CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javaandroidfilestorage
TukeV
TukeV

Reputation: 701

Android: Cannot create file to external public directory

Question is rather basic, but it is still driving me nuts: How can I create a simple text file to a publicly visible directory, say Downloads folder? The android I'm using uses android version 6.0.1 and the app itself has minimum sdk level 20.

I don't have a sdcard, but as far as I know, the terms Internal and External refer to the visibility and access rights to the directory: If only the app sees the file, it's internal. If the user sees the file, it's external.

First things first, I have the required uses-permission tags in the AnrdoidManifext.xml although I don't need the read permissions in the context of this question.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.mylittleapp">
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
    <application>
        <!-- Not relevant... right? -->
    </application>
</manifest>

And then to the code itself. You can tell from debug logs that I'm getting a little frustrated with this.

public class LogFileWriter {


    File mFile;
    FileOutputStream mStream;


    LogFileWriter(String filename) {
        // Check if storage is available
        String state = Environment.getExternalStorageState();
        if (!Environment.MEDIA_MOUNTED.equals(state)) {
            Log.d("LogFileWriter", "I'm not your state buddy!");
            return;
        }
        File target = Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS);

        if (!target.exists() && !target.mkdir()) {
            Log.d("LogFileWriter", "I'm not your folder guy!");
            return
        }
        mFile = new File(target, filename);
        try {
            if (!mFile.exists())
                Log.d("LogFileWriter", "I'm not your file friend!");
            else {
                mStream = new FileOutputStream(mFile);
            }
        } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
            Log.d("LogFileWriter", "Exceptional!");
        }
    }

Here, the program fails at the !mFile.exist() check and prints I'm not your file friend! If I would add there the mFile.createNewFile(), that would cause an IOException...

java.io.IOException: open failed: EACCES (Permission denied)

Eventhough the program should have the access to the public directory!

I have also tried to write the files to Context.getExternalFilesDir() direcotry, but with the same results: I still dont' have the write access.

I also checked that where the Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory leads to. Its path is /storage/0/emulated/Download.

How to get write permission to external storage? Any ideas?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 2092

Answers (1)

TukeV
TukeV

Reputation: 701

As @SaravInfern and others pointed out, the problem was that in the newest versions of android I also have to request the write permissions during the runtime. Thank you guys!

https://developer.android.com/training/permissions/requesting.html

Upvotes: 1

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