Phonegap FileDownload ... passing array of filenames from xbasic to javascript

[pettechservices]

Hi, I'm trying to implement the example of downloading files from a server using PhonegapFiledownload, and first parameter can be an array of file names.

Basically, the instructions say: Specify the name of a Javascript function to call. this function must return an array containing the names of files that you want to download. You can specify fully qualified files or relative files (paraphrasing the last sentence).

The steps are:

1. Do ajax callback to get a list of urls and put them into {dialog.object}._urlToFetch. Here is the relevant parts to the callback:

'get the URL for this session file
dim url as c 
url = Session.FormatFileDataURL(clientSideFileName)


'construct the Javascript response that will be sent to the client
'note that we specify that a function called 'fetchFile()' should be called
'on the client-side with the name of the URL that points to the temporary
'file in session storage. This 'fetchFile()' function is a user-defined
'Javascript function that you will need to add to your UX component

dim js as c 
js = ""
js = js + "{dialog.object}._urlToFetch = '" + url + "';" + crlf()
js = js + "fetchFile2('" + js_escape(url) + "');"       // <-- I changed to fetchfile2 to trigger automatic download
'note: if you want to automatically trigger the file download after the ajax callback has completed
'change the call to fetchFile2().

xb_getData = js

I am stuck on how to make url an array instead of a single variable, and pass that along to fetchfile2, and have fetchfile2 parse it. Here is fetchfile2 code:

function fetchFile2(url) { 
	var arr = [];
	arr.push( {filename: url} );
	var options = {
		targetFolder: '__myAlphaFiles',
		showProgress: true,
		forceDownloadIfFileExists: true,
		onComplete: function(array) { 
			//alert('file was downloaded');
			readFiles();
		},
		onError: function(array,arrayIndex) { 
			alert('error');
		},
		progress: {
			color: '#9fa1e8',
			width: '300px',
			allowCancel: false,
			progressElement: '{dialog.componentname}.V.R1.PLACEHOLDER_1'
		}
	}
	{dialog.object}.phoneGapFileDownload(arr,options);
}

Now, I'm guessing the fetchfile2 is already setup to handle an array, but I can't say for sure because I am not understanding all of it.

Anyway, How do I make url above an array and pass multiple urls and is fetchfile2 already setup to handle that array?

THANK YOU!!

[Davidk]

Re: Phonegap FileDownload ... passing array of filenames from xbasic to javascript

Without re-recreating the code, I'll take a stab at this. I believe something is missing from the fetchfile2 function. This function is accepting the 'url' parameter, which I'll assume is an array of filenames. If we look at the converted PhoneGap File Download Action we see...

var _list = window['getFiles']()
var arr = [];
for(var i = 0; i < _list.length; i++) { 
	arr.push( {filename: _list[i]} );
}
var options = {
	targetFolder: '__myFiles',
	showProgress: false,
	forceDownloadIfFileExists: true,
	progress: {
		color: '#9fa1e8',
		width: '300px',
		allowCancel: false,
		progressElement: '{dialog.componentname}.V.R1.'
	}
}
{dialog.object}.phoneGapFileDownload(arr,options);

From this we can assume that .phoneGapFileDownload() can accept multiple files. arr is creating an array of JSON filenames from window['getfiles'] in this part of the code...

var _list = window['getFiles']()
var arr = [];
for(var i = 0; i < _list.length; i++) { 
	arr.push( {filename: _list[i]} );
}

arr is now an array of filenames and passed into .phoneGapFileDownload.

So... if your 'url' parameter is actually an array of filenames, then I believe you need to add this code to the top of fetchFile2

var arr = [];
for(var i = 0; i < url.length; i++) { 
	arr.push( {filename: url[i]} );
}

Your fetchFile2 function will now be...

function fetchFile2(url) { 
	var arr = [];
	for(var i = 0; i < url.length; i++) { 
		arr.push( {filename: url} );
	}
	var options = {
		targetFolder: '__myAlphaFiles',
		showProgress: true,
		forceDownloadIfFileExists: true,
		onComplete: function(array) { 
			//alert('file was downloaded');
			readFiles();
		},
		onError: function(array,arrayIndex) { 
			alert('error');
		},
		progress: {
			color: '#9fa1e8',
			width: '300px',
			allowCancel: false,
			progressElement: '{dialog.componentname}.V.R1.PLACEHOLDER_1'
		}
	}
	{dialog.object}.phoneGapFileDownload(arr,options);
}

[pettechservices]

Re: Phonegap FileDownload ... passing array of filenames from xbasic to javascript

Hi David,

Thank you... I did try that, but I guess I'm stuck at on the XBasic side... how do I create the array (or is it JSON...or is that synonymous)?

I appreciate the assistance!

[Davidk]

Re: Phonegap FileDownload ... passing array of filenames from xbasic to javascript

Ok... understood.

You're going to need to create a comma delimited list of filenames in XBasic. It's up to you how you do that, but extending the example... here is the code which creates 2 temp files in session storage. This code is starting at the point in your example where we get the url for the first file. After we get the first url, we go and create another file. At the point where we create the 2nd url, we create a comma delimited string of the 1st and 2nd url. You get the idea... whatever files you're dealing with, create a comma delimited string of filenames.

