBinaries folder, maybe cloudDB is expecting it to be in the ASD ? I will have a look at the source later...

Anke · July 24, 2022, 12:12pm

Maybe it's defined here (@ #579)

github.com

mit-cml/appinventor-sources/blob/master/appinventor/components/src/com/google/appinventor/components/runtime/CloudDB.java

// -*- mode: java; c-basic-offset: 2; -*-
// Copyright 2017-2022 MIT, All rights reserved
// Released under the Apache License, Version 2.0
// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

package com.google.appinventor.components.runtime;

import static android.Manifest.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE;
import static android.Manifest.permission.INTERNET;

import android.Manifest;
import android.app.Activity;

import android.database.Cursor;
import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase;

import android.net.ConnectivityManager;
import android.net.NetworkInfo;

import android.os.Handler;

This file has been truncated. show original

github.com

mit-cml/appinventor-sources/blob/77882bbd799214ddc44dc84d0d7fdae9d5e3b42b/appinventor/components/src/com/google/appinventor/components/runtime/util/JsonUtil.java#L248


      
              return true;
            }
          
            if (o instanceof Number) {
              return o;
            }
          
            return o.toString();
          }
          
          public static String getJsonRepresentation(Object value) throws JSONException {
            if (value == null || value.equals(null)) {
              return "null";
            }
            if (value instanceof FString) {
              return JSONObject.quote(value.toString());
            }
            if (value instanceof YailList) {
              return ((YailList) value).toJSONString();
            }
            // The Json tokener used in getObjectFromJson cannot handle

SteveJG · July 24, 2022, 12:14pm

This tutorial explains how a CloudDB can share an image between devices (the 2Dice app the Share the Roll part) How to: Roll Six 🎲 and Share the Roll using a CloudDB The example does not store anything to the ASD or Shared or Pictures folders; it a demonstration of how an app using CloudDB can share information between devices that use the identical apk provided all devices are connected to the internet using WIFI or cell data .

Hope it clears up the and answers your comments regarding

Anke · July 24, 2022, 12:20pm

Thanks, but that is / was clear to me.

SteveJG · July 24, 2022, 12:37pm

Great. I just wanted to make sure.

Only MIT knows and is related to my original question.

TIMAI2 · July 24, 2022, 1:23pm

Can't see anything in the source about AppInventorBinaries.....

Anke · July 24, 2022, 2:14pm

TIMAI2 · July 24, 2022, 8:54pm

Yes, it is all in there

github.com

mit-cml/appinventor-sources/blob/77882bbd799214ddc44dc84d0d7fdae9d5e3b42b/appinventor/components/src/com/google/appinventor/components/runtime/util/JsonUtil.java#L436

    
      
              } else {
                return null;
              }
            } catch(JSONException e) {
              Log.e(LOG_TAG, "JSONException", e);
              return null;
            }
          }
          
          
/**
           * Accepts a base64 encoded string and a file extension (which must be three characters).
           * Decodes the string into a binary and saves it to a file on external storage and returns
           * the filename assigned.
           *
           * Written by Jeff Schiller (jis) for the BinFile Extension
           *
           * @param context The Android context to use for placing the file in the file system
           * @param input Base64 input string
           * @param fileExtension three character file extension
           * @return the name of the created file
           */

Looks like it should expect /AppInventorBinaries to be in the default path, which, when using Legacy should be: /storage/emulated/0/AppInventorBinaries ? But Legacy will need to be set in the designer ?