Reading Files with double and single slashes

[Anke]

@Jay_23

On devices with Android ≥ 10 this path (fileName) (/Coviddata.txt or /Coviddata.csv) points to the ASD (app-specific directory):

/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/edu.mit.appinventor.aicompanion3/files/Coviddata.csv

On Android < 10 this path points to (the root directory of the external storage):

/storage/emulated/0/Coviddata.csv

In other words: Since targetSdkVersion = 29 (AI2 update nb184) it is no longer possible to access the external storage outside of the ASD on devices with Android ≥ 10 (API ≥ 29).

See also here:

Problem with July 30 2020 Version: nb184 no longer able to write and read files

No, it is written to the app-specific directory (ASD): Companion: /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/edu.mit.appinventor.aicompanion3/files compiled app (APK): /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/<packageName>/files Cause: The file component (for API level ≥ 29) adds the ASD path to the beginning of each path that you declare. If I save a text in the ASD [grafik] this path is returned (but doesn't exist and cannot be created): /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/edu.mit.appinventor.aico…

Nevertheless, WRITE / READ permissions are requested from the File component, even if a file is saved in the ASD and is to be read from it. This is a bug. @ewpatton
That can currently only be bypassed with the EFile extension from @vknow360. See also here:

Problem with July 30 2020 Version: nb184 no longer able to write and read files

Here are the results of my tests on a Pixel 2XL (Android 11 Beta): android:targetSdkVersion="30" Manifest Blocks As shown in this video, when I save a text file in the Private directory or in the ASD it doesn't work with the File component without WRITE permission. But it works with the EFile extension (as it should!). In addition, if the first button (copy dummy.txt ...) is clicked, you get this error, although the file was saved correctly (in the Private dir, and not in the ro…