I am developing a Windows Universal app that collects results of races. It saves each race result in a sql-lite database in an application folder so the user can view previous results. I have further requirements, however, for saving and opening race results.
I need to be able to export the results of a race as a CSV file so that they can be opened by a third-party application that might be running on a separate machine on a different operating system.
I need to be able to export the results as an HTML file that can be uploaded/included in the user's own web site.
I need the user to be able to print the results (which I was thinking could just be done by printing the HTML file from a browser)
I would like the user to be able to choose to import the results of a race created by my own legacy application in my own format.
It seems, however, that we are restricted in a Windows Universal app to saving files to just very specific folders under very specific circumstances if we have requested that app capability. Therefore I am getting access denied errors both saving and reading files using the FileOpenPicker and FileSavePicker.
I think I probably need to view the export and import of results in a different way, but after a lot of searching I have not been able to come up with the right and recommended solution to this. So the question is how should I be handling the import and export of results? Should I be using the user's documents folder, or their OneDrive? Do I need to create a web application for my app so that the user can store results in the cloud and download them from there?
CSV and HTML are both text files with some encoding. So your question is about how to read/write files with JS.
Here is example how to create html page with FileSavePicker:
var savePicker = new Windows.Storage.Pickers.FileSavePicker();
savePicker.suggestedStartLocation = Windows.Storage.Pickers.PickerLocationId.documentsLibrary;
savePicker.fileTypeChoices.insert("Web page", [".html"]);
savePicker.suggestedFileName = "New page";
savePicker.pickSaveFileAsync().then(function (file)
{
if (file) {
var _WriteThis="<!DOCTYPE html>" + "\r\n";
_WriteThis = _WriteThis + "<html><head><title>Web page title</title>" + "\r\n";
// .....
Windows.Storage.FileIO.writeTextAsync(file, _WriteThis, Windows.Storage.Streams.UnicodeEncoding.utf8);
}
});
This example doesn't required any special rules and you can save file anywhere on you PC HDD or USD stick without setting capabilities in manifest (except system folders)
Same way you can save in csv format
Related
I'm working on an app that instead of a database uses file system in the server's root directory. It's basically a note application that allows me to save notes. Each note is a serialized object of Note class represented by following structure \Data\Notes\MyUsername\Title.txt
When I'm testing this on localhost through IIS Express everything works fine and I can easily go step by step there.
However, once I publish the app to Azure, the folder structure is still there (made a test Controller that uses Directory.GetFiles() and .GetDirectories() to simulate folder browsing so I'm sure that the files are there) but the file simply doesn't get loaded.
Loading script that's being called:
public T Load<T>(string filePath) where T : new()
{
StreamReader reader = null;
try
{
reader = new StreamReader(filePath);
var RawDB = reader.ReadToEnd();
return JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<T>(RawDB);
}
catch
{
return default(T);
}
finally
{
if (reader != null)
reader.Dispose();
}
}
Since I can't normally debug the app on Azure I tried to dump as much info as I can through ViewData and even there, everything looks okay and the paths match, but the deserialized object is still null, and this is only when trying to open an existing note WITHOUT creating a new one first (more on that later)
Additionally, like I said, those new notes get saved in the folder structure, and there's a Note sidebar on the left that allows users to switch between notes. The note browser is nothing more but a list that's collected with a .GetFiles() of that folder.
On Azure, this works normally and if I were to delete one manually it'd be removed from the sidebar as well.
Now here's the kicker. On localhost, adding a note adds it to the sidebar and I can switch between them normally.
Adding a note on Azure makes all Views only display that new note regardless of which note I open and the new note does NOT get stored in the structure (I don't know where it ended up at all!) even though the path is defined at that point normally and it should save just like it does on localhost.
var model = new ViewNoteModel()
{
Note = Load<Note>($#"{NotePath}\{Title}.txt"), //Works on localhost, fails on Azure on many levels. Title is a URL param.
MyNotes = GetMyNotes() //works fine, reads right directory on local and Azure
};
To summarize:
Everything works fine on localhost, Important part doesn't work on Azure.
If new note is not created but an existing note is opened, Correct note gets loaded (based on URL Param) on Localhost, it breaks on Azure and loads default Note object (not null, just the default constructor data since it's required by JsonConvert)
If a new note is created, you'll see it on Localhost and you'll be able to open all other notes regardless, you will see only the new note on Azure regardless of note picked.
