Please support the open folder intent

[contrapunctus-1]

Applications like Syncthing require it to open folders.
See also syncthing/syncthing-android#838

[veniosg]

There is no such standard Intent as far as I am aware, would you mind elaborating on the options?

[friedger]

We support the intent to pick a folder org.openintents.action.PICK_DIRECTORY Am 06.09.2017 09:01 schrieb "George Venios" <notifications@github.com>:

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There is no such standard Intent as far as I am aware, would you mind elaborating on the options? — You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#87 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABYcWS3JTFFoj1vGngkVJy_yH0OaHfP1ks5sfkNegaJpZM4PNJdU> .

[veniosg]

If I'm not mistaken this request is for pointing the file manager to launch on an arbitrary path, but without offering any further action like "pick" - at least according to the linked issue :)

[friedger]

You want something like action VIEW with mime type like vnd.android.documents/directory? https://stackoverflow.com/questions/18869772/mime-type-for-a-directory What is the URI scheme you want to view? Probably one of FileProvider. Am 06.09.2017 09:35 schrieb "George Venios" <notifications@github.com>: If I'm not mistaken this request is for pointing the file manager to launch on an arbitrary path, but without offering any further action like "pick" - at least according to the linked issue :) — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#87 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABYcWTzH8IltIK6OlEGu2noc4Vn3oF2lks5sfktAgaJpZM4PNJdU> .

[k3b]

goal:

• Intent to open filemanager and view content of a specified directory in the filemanager.
• This feature should not be a picker

my proposal: use this: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/17165972/android-how-to-open-a-specific-folder-via-intent-and-show-its-content-in-a-file
it already works with "EF File Explorer"

• action=android.intent.action.VIEW
• data=file:///path/to/directory/
• mime=resource/folder

[friedger]

I am worried about the non-standard mime type, as well as the FileUriExposedException when using the file schema.

Could you please propose something with FileProvider?

[k3b]

I agree that we should use the "standard".

Unfortunately there is none (at least none i am aware of or one that is widley known or widly implemented)

In my opinion the best way is to use something that other have implemented or is willing/planning/thinking about to implement.

therefore i am lobbying for this proposal.

• Please support the open folder intent SimpleMobileTools/Simple-File-Manager#84
• https://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?p=323853
• Most File Managers don't support Open Folder Intent syncthing/syncthing-android#838

If you think that we should follow an other "standard" as discussed in https://stackoverflow.com/questions/18869772/mime-type-for-a-directory it may be a compromise and easy to to implement several different "standards":

• mime=resource/folder ( already used by a few android apps. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/17165972/android-how-to-open-a-specific-folder-via-intent-and-show-its-content-in-a-file )
• mime=vnd.android.document/directory ( used by some android document provider for GET_CONTENT )
• text/directory ( http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6350 and http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2425#section-3 )
• inode/directory ( http://standards.freedesktop.org/shared-mime-info-spec/shared-mime-info-spec-latest.html#idm140625828597376 )

If you think we should use a different format, please let us know which one you like to support so i will integrate additional logic into my own "show in filemanager" logic to try different standards

---

fileuriexposedexception since android n/sdk-24 does this mean we have to hide "file:" from android if we want to have a "show in filemanager" function in our apps ?

[friedger]

I would go for vnd.android.document/directory as some file managers also can show online storage. I have opened an issue at the google issue tracker for FileProvider.getType() https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/67545552

And yes, you should get ride of the file scheme.

[k3b]

ok thanks for feedback. my app will try vnd.android.document/directory and if not found try resource/folder

[friedger]

I have created a sample app on https://github.com/openintents/directory-type

As the uri does not contain any hints about the directory path, you need to add an extra string with the absolute path in your VIEW action.

I suggest something like the provider column name of MediaStore https://developer.android.com/reference/android/provider/MediaStore.MediaColumns.html#DATA or the extra to show the initial folder when opening a document https://developer.android.com/reference/android/provider/DocumentsContract.html#EXTRA_INITIAL_URI

My suggestion is

org.openintents.extra.ABSOLUTE_PATH

[k3b]

i woult propose to use org.openintents.extra.ABSOLUTE_PATH.
And if this extra is not set use data-uri. (file:uri with a directory) Other cloud-aware filemanagers can use cloud spefic directory-urls.

this way it is compatible with the other view actions without the need for a new extra parameter.

[friedger]

I have added documentation for this at
http://www.openintents.org/action/android-intent-action-view/file-directory

Thanks for the discussion!