Google drive limits😃?

Using a Google drive URL in an image component for flash cards, it seems that if i proceed a lot (40 tomes), images are not displayed anymore. App GoES slow while sending request.
Is this a requests limitation from Google, or a memory problem in appinventor?
If i close the app, same thing, so i have to Wait, ans after a laps of time, it is solved.

Hi Smou_Smou

Well, generally speaking it's not a great idea to have a Cloud-based image directly into an image component - any issue with WiFi or the Cloud and your App won't get the image. If possible, include the images as App Media. If there are too many, make them a one-off download to the Virtual SD on App Install.

Ensure the images are optimised for Android or you will have no end of problems:
https://www.professorcad.co.uk/appinventortips#TipsImages

Thanks for answering me. Right now, this part of my apk is online only, using firebase. That's why using direct links is not a problem except the delay for displaying images. Probably, i should save images first, then display it. Otherwise, using a Link is useful to overpass android writing permissions.

But i am wondering, if using my method, images are overwrited, or if it finally causes a problem of memory, or else if it is due to Google drive usage limitations.

What do you mean by virtual sd?

Virtual SD: All phone devices have storage memory. In the early years, this memory was called SD. Then along came the ability for Users to add memory via SD cards. So now, the device's internal storage memory is known as the Virtual SD to differentiate between the two. All phone devices have Virtual SD, but not all accept SD cards.

As I explained, using online images directly (or any online data), leaves your App vulnerable to any issues the internet may have at any given time and of course the phone needs to have a constant connection.

At the end of the day, the number of images and their compliance with the needs of Android will make a difference. If the images are large dimensionally and/or in bitesize, your phone's processor has to work overtime to make the image fit your App. That process is multiplied if the images are compressed. So it is possible for the App's allocated memory to be exceeded, especially so if the App has multiple screens.. It's also possible that an image is a rogue in some way.

1 Like

Well during the bug i tried using apk in another tablet, no images displayed. So it. Is clearly a Google drive limitation, blocking downloads for nearly 10 minutes.
First question answered.

Thanks for explanations about virtual sd. Really interesting. It seems that appinventor was not out of bound, but only hard trying to obtain the image during several seconds, wich is not transparent in the procedure (no error code).

Hmm. The Google rules really mean that Google Drive sharing is pretty limited - useful for a small office sharing text files for example.

Depends on your use of the App and whether or not it is to be distributed to "a lot" of people. Firebase is a Google product too.....

1 Like

Yep, i'm gonna search for another host, sadly. Thx Chris.

Consider having your own website.

For now l'll probably use firebase storage until free offer will not be suffiscient.
Thanks a lot for your help.

Seems that There is still no solutions about easily download pictures. Am i right?

Save and retrieve images encoded as Base64. Should work really well.

OK Thanks, its a nice solution. Wich extension do you recommand me?

There might be an extension but I don't know of one. There are however a few javascript libs that can be used - dare I say "Google it" :grin:

:smiley: yeah, i already abused.
com.KIO4_Base64.aix will rock. Thx again dear chris.

If you have a lot of images to convert to Base64, I have written a tiny Windows PC Util to convert all the PNG images in a folder.

1 Like

This topic was automatically closed 7 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.