Storage

Using the File API

XD provides a simple, cross-platform API surface that makes it easy to read and write text and binary files. Three key things to note:

• Instead of working with string paths, you work with File and Folder objects.
• Access to the user's files requires showing a file picker UI, but you can access temporary files and any files packaged inside your plugin without needing any user interaction. If you have a File/Folder object, then you have access to the corresponding item on disk.
• File APIs are asynchronous, returning Promises which you can use with then() or the async/await keywords.

Getting access to the local file system

Start using the file system APIs by obtaining a FileSystemProvider object (shortened to fs in the code here):

const fs = require("uxp").storage.localFileSystem;
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const fs = require("uxp").storage.localFileSystem;

You can use the fs object to access a temporary folder or your plugin's own folder immediately, or request access to user folders by showing a file picker:

// These require no user interaction:
const tempFolder = await fs.getTemporaryFolder();
const pluginFolder = await fs.getPluginFolder(); // read-only access to the plugin's install folder
const pluginDataFolder = await fs.getDataFolder(); // folder to store settings

// Display file/folder picker UI to access user files:
const userFolder = await fs.getFolder(); // folder picker
const aFile = await fs.getFileForOpening(); // "Open" file picker, suitable for reading contents
const anotherFile = await fs.getFileForSaving("hello.txt"); // "Save" file picker, suitable for writing contents
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1// These require no user interaction:
2const tempFolder = await fs.getTemporaryFolder();
3const pluginFolder = await fs.getPluginFolder(); // read-only access to the plugin's install folder
4const pluginDataFolder = await fs.getDataFolder(); // folder to store settings
5
6// Display file/folder picker UI to access user files:
7const userFolder = await fs.getFolder(); // folder picker
8const aFile = await fs.getFileForOpening(); // "Open" file picker, suitable for reading contents
9const anotherFile = await fs.getFileForSaving("hello.txt"); // "Save" file picker, suitable for writing contents

If you have a Folder, you can use getEntries() to enumerate the folder's contents:

const entries = await folder.getEntries();
entries.forEach((entry) => console.log(entry.name));
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1const entries = await folder.getEntries();
2entries.forEach((entry) => console.log(entry.name));

If you have a File, you can read and write its contents like so:

const contents = await aFile.read();
await anotherFile.write(contents);
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1const contents = await aFile.read();
2await anotherFile.write(contents);

You can create new files inside a folder you have access to:

const newFile = await folder.createFile("examples.txt", { overwrite: true });
newFile.write("Hello, world!");
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1const newFile = await folder.createFile("examples.txt", { overwrite: true });
2newFile.write("Hello, world!");

See the full reference.

Last updated 8/10/2021

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