local file sync feature

[zoli]

Description

With adding relevant methods in common java interface this enables superproductivity local file sync feature to work in android platform.

One thing to note is that it probably be the case that superproductivity app won't be the owner of local file that we use to sync. So I needed to use ACTION_MANAGE_APP_ALL_FILES_ACCESS_PERMISSION permission.

Issues Resolved

#13 and johannesjo/super-productivity#2001

[zoli]

This PR should get merged before johannesjo/super-productivity#2195

[johannesjo]

Thank you @zoli ! I will test this on my device and make a new release, if everything works well.

[johannesjo]

@zoli hey there! Unfortunately there are problems with releasing the new version to the play store. I need to explain why we can't use the Storage Access Framework or the Media Store API and also to provide a video to showcase that functionality. Could you maybe help me with the explanation?

[zoli]

Unfortunately there are problems with releasing the new version to the play store.

Actually when I was reading about the permission stuff, I thought that there would be some problem to. But I forgot to mention it in the PR.

Could you maybe help me with the explanation?

Sure how can I help? By explaining why the permission is necessary?

[johannesjo]

Thanks! I thought that I would need help with the question why we can't use the Storage Access Framework or the Media Storage API, but briefly looking at them tells me that one is only for media files and the Storage Access Framework can't be used, because we need to access the file in the background.

In case we don't get greenlit with this, do you think there is another way to do this?

[zoli]

I'm not much familiar with android development ecosystem either. From what I've read superproductivity needs MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission because superproductivity itself doesn't provide syncing service and also because its probable that superproductivity won't be the owner of the file that is being shared between devices. The syncing service is the owner of the file (for example syncthing).

For read/write access to that file superproductivity needs MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission.

There is also some cases that will eliminate the MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission need for superproductivity and thats when the syncing service implements FileProvider. But from what I've seen FileProvider has not been much prevalent among syncing services or apps.

In case we don't get greenlit with this, do you think there is another way to do this?

Maybe we can force the user to use a file that is owned by superproductivity app and then the burden will be on the syncing service/app, but I'm not sure.

[zoli]

Also users which really need this feature (including myself) can install it directly via apk file or maybe fdroid.

[johannesjo]

Thanks for your input! I submitted a request. Not sure how they will respond.

Maybe we can force the user to use a file that is owned by superproductivity app and then the burden will be on the syncing service/app, but I'm not sure.

In case we don't get greenlit, this seems to me to be the best alternative.

[detectivepikachu]

Hello I downloaded it from the fdroid version but still cannot find the local sync option. Am I missing something here?