Testing the next release of MIT App Inventor (nb187)

[SteveJG]

It appears MIT has taken the build for the test server offline in anticipation of releasing nb187 . nb187 will be able to build an aab. The normal build server works for nb186.

MIT indicated late yesterday it intended to release nb187 following the passing of hurricane Henri . MIT facilities are near the path of the storm. Sometime after the storm passes, MIT will upload nb187. When exactly? Be patient. When the new version is released will depend whether storm damage affects App Inventor operations.

[Anke]

Yes, maybe, but we should have been given the opportunity to test it on the test server until the very end.

I'm pretty sure that there will be issues / bugs with the File component and also with READ / WRITE permissions after the targetSdkVersion = 30 update. I have done a number of tests with Niotron and (also) found some serious issues / bugs there.

[Patryk_F]

I don't think there was a release yet that would not have even the slightest mistake. If there are any, I think a bugfix version will be released soon.

[Anke]

I'm not talking about a "slightest mistake" but serious bugs.

[Logan_Thackery]

its released..

[Anke]

As I suspected:

Access to added files

On Android 10+ you can no longer copy a file (e.g. from the assets) to the external storage outside of the ASD or shared storage because WRITE permission does no longer exist on Android 10+ if the app is targeting Android 11 (API 30). And this is now the case with AI2 (since the nb187 release, yesterday). So use the File component and try to copy the file to the shared storage: [grafik] Unfortunately, this only works with Companion and not with the compiled app (APK), as there are still s…

Access to added files

Here is a test aia: copyToSharedTest.aia (3.5 KB) Try with Companion, it should work. But if you change the text of TextBox from Download to Documents if will not work. Check it. Then build the APK and try again (it will not work, you will get a permission error). These are the permissions declared in the Manifest: <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE"/> <uses-permission android:name="android.pe…

Access to added files

Non-media files (like .txt) can only be copied / saved in these (shared) folders: /Download /Documents But currently /Documents doesn't work. (It should work and it works with Niotron.) So we have to wait for this bug fix as well.

See also here:

Copy a text file and an image from assets to shared storage (→ Android 10+)

Copy a text file and an image from assets to shared storage (→ Android 10+)

[ewpatton]

Note that you can still use Legacy mode in these situations while we work on fixing the issues with shared scope storage.

[Patryk_F]

At least the apps will be safer for users

[Anke]

@ewpatton

Note that you can still use Legacy mode

See here:

Release nb187: Copy a text file / image from assets to shared storage (→ Android 10+)

Here is a test app (→ Designer: DefaultFileScope = Shared) with which a text file and an image can be copied from the assets to the shared storage (for devices with Android ≥ 10). This works neither for the text file nor for the image (regardless of whether storage permission was granted beforehand): "Error 908: The permission WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE has been denied. Please enable ...". Note: With → Niotron the text file is copied to shared storage (without permission), but you need READ p…

[Salman_Dev]

how can i see nb187 source code??

[SteveJG]

@Salman_Dev Probably https://github.com/mit-cml/appinventor-sources

[BeksOmega]

I think specifically this tag: https://github.com/mit-cml/appinventor-sources/tree/v187

[TIMAI2]

Mere mortals cannot see that "branch" - probably for good reason

[ewpatton]

The v187 tag (as linked by @BeksOmega) is the closest you can get to seeing the nb187 sources. When we do a release, we tag the open source version with the v### tag and then apply our private branding (Terms of Service, private keys, etc.), and that becomes the corresponding version put on ai2.appinventor.mit.edu.

[Salman_Dev]

@ewpatton

is the closest you can get to seeing the nb187 sources.

Thank you very much for the info MIT Team

I MIT

[Anke]

Here is a test APK that only works with the File component (no extension is used):

copyMoveASDtoShared_2.apk

Tested on Android 11 (Pixel 2XL).

Bugs:

1. File.Exists from assets does not work with the APK (Companion works).
   

2. WRITE permission must be declared in the Manifest so that it works after the automatic request of storage permission.
   If the permission is denied:
   "Error 908: The permission READ_/WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission has been denied. Please ..." depending on which action is carried out.
   If the permission is granted, however, it works, although WRITE permission can of course no longer be granted under Android 11, since it no longer exists there.

3. All shared folders work without problems, except /Documents.
   The folder /Download works with all file types (txt, jpg, mp3, ogg, mp4, ...).
   Non-media files (like .txt) should only work with /Download and /Documents.
   

   
   

[Anke]

[Patryk_F]

I don't have an android11 device. Should android10 also allow writing to shared folders without write permission? I wanted to test the write, but components that write anything ask for write permission.