I'm a first time user, just in the initial stages figuring out if this is going to be useful for me, so forgive any naive questions. I'm using Google Chrome.
Here's my use case -
The user needs to store some information to my application(web based) which may include paths to some files on his system. When the user comes back to access this information via my application, he should be able to click on the links that point to these files on his local disk and open those files.
Now, we know that browsers will not allow this due to security concerns.
I had the following questions
The description for HTML5 FileSystemAPI says that this will allow us to access files from a "sandboxed" section of the users disk.
Does that mean that the files that my user wants to read should only originate from a specific folder on his disk?
Do we get to decide what that location would be? File browser access to Chrome's sandboxed filesystems - i get the idea from this question that chrome decides that.
I would appreciate if someone could throw some light on this. Thanks guys.
AFAIK, the FileSystem API doesn't provide access to files outside the sandbox and the sandbox's location is imposed by the browser. You can use HTML5's File API to let the user upload data, and then store this data using the FileSystem API. However, I don't think this is what you want.
Unrestricted access to a user's filesystem is only possible through a Java applet or another plugin.
Related
I am building a chrome extension, I want to read and write in the user's disk storage. I want to make folders in users' documents, store screenshots, and delete and read. Is it possible?
I have searched, but could not find a way to do this, I want to know if it is possible, if it is possible, could you tell me, how to do that, or refer to some docs?
Extensions cannot access the file system directly.
(except in very limited ways)
Native Messaging allows extensions to access the file system, by passing messages to and receiving messages from a native application, such as a Python script.
The native application (which you have to program yourself) then accesses the file system directly.
Because your question isn't specific, I can only refer you to the official documentation:
https://developer.chrome.com/docs/apps/nativeMessaging/
We are currently looking at porting a enterprise silverlight application over to html5. The major roadblock that we have hit is the ability to open files from the user's local disk. Currently they have a document library which just links to files on their computer that they can open from within the app and view or print out. All that I read is that you can only access the local sandbox of the web app with the html5 file api's. We want to load these files from code.
Does anyone know of any workarounds to this?
Thanks
There is no way for html5 to access local file without user selection. But FSO: FileSystemObject works for IE and MAYBE could be regarded as a work around. But still there are some requirements to meet.
It is possible to use chrome's filesystem API to access files on a users local filesytem. So you'd have to be willing to make this a chrome only application.
Using java you can create a "Signed" applet which has access to the local filesystem. (if the applet is signed you can request filesystm permissions)
then there is a tutorial for accessing methods of your java code directly from javascript here: http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/deployment/applet/invokingAppletMethodsFromJavaScript.html
you should be able to perform something similar from silverlight.
There is no workaround in pure HTML5/Javascript. You need the use of plugins, such as Java or Silverlight (maybe you shouldn't port it after all). As for workarounds, HTML5 gives you an easy way drag and drop multiple files that you could transfer on the server and then display back to your users. Another workaround would be to install a custom agent (a software with only a tray icon) that would send the information about the current user "document library" to server and then again, you could display it back to the user.
Note: I've heard somewhere that browsers will eventually stop supporting plugins. http://www.howtogeek.com/179213/why-browser-plug-ins-are-going-away-and-whats-replacing-them/
Ya, I agree with Markain. However, if you were to limit your audience solely to chrome users, I daresay, you would most likely use some of your users. If Huazhihao is right, then your number of leaving customers should decrease but users who regularly use firefox won't be happy. Overall, I think that this will not work. Otherwise, there would be too many websites that trashed your hard driver (or at least wherever you have the rights to edit/delete files). I think it would be best if your product was setup to synchronize the file whenever an internet connection was detected and a change was made to the file. That way the user would not need to visit the website whenever the file was uploaded. If this is some kind of an error file, then it would be most beneficial if you were to make a link in the application that when clicked, would upload the file to the website and the website were to do whatever was necessary. If this is a purely online thing, then I don't see what business you would have looking through other peoples' files =-). Hope I helped!
Is it possible to create something like Google Chrome's Workspaces, but with HTML5, Javascript or some other web based language?
I'm currently working on a web based ide, and I'm interested in implementing something similar to how Google Chrome handles local file editing. Basically asking the user for permission for accessing files in a particular directory that they select.
I've managed to open files that the user selects and show its content, but after editing there's no way to save it back to the same file, short of downloading it every time they save.
Is this possible with current technologies? or would I have to use something like Java?
The Achilles heel of your plan comes from a misunderstanding of the File System API. The most common misunderstanding about the File System API is that it might somehow give scripts direct read/write access to the client's local file system (e.g., C://whatever). As has been widely documented, including in the tag Wiki for HTML5-FileSystem here on Stackoverflow, "the File System API cannot directly access the local file system." The API provide access to a "virtual" file system, not the user's local file system. You cannot, therefore, use the File System API to "ask the user for permission for accessing files in a particular directory that they select," as you're seeking to do for your browser-based IDE project.
Please hear me out before you start crying security issues.
This is for an intranet application, hence I have full range to install any plugins or change any security permissions to suit.
What I want is for them to go to a webpage and click a link to download a file, such as a Word Document. This gets transferred to local storage of some kind (sandboxed if need be) and then is opened in word as a regular file.
When they click save, JavaScript or something will pickup the file is saved or the program is no longer accessing it and can be actioned upon, such as uploading back up to the server.
Is there any way to do this. I have looked at IndexedDb, WebStorage, HTML5 FileSystem API but I am new to all and don't see a way to do this.
I am open to coding any needed plugins as long as you don't mention Flash. The main issue I am coming across is opening a file downloaded into some form of local browser and then opening it via a desktop application, e.g. Word.
Any help, greatly appreciated.
After much research the only way to do it is with a plugin. IndexedDB, FileSystem API or WebStorage can not access the local file system. Which is good.
Silverlight is a good option for intranet and .NET, which is what I have chosen to go with.
Silverlight 5 in full permissions with a file watcher. The file watcher can be accomplished with this method: Is there an alternative to accomplishing what the FileSystemWatcher does in Silverlight?
I am wondering if there is any method of reading file on the client side with javascript given the file name and path. I am aware of the method of reading through: input type="file".
What I mean is without opening up a file browser and selecting the file, just reading it with filename, like fopen.
If not an other method, how to instantiate a File object in javascript from filename and path?
Seeing the answers I thought of briefing a bit more on my purpose.
I am not really making a webpage. I am using browser just as a software that is available on any system. The html pages will all be local. I am doing this way be so that I have the advantage of the power of js. Given this situation is there any way to set permission flags that will let it read files?
Thank you.
There's the Drag 'n Drop API which would be the other option in reading files using JS
There will always be hurdles so that your code will not directly read from the client's filesystem. This is designed for privacy and security purposes.
Extensions/Plugins - sandboxing will be your enemy, limiting file system access
Java Applet - Needs a signed certificate to read the filesystem. A self-signed certificate will generate the "Will You Trust This Applet" prompt which would act as the security prompt.
Input type=file - gives the user the option to select the files or not
drag and drop - gives the user the option to drag in files or not
XHR - Same Origin Policy will block you, especially if you are executing the page locally and not on a server.
JSONP - Since this bypasses the SOP, however, your file should be in JSONP format.
I found solution to my problem, here it is...
It is true that we have restriction with javascript that whenever the user or the page requests for a file it has to go through that extra window that pops up,
but if all the files that you may request are inside a known folder then you can rather ask the user to point the zipped folder instead.
One can use tools like zip.js for opening a file that one needs in the zipped folder.
Thank you :)