Ability to write file to sd card

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If the app could write out a textbox.text or a textblock to a file on the 
sdcard.
 The application/user should be able to determine it's name.

Original issue reported on code.google.com by cpoul...@gmail.com on 9 Sep 2010 at 11:08

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I second maimag that adding the feature to read and write files would be easy 
to add for Google.
I'm pretty sure that Google does not lack the technical resource to add that 
feature.
I rather think Google is all about cloud connected devices, and file IO does 
not fit that strategy.

Chris, maimag is probably very capable to write code. However, doesn't joining 
the app inventor team mean being hired by Google first?
and then if what's preventing Google from implementing file IO in app inventor 
is it's cloud strategy, joining their team would not help.

Original comment by gdevauco...@gmail.com on 2 Aug 2011 at 9:09

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If the cloud is what was holding them back, I'm sure the AI team would have
said that and removed the feature request.

If it was super easy for the AI team to implement, it would have already
been implemented. Even if there trying to focus on cloud, I'm sure they
understand not everyone wants to use cloud.

Sent from my Android Powered Moto Droid!

Original comment by chrisyu...@gmail.com on 2 Aug 2011 at 9:16

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I agree with maimag and gdevauco. Chrisyu what is it exactly that makes you so 
sure that they would have said it (that AI is all about the cloud)? As far as 
im concerned they already saying it in their own silent manner. Its bloody easy 
to add this features because, as others already have, an activity performing sd 
io and media availability check is no more than 20 lines to build it in Eclipse 
and use it with activity starter. The code (parts of media checking, file read 
and write) is already in the adroid java developers reference 
(http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/data-storage.html#filesExternal)
. Samples are provided too in the sdk. So its realy NOT about difficulty. Its 
about lack of willing at least up to now. Perhaps AI team is up to errands of 
more importance for the whole operation of AI. This is rather the case if you 
look at the content of the previous AI updates.
Nvertheless, people who write code in Eclipse will not turn to AI because AI is 
much slower and heavier in its production sequence as well as in its apps 
themselves. So I think it is for those who are not keen with java and Eclipse 
we should feel pity. Pity them for AI is tormenting them.

Original comment by strata...@gmail.com on 2 Aug 2011 at 10:58

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Writing in the capability in AI is completely different than writing in an
app form. Hence why its taking so long. They would have to code in the
ability to encode for a wide variety of formats. In an app, that would
depend on the phone. But the AI interface itself would need to know how to
encode it in order to put it in an AI app.

Sent from my Android Powered Moto Droid!

sd

you

http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/data-storage.html#filesExternal).

Its

Original comment by chrisyu...@gmail.com on 2 Aug 2011 at 11:57

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What kind of formats? Device formats? Screen formats? CPU models? To all of 
them file io is just java.
File formats? Starting with plain text would be enough.
If I where in the AI team i would copy paste tinydb module, rename it to 
SDFileDB and would rename "TAG" to "SDfile" and change the back file read/write 
mechanism to save/read data to the selected file and not to internal memory. 
Don't exaggerate things. Programming is not about magic. Its about cooking!

Original comment by strata...@gmail.com on 3 Aug 2011 at 11:26

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Speaking as someone that did provide file i/o via activity starter
and said so here
and in the forums
months ago

do not use the issues to complain, take it to the forums

Gary

Original comment by g...@jsoft.com on 3 Aug 2011 at 12:21

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I am writing a medical record App for patients; data needs to be saved locally 
on SD card and ability to save a text or csv file is essential.
Please can we have this very basic IO facility in AI.
Thanks.

Original comment by ACutePhysician on 8 Sep 2011 at 6:22

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I've written several mp3 player programs for windows.  I don't like the way ms 
mediaplayer works.
I don't like the player on my phone, so I need to write my own.

I need to be able to get directory listings, and save playlist files.

I can understand the security risks in allowing the public to create apps that 
write to the phone.
Perhaps only allowing "create/write/delete access to a "user" directory, and 
allowing only read access to rest of the system would be a viable solution.
Either way, I need to read directories, and save to a file.
I'm sitting here waiting ..................................

Original comment by spiders...@gmail.com on 5 Oct 2011 at 10:57

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Issue 875 has been merged into this issue.

Original comment by sper...@google.com on 8 Oct 2011 at 12:53

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Issue 1881 has been merged into this issue.

Original comment by sper...@google.com on 8 Oct 2011 at 12:54

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Issue 899 has been merged into this issue.

Original comment by sper...@google.com on 14 Oct 2011 at 7:14

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Dying for this feature to be added. I need to save persistent data and hitting 
the back button closes my app, wiping tinydb. 
I just want simple text file processing. 

