Exactly, and the users express their anger very clearly.
Here are my tests copying images to the private data dir (→ internal storage), tested on:
- Android 11, APK,
targetSdkVersion=29 - Android 11, APK,
targetSdkVersion=30
I first downloaded 7 images from my webspace in the ASD and copied them from there to the privateDir without permissions. I also copied one image from the assets to the privateDir:
This one:
The other (downloaded) images are pics of a car.
(total size of images = 4MB, but 30MB works too)
Of course, I could not use the Image component without READ permission. So I used an extension for this. But I'm pretty sure that the permission request will be removed when AI2 targets Android 11, Aug. 2021).
I added "GetPrivateDir" in my GetASD extension:
I think this is a milestone (at least for me):
I am very happy that this is (now) possible, because I could bypass the problems that will arise when Google only allows AABs (and no longer allows APKs, Aug. 2021 for new apps). Because I have to pack all my media files and other sensitive data in the internal storage to avoid that users (without root access) can access them. (And decompiling in order to build a big app does not seem to be possible with AABs.)
The maximum AIA sizes of 30 MB or 50 MB (http://code.appinventor.mit.edu/) are not enough for my apps. So I have to download the files on the first run, download them to the ASD, copy them to the privateDir and then remove them from the ASD.
And I know from many posts in the AI2 and Kodular forums that many others feel the same way.
Note:
If the File component could save / delete all file types in the
ASDandprivateDir
no File extension would be required and this might also be possible with iOS.