It's really strange and I have no idea what could cause this? I thought it had something to do with Azure requests being handled differently so maybe controller pushes the View before the model is initialized completely but that doesn't make sense since there's nothing async here.
However the fact that it loads a note that doesn't exist on the server it's even more apsurd and I have no explanation for that.
Additionally this issue is not linked with a session. I logged in through my phone and it showed the fake note there as well right away.
P.S. Before you say anything about storage, please note this. Our university grants us a very limited Azure subscription. Simple lowest tier App service and 5DTU SQL server and 99% of the rest is locked out of our subscription. This is why I'm storing stuff on the server, not because I believe it's the smart thing to do.
I've got an app I've put together in Electron which saves data using sqlite3. Everything works as expected. I'd like to be able to export/save the actual database file so I can share it with others, treating it sort of like a save file.
I assume that if this is possible then I need to be using fs as well, which is fine.
Even better, can I just create the database file outside the compiled app from the start? And if so what's the best way to accomplish that?
Otherwise I can switch over to kripken/sql.js or something like that, but I'd rather not put the time in to make those changes if there's an easy way to just have the existing sqlite database file get saved to the user's computer outside the app.
I'm an idiot.
Instead of storing the file internally in the packaged app like this…
const dbPath = path.resolve(__dirname, 'data.db')
…I'm just storing it in the filesystem like this…
const {app} = require('electron').remote;
const dbPath = path.resolve(app.getPath('userData'), 'data.db');
…so that it's accessible from the start.
I'm leaving this question up because I'd be interested if there is a way to have a save file dialogue for an extant file in the packaged app, but in the mean time this is my answer.
`webClient.UploadFile("http://www.myurl.com/~/media/DCF92BB74CDA4D558EEF2D3C30216E30.ashx", #"E:\filesImage\Item.png");
I'm trying to upload images to sitecore using webclient.uploadfile() method by sending my sitecore address and the path of my local images.But I'm not able to upload it.I have to do this without any API's and Sitecore Instances.
The upload process would be the same as with any ASP.net application. However, once the file has been uploaded you need to create a media item programtically. You can do this from an actual file in the file system, or from a memory stream.
The process involves using a MediaCreator object and using its CreateFromFile method.
This blog post outlines the whole process:
Adding a file to the Sitecore Media Library programatically
If you're thinking simply about optimizing your developer workflow you could use the Sitecore PowerShell Extensions using the Remoting API as described in this this blog post
If you want to use web service way than you can use number of ways which are as follows:
a) Sitecore Rocks WebService (If you are allowed to install that or it is already available).
b) Sitecore Razl Service(It is third party which need license).
c) Sitecore Powershell Remoting (This needs Sitecore PowerShell extensions to be installed on Sitecore Server).
d) You can also use Sitecore Service which you can find under sitecore\shell\WebService\Service.asmx (But this is legacy of new SitecoreItemWebAPI)
e) Last is my enhanced SitecoreItemWebAPI (This also need SitecoreItemWebApi 1.2 as a pre-requisite).
But in end except option d you need to install some or other thing in order to upload the image using HTTP, you should also know the valid credentials to use any of above stated methods.
If your customers upload the image on the website, you need to create the item in your master database. (needs access and write right on the master database) depend on your security you might consider not build it with custom code.
But using the Sitecore webforms for marketers module With out of the box file upload. Create a form with upload field and using the WFFM webservices.
If you dont want to use Sitecore API, then you can do the following:
Write a code that uploads images into this folder : [root]/upload/
You might need to create folder structure that represent how the images are stored in Sitecore, eg: your images uploaded into [root]/upload/Import/ will be stored in /sitecore/media library/Import
Sitecore will automatically upload these images into Media library
Hope this helps
Option: You can use Item Web API for it. No reference to any Sitecore dll is needed. You will only need access to the host and be able to enable the Item Web API.