Original comment by adeles...@gmail.com on 31 Oct 2011 at 5:07

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[deleted comment]

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I don't know if this is the correct thread for this, but I desperately need a 
way to backup SavedData from my app to the SD Card.  As well as retrieving data 
from the SD card in case one of our employees damages the tablet and we need to 
retrieve data off of it for processing.  This would help a great deal and 
possibly prevent data loss at least a few times a year!  :-)

Wait... If I had ability to write to SD card... I can force the all the data to 
be written to SD Card (in CSV format) every 15 minutes or every 100 records.  
Something like that. 

Original comment by mdel...@gmail.com on 9 Nov 2011 at 5:59

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I want to write a data collection app that collects a sample of various sensors 
on the device periodically. It would be nice if i could use app inventor to 
record the samples into a flat file, that i could later parse.

Original comment by gopi...@gmail.com on 18 Nov 2011 at 7:41

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Well you can, sort of, it is called TinyDB which is little more than an XML 
file stored in the data partition. If your phone is rooted you can copy the 
file to your SD card and do whatever you want with it. Real file IO would be 
ideal but it is becoming increasingly obvious that the AI team has no interest 
in providing it.

Original comment by heilig...@gmail.com on 19 Nov 2011 at 1:17

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I agree that this has to come.  Myself personally, I would like to see some way 
of storing images into tinyDB in Base64 format or something so that they can be 
used in the app, rather than write to to SD card itself.

Original comment by ma...@homersparadise.com on 14 Feb 2012 at 12:17

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Yes basis file IO would be nice to we can have ours apps loading and storing 
data.

Original comment by nyb...@gmail.com on 15 Mar 2012 at 1:39

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I also need this feature. I am using TinyDB as a data aquisition point and need 
to port the data to a larger DB system.

I am working on a work-around using texting.

thanks!

Original comment by mr.chris...@gmail.com on 22 Mar 2012 at 4:20

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Interesting timing...

I had file i/o almost a year ago but put the time into following up based on 
the interest I got from folks about it (people would say they really really 
want it and then not follow up)

I just got my source changes to run the buildserver locally on Windows added to 
the current App Inventor source and file i/o is one of the (many) things I want 
to follow up with now that we can add components.

I was about to comment in one of the ai4a groups when this comment showed up. 

Interesting timing...

Gary

Original comment by g...@jsoft.com on 22 Mar 2012 at 4:33

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Yay gary! We need file I/o. We want file I/o and we are going to get file
I/o. ....... soon I hope. Lol.

Original comment by tribbleh...@gmail.com on 22 Mar 2012 at 4:37

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I like what I'm reading today :)
Is the plan to implement it in the MIT site? 
http://experimental.appinventor.mit.edu

Original comment by gdevauco...@gmail.com on 22 Mar 2012 at 4:43

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Not real soon probably

I am following up with some info here
  https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!forum/ai4a

The plan is to put it on my company's Public server
and see what MIT wants to do.

Original comment by g...@jsoft.com on 22 Mar 2012 at 5:00

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I can offer a solution to read a text file now using embedded HTML/JavaScript, 
see here http://puravidaapps.com/read.php
Taifun

Original comment by taifunb...@gmail.com on 17 Aug 2012 at 7:04

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The dev team is working on this right now. More info soon.

Original comment by josmasfl...@gmail.com on 28 Aug 2012 at 1:32

• Changed state: Started

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Soon when? :)
Let us know please

Original comment by gabry...@gmail.com on 15 Nov 2012 at 3:51

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Me too ...
seems like file I/O woudl be a basic requirement. I have an app that logs 
realtime data from a blutooth device, but I really need to get that data out of 
the phone somehow..

Cheers
Wit C. 

Original comment by witcies...@gmail.com on 18 Nov 2012 at 9:23

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Hi there,
Can we please have a progress report on the I/O status?
Thanks :) 

Original comment by doylepat...@gmail.com on 3 Dec 2012 at 9:34

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waiting for a progress report about file I/O issue

Original comment by arubsht...@gmail.com on 25 Dec 2012 at 9:08

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We are waiting for a infos. 
Why is there an ability to connect wireless but not to save text on the sdcard?

Original comment by laurenzr...@gmail.com on 29 Dec 2012 at 8:19

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There are new?
Will be implemented in the next release?
When is the next release

Original comment by enfandr...@gmail.com on 28 Jan 2013 at 11:52

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could estimate a date for incorporating this feature? please.

