Enhancement: Use Android 4.4 Document Provider API

[pulser]

The document provider API in Android 4.4 (Kitkat) offers a framework for storage providers, such as OwnCloud, Google Docs, Box etc.

http://developer.android.com/about/versions/kitkat.html#44-storage-access

This looks like a useful way to permit users to access their OwnCloud files quickly, and make use of OwnCloud as their default storage location, throughout the OS, and permits the provider to be written once, but used by any client application that uses this API.

Implementation documentation is available at http://developer.android.com/reference/android/provider/DocumentsProvider.html

[erickrasmussen]

Looking forward to this as well.

[davivel]

We'll have a look to it. Thanks for the reference.

[vitoller]

any updates on the "Storage Access Framework"?

I still could not find a webdav implementation to be used with Android & Owncloud.
(Boxcryptor might work, but it is closed source) - this would be such a good feature for Android.

[davivel]

No update yet, sorry.

[alerque]

👍 This should be given very high priority as far as development time goes. The lack of using this API on Android makes interfacing with other apps prohibitively confusing. For non-filesystem-savy users that are used to the Android ecosystem where data operations that require it are presented relative to data providers, not having ownCloud as an option is a huge blow to usability.

It's tricky enough that I've struggled to walk people through the process. For an open operation for example one must first leave the app currently in use, use the ownCloud app to mark objects for sync, then go back to the app you were in and use a 3rd party file manager that wraps the file system in a document provider to select the right object to open (assuming the app doesn't have local storage permissions. If it does tho only part of that routine that is left off is the 3rd party navigator, but you still have to switch apps manually a couple times!)

[davivel]

We do know this is very important, but it is only something available only in Android 4.4. Now it's near the 20% of registered devices according to Google, but there is still an 80% of devices that know nothing about this API.

We need to deal with this, but we need more to deal with other pending features. So, please, let's all be patient with this one.

Or still better. What about a contribution :) ?

[alerque]

I think you're underestimating this. It's a blocker-bug as far as a number of groups I'm trying to migrate from Dropbox. Most other feature requests look like things that are cool to have, but aren't critical to the basic function of storing and retrieving files. Besides at this point 4.4 is rolling out faster than the ownCloud app is being developed. I'd hate to see adoption cut off at the knees because it's falling behind the torrential pace that Android moves at.

I'm sorry my programming expertise is not in Android app development. I have, however, started a bounty on this issue and encourage others interested in seeing this happen sooner rather than later to pitch in and until some developer somewhere is motivated to scratch the itch.

[davivel]

OK, we will have a look to push it higher.

[strugee]

@davivel did you ever look into this? I share @alerque's concerns.

[davivel]

@strugee , sure we looked into it. Unfortunately, looking does not produce any result similar to writing code.

This will be done when we can book the time for it. There are several reasons why it's very interesting to have it, but we are a small team an have to address many top priorities.

Code contributions in this and related issues are very welcome.

[strugee]

@davivel should have been clearer. By 'it', I meant this issue's priority, not the issue itself. Sorry for the confusion (and thanks, as always, for your hard work).

[haseebeqx]

ok i am working on it. but when i used the existing content provider it shows permission denied since the android:exported is false and android:grantUriPermissions is not set. what should i do now. set android:exported to true or granturipermission or any other options ?.

currently i managed to implement this feature with exported content provider and it is working fine

[dschuermann]

Maybe it helps that there is a fully working example for Document Providers here: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/development/+/master/samples/Vault/

[haseebeqx]

i already have a working model .

but the problem is in kitkat the document provider works from another app called documents inside system. so there are issues with current content provider and localbroadcasts. i can not use the current file access provider to look at data since it is not exported and android:grantUriPermissions not set.

[karliwalti]

May I additionally support the integration of this. Microsoft office is now supporting "Other cloud storage" and all major service providers are supported (tested with Drive, Box, Dropbox, and OneDrive ). To work on the go from the cloud it would be essential

[AndyScherzinger]

Setting exported and android:grantUriPermissions to be able to implement this seems fine to me, what do you think @masensio @tobiasKaminsky @davivel ?

[davitol]

@davivel 🎅

[codinguser]

According to http://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/index.html
devices with Android KitKat (4.4) and above now represent over 63% of the total Android install base.
Will this warrant a revisiting of the priority of this issue?

[tobiasKaminsky]

@haseebeqx I think it is not a problem to change these settings.
It would be great if you can provide a pull request which we can merge into our beta app and see how it is working.

[przybylski]

Since there is no response from previous developer for over a month, I wrote it last night.

[alerque]

Thanks @przybylski for working on this. I'm looking forward to having it merged and being able to approve the bounty. For reference since it's not cross linked yet, it looks like PR #1368 is related to this.

[przybylski]

@alerque I encourage you to test it on latests beta version

[alerque]

Is there a beta channel on the Play store to facilitate the testing process? Or at least pre-built apk's somewhere?

[przybylski]

Beta is available on f-droid and pre-built apks are available here https://github.com/owncloud/android/tree/beta/apks

[AndyScherzinger]

@alerque Could you give it a try?

[alerque]

@AndyScherzinger I've been using the beta since I was pointed to it 6 days ago and it hasn't given me any trouble. On the other hand I've only had a chance to give it pretty light use this week.

[tobiasKaminsky]

@alerque I think @AndyScherzinger is specifically talking about the document provider?
Is this working for you as expected?

[AndyScherzinger]

Thanks for the clarification @tobiasKaminsky that is what I was asking about :)

[ilmaisin]

The beta client seems to support opening via SAF, but not saving.

[przybylski]

document provider merged, closing