References:
Upload the files using it: http://www.sitecoreinsight.com/how-create-media-items-using-sitecore-item-web-api/
Enable Item Web Api: http://sdn.sitecore.net/upload/sdn5/modules/sitecore%20item%20web%20api/sitecore_item_web_api_developer_guide_sc66-71-a4.pdf#search=%22item%22
I guess that is pretty much what you need, but as Jay S mentioned, if you put more details on your question helps on finding the best option to your particular case.
private void CreateImageIteminSitecore()
{
filePath = #"C:\Sitecore\Website\ImageTemp\Pic.jpg;
using (new SecurityDisabler())
{
Database masterDb = Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.GetDatabase("master");
Sitecore.Resources.Media.MediaCreatorOptions options = new Sitecore.Resources.Media.MediaCreatorOptions();
options.FileBased = true;
options.AlternateText = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(filePath);
options.Destination = "/sitecore/media library/Downloads/";
options.Database = masterDb;
options.Versioned = false; // Do not make a versioned template
options.KeepExisting = false;
Sitecore.Data.Items.MediaItem mediaitemImage = new Sitecore.Resources.Media.MediaCreator().CreateFromFile(filePath, options);
Item ImageItem = masterDb.GetItem(mediaitemImage.ID.ToString());
ImageItem.Editing.BeginEdit();
ImageItem.Name = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(filePath);
ImageItem.Editing.EndEdit();
}
}
While writing a node-webkit application I came across needing to save users uploaded photos through the built in html file input. I can save photos easy enough where I wish via a nice post here on node file uploading and node-webkit's file dialog changes simple enough.
The question really is there a best practice for saving user generated content for a desktop app or is the application folder (OS specific) reasonable to use with say the application or company name? Security is not much of a concern here in this case.
node-webkit (at this time) has an application folder under under process.env.LOCALAPPPATH (for windows users anyway) which could be used.
Another option which is viable is to use an application directory in the exe directory of the program.
IE for node with process global.
var path = require('path');
var appDir = path.dirname( process.execPath ) + path.sep + 'data' + path.sep;
//might produce something like c:\\programs\\node-webkit\\data\\
Is there a service that creates basically a one-time download of a file, preferably something I can use from NodeJS?
I've done some research on FilePicker, and haven't found anything about regenerating the link it gives you for a file. There may be a way to do this with NodeJS, but I'm using Meteor at the same time so many Node things probably will conflict.
You could build it with meteor. Using meteor-router with meteorite & use server side routing to deliver the files.
You need a collection to keep track of downloaded files:
Server JS
var downloads = new Meteor.Collection("downloads");
//create a link
downloads.insert({url:"/mydownload.zip",downloaded:false})
Meteor.Router.add('/file/:id', 'GET', function(id) {
download = downloads.findOne(id);
if( download) {
if(dowload.downloaded) {
this.response.send("You've already downloaded me")
}
else
{
//I guess you could just redirect or stream the file for an extra layer of surety
this.response.redirect(download.url);
}
}
});
On the client you can use /files/{{_id}} with _id of the file from downloads the person has as the link
My recommendation would also be to add custom server-side logic to count # of uploads (or just flag a file as downloaded/not downloaded) and respond accordingly. The closest you could do with Filepicker.io would be using the security policies to restrict downloading the file to a specific time interval.
in addition to using the router package
in Meteor.startup you can add
var require = __meteor_bootstrap__.require;
fs = require( 'fs' );
the fs variable should be declared on the server only. the fs package is used by Meteor and does not need to be added separately.
once you have done this, you can create files with Meteor.uuid() as their name which makes them unique and very difficult to guess. It is also possible to delete the file after a certain amount of time by using Meteor.setTimeout
the question is: where do the files to be downloaded come from?
Solution using Heroku Cloud and NodeJS Meteor Hooks
Heroku in particular is actually great for temporary file download links: they offer a "temporary scratchpad" filesystem that is reset every time the program restarts, and each running Node server cannot see the files other instances have created.
Each dyno gets its own ephemeral filesystem, with a fresh copy of the
most recently deployed code. During the dyno’s lifetime its running
processes can use the filesystem as a temporary scratchpad, but no
files that are written are visible to processes in any other dyno and
any files written will be discarded the moment the dyno is stopped or
restarted.
Taken from the Heroku documentation: https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/dynos#ephemeral-filesystem
Thus, any files written to the "filesystem" will be temporary.
This allows for a very easy solution to this problem: you can simply use NodeJS filesystem manipulation to create temporary files on the server, serve them once (or for a limited time), and then remove them so they cannot be downloaded again.
This in combination with something like $.download() will make a seamless experience which in turn prevents unauthorized downloads.