Original comment by gerardom...@gmail.com on 27 Feb 2013 at 12:20

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Hi all,

work on this issue had to be stopped due to other priorities; I am reverting it 
back to 'Noted'; no ETA for now, Im afraid. Apologies for the step back in this 
issue. 

Original comment by josmasfl...@gmail.com on 7 Mar 2013 at 9:09

• Changed state: Noted

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App Inventor makes a great step backwards....

Original comment by enfandr...@gmail.com on 8 Mar 2013 at 8:27

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Thanks for updating us José

I'll be sure to comment (if I have anything to say) in the App Inventor Open 
Source Development group
https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!forum/app-inventor-open-source-dev

Original comment by g...@jsoft.com on 8 Mar 2013 at 11:37

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I just wanted to let you know that we already have some workarounds to store a 
file on SD card, which you can use meanwhile: 
- Scott's php solution 
https://groups.google.com/d/topic/app-inventor-developers-library/-hNpuLxVkqI/di
scussion
- Gary's asUtil 
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jsoft.android.as
- Patrick's/my Activity starter solution http://puravidaapps.com/savetosd.php
- and last of least my modified version of Scott's php solution 
http://puravidaapps.com/save.php
Taifun

Original comment by taifunb...@gmail.com on 8 Mar 2013 at 4:29

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First of all, thank you Taifun, for your post of the different solutions :)

But i would still be thankful for an in-app save option, as i need a 
save-function for my app...as i'm creating this app for other people it would 
be great, if they just have to download and install only one app instead of 
two, just because i'm not able to save text-information.

i hoped that creating a "saving text to a file" option is not that different 
than saving a canvas to the sd-card (whats already possible with AI), and there 
is a chance this gets fixed during the next months

therefor i join my previous speakers and would like to ask you, if you could 
please add this function...this would be great :)

thank you
daniel

Original comment by myhus...@googlemail.com on 4 Aug 2013 at 2:56

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I was amazed to find that such a standard function wasn't supported, please add 
some way to read/write data from/to the memory.

Original comment by gadj...@gmail.com on 7 Aug 2013 at 8:38

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I am desperate too to find a way to send out data from my phone collected 
through an app. The simplest, but still a primitive way of doing it is by 
email. First create an email feature in your app. Add a Text-box or a label as 
the source of the email content.You have to do something like "mailto" join 
Textbox1 or label1 etc. Then when the email is sent from the app. All the 
information that is in the specified text box or label is carried with that 
email and can be retrieved on a pc and printed. This method rather odd though 
is working perfectly for me.   

Original comment by bbassa9...@gmail.com on 22 Nov 2013 at 5:02

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@ #89: you probably have not seen what I wrote 4 comments above in #86: 
https://code.google.com/p/app-inventor-for-android/issues/detail?id=33#c86
also there are several possibilites to send emails 
http://puravidaapps.com/sendmail.php
you might want to follow up in the forum...
Taifun

Original comment by taifunb...@gmail.com on 22 Nov 2013 at 6:13

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Hi Taifun.
I thought there were issues using the methods you prescribe (above) if you're 
running > Android version ics...?
MMB.

Original comment by MMB....@googlemail.com on 22 Nov 2013 at 7:01

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This version contains component files.

http://sevenandroid.com/appinventor

Original comment by gratistr...@gmail.com on 22 Nov 2013 at 7:05

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Hi MMB,
which issues? As already said, this is not the place to discuss things.
You might want to follow up in the forum 
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/programming-with-app-inventor
Taifun

Original comment by taifunb...@gmail.com on 22 Nov 2013 at 7:52

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One more vote for the ability to write to a file on an SD card- such as 
sampling or other data gathering when/where no connection is available, for 
later external processing.

Thank You

Original comment by cpeterl...@gmail.com on 4 Jan 2014 at 2:59

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Saving and retrieving data to a device is a basic programming skill.  It would 
be wonderful to easily write and retrieve *.csv files to/from a specific folder 
on an Android device.  With AI2 one can retrieve files using convoluted 
procedures.  Guess I need to try to write an opensource 'helper' app.  AI2 - 
what a wonderful tool - a real useful tool if it could write to the SD (or had 
access to the built-in Android SQLite DB).

Thanks

Original comment by Steve.Gf...@gmail.com on 14 Jan 2014 at 2:47

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ear friends, I would advise you to look here ...

http://Amerkashi.Wordpress.com

Original comment by enfandr...@gmail.com on 14 Jan 2014 at 3:04

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File component is now available.

Original comment by josmasfl...@gmail.com on 30 Jul 2014 at 12:31

• Changed state: Fixed

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Thanks you very much. I needed last year

Original comment by gerardom...@gmail.com on 30 Sep 2014 at 9:14