'get the URL for this session file
dim url as c 
url = Session.FormatFileDataURL(clientSideFileName)


'now... do it all again to get a second file
tempFN = request.GetRequestTempFileName(".json")
 
'save the json data to the temporary file
file.from_string(tempFn,json)
 
clientSideFileName = remspecial(api_uuidcreate()) + ".json"
 
'now put the temporary file into session storage
session.SaveFileToSessionFile(tempFN,clientSideFileName)

'now we have 2 temp fiels in session storage
'since we have 2 files, we need to append to the existing url
'we are passing a comma delimited string of filenames into the Javascript function
'once there, we can turn our string into an array of filenames

'get the URL for this session file
url = url + "," + Session.FormatFileDataURL(clientSideFileName)
 
'construct the Javascript response that will be sent to the client
'note that we specify that a function called 'fetchFile()' should be called
'on the client-side with the name of the URL that points to the temporary
'file in session storage. This 'fetchFile()' function is a user-defined
'Javascript function that you will need to add to your UX component
 
dim js as c 
js = js + "fetchFile('" + js_escape(url) + "');"
 
'return the javascript code
xb_getData = js

Then, in the fetchFile Javascript function, take that comma delimited string of filenames and run it through the Javascript split() method. This turns the string into an array. Then, process the array, and off you go.

function fetchFile(url){

	//url is a comma delimited list of filenames.  .split will split a string into an array of sub-strings
	var _list = url.split(",");
	var arr = [];
	for(var i = 0; i < _list.length; i++) { 
	    arr.push( {filename: _list[i]} );
	}

}

[pettechservices]

Re: Phonegap FileDownload ... passing array of filenames from xbasic to javascript

I seem much closer, thank you!!!! What does the arr.push actually do? I ask this because I tried to do:

function fetchFile2(url) { 

	var _list = url.split(",");
	
	var arr = [];
	for(var i = 0; i < _list.length; i++) { 
                // this displays the passed thru URLs properly - i send 2 and both show up
		alert('Downloading: ' + _list[i]);
		arr.push( {filename: _list[i]} );
	}
	
	
	for(var ia = 0; ia < arr.length; ia++) {
                // here I'm only getting Object.Object.  The phonegap plugin is only downloading the first file still..
		alert('Updated: ' + arr[ia]);
		}

Thank you again!!!

[GGandhi]

Re: Phonegap FileDownload ... passing array of filenames from xbasic to javascript

not to take anything from david..
you start with empty object arr[];
then you add an item to it by pushing arr. push()

[pettechservices]

Re: Phonegap FileDownload ... passing array of filenames from xbasic to javascript

Hi Gandhi, what do you mean? That's actually the code that Alpha uses in their examples, so I'm not sure how I should be initializing arr[] then?

Thank you

[GGandhi]

Re: Phonegap FileDownload ... passing array of filenames from xbasic to javascript

Code:
function fetchFile(url){

	//url is a comma delimited list of filenames.  .split will split a string into an array of sub-strings
	var _list = url.split(",");
	var arr = [];
	for(var i = 0; i < _list.length; i++) { 
	    arr.push( {filename: _list[i]} );
	}

}

this is the code you are talking about right?
you start with an object arr[];
and adding list of items to it by arr. push( {filename : _list[i]});

[Davidk]

Re: Phonegap FileDownload ... passing array of filenames from xbasic to javascript

You set up a Javascript variable arr as an array... var arr = []; The square brackets indicate an empty array.

arr.push(arrayItem); adds a new item to the end of that the arr array. This is how you build an array in Javascript

[pettechservices]

Re: Phonegap FileDownload ... passing array of filenames from xbasic to javascript

Ok, got it.. and we have var arr = []; .... am I missing something?

Thank you guys!

[Davidk]

Re: Phonegap FileDownload ... passing array of filenames from xbasic to javascript

Why do you have...

	for(var ia = 0; ia < arr.length; ia++) {
                // here I'm only getting Object.Object.  The phonegap plugin is only downloading the first file still..
		alert('Updated: ' + arr[ia]);
		}

Is this code in here just for testing?

[pettechservices]

Re: Phonegap FileDownload ... passing array of filenames from xbasic to javascript

Finally got it working guys!! THANK YOU!!!

[Davidk]

Re: Phonegap FileDownload ... passing array of filenames from xbasic to javascript

What was wrong?

[pettechservices]

Re: Phonegap FileDownload ... passing array of filenames from xbasic to javascript

Yes that was for debugging purposes... sorry. I didn't realize I needed to add .filename to the end of the arr[ia] to display the filename.

Thanks again !!! I only spent 3 days trying to figure this out first. It took me about 5 weeks to figure out that the downloads via AA's download routine goes into files/files folder on android for some reason.. could be my issue, but seems that my code is identical.

Anyway, you have saved me weeks! THANK YOU AGAIN!

[pettechservices]

Re: Phonegap FileDownload ... passing array of filenames from xbasic to javascript

I'm not sure what was wrong - except I had a space before http:// for the first url, and a space after the ,

Not sure if that would cause the second file to not download, or not..