File

An API to read, write and navigate file system hierarchies, based on the w3c file api.

Objects

Accessing the Feature

As of version 3.0, Cordova implements device-level APIs as plugins. Use the CLI's plugin command, described in The Command-line Interface, to add or remove this feature for a project:

    $ cordova plugin add org.apache.cordova.file
    $ cordova plugin ls
    [ 'org.apache.cordova.file' ]
    $ cordova plugin rm org.apache.cordova.file

To use the file-transfer plugin you must add that separately. Do not add the file plugin manually because it will be automatically added as a dependency plugin by the CLI.

    $ cordova plugin add org.apache.cordova.file-transfer
    $ cordova plugin ls
    [ 'org.apache.cordova.file',
      'org.apache.cordova.file-transfer' ]
    $ cordova plugin rm org.apache.cordova.file-transfer

These commands apply to all targeted platforms, but modify the platform-specific configuration settings described below:

  • Android

      (after adding just the file plugin)
  (in app/res/xml/config.xml)
  <feature name="File">
      <param name="android-package" value="org.apache.cordova.FileUtils" />
  </feature>

  (in app/AndroidManifest.xml)
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

  (after adding just the file-transfer plugin)
  (in app/res/xml/config.xml)
  <feature name="File">
      <param name="android-package" value="org.apache.cordova.FileUtils" />
  </feature>
  <feature name="FileTransfer">
      <param name="android-package" value="org.apache.cordova.filetransfer.FileTransfer" />
  </feature>

  (in app/AndroidManifest.xml)
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

  • BlackBerry WebWorks

      (in www/plugins.xml)
  <feature name="File">
      <param name="blackberry-package" value="org.apache.cordova.file.FileManager" />
  </feature>
  <feature name="FileTransfer">
      <param name="blackberry-package" value="org.apache.cordova.http.FileTransfer" />
  </feature>

  (in www/config.xml)
  <feature id="blackberry.io.file" required="true" version="1.0.0.0" />
  <feature id="blackberry.utils"   required="true" version="1.0.0.0" />
  <feature id="blackberry.io.dir"  required="true" version="1.0.0.0" />
  <rim:permissions>
      <rim:permit>access_shared</rim:permit>
  </rim:permissions>

  • iOS (in config.xml)

      <feature name="File">
      <param name="ios-package" value="CDVFile" />
  </feature>
  <feature name="FileTransfer">
      <param name="ios-package" value="CDVFileTransfer" />
  </feature>

Some platforms may support this feature without requiring any special configuration. See Platform Support in the Overview section.