How to correctly identify the file storage directory of AnkiDroid (or any other external app) from my application?

Question

I use AnkiDroid API to create and send cards to AnkiDroid application (https://github.com/ankidroid/Anki-Android/wiki/AnkiDroid-API). But there is one issue connected to sending media files via API. They are stored in the external storage, "/storage/emulated/0/AnkiDroid" in my case. I can add and read files from there, but I think this path may be different for other devices or in case if I switch to SD card. Question: how to correctly identify the path to application's external storage directory?

I use code from example - "https://github.com/ankidroid/apisample" and it works well, except it does not have methods to send media. I can just send audio file to External storage and create link for this file. But i don not how to get path to the program's directory. Maybe it may be done throug the package name. `AddContentApi.getAnkiDroidPackageName(this);` — snailp4el, Dec 04 '18 at 06:03

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 04 '18 at 08:19

Ex-AnkiDroid project maintainer here.

The path you have is the default path to the AnkiDroid media files.

AnkiDroid users can modify this path via configuration, as you probably know:

This setting is stored using Android's usual settings storage technology, which for security reasons is not accessible to other apps.

I don't think the property is currently exposed to other apps (source code), but that is a valid use case so please create a new issue at https://github.com/ankidroid/Anki-Android/issues

Meanwhile, and to be compatible with current and prior versions of AnkiDroid, I would say you have two options:

Scan the SD card looking for a called collection.media. This folder is inside the AnkiDroid folder, and its name can not be changed, by convention. If you find several, compare last modification dates and ask the user.
Have a setting similar to the one in the screenshot above. Users who want to use a non-default folder will have to set it up in both apps, which is a bit inconvenient but not such a crazy thing to ask for.

I thought about option number one. But phones may not have SD card at all. I think to give user option to choose the folder. But this solution does not look well. — snailp4el, Dec 04 '18 at 10:14
I've actually switched to a phone that does NOT have SD card at all and I am not left with an app that will not work atm because it keeps referring to a wrong path "/storage/emulated/0/AnkiDroid" that apparently is invalid on my Google Pixel XL https://www.gsmarena.com/google_pixel_xl-8345.php — tbop, Jan 01 '21 at 11:57

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Dec 06 '18 at 12:41

Attention hard code!!! I understand that it is not the best way. but it works for me.

public ArrayList getExternalFolderPath(String folderName){

    ArrayList<String> arrayList = new ArrayList<>();

    //get all storages in phone
    File externalStorages[] = getExternalFilesDirs(null);

    for (File es: externalStorages){
        String exF = es.toString();

        //cut out what don't need
        exF = exF.split("/Android/data")[0];

        File file = new File(exF);
        File[] files = file.listFiles();
        for (File f: files){
            Log.i(TAG, "getAnkiExternalFolder()" + f.toString());
            //add in array the path
            if(f.toString().contains(folderName)){
                arrayList.add(f.toString());
            }
        }
    }
    return arrayList;
}

also need add a manifest entry.

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

And ask user access for reading if API level uper 23: https://developer.android.com/training/permissions/requesting

How to correctly identify the file storage directory of AnkiDroid (or any other external app) from my application?

2 Answers2