Android opening a file with ACTION_GET_CONTENT results into different Uri's

Question

I am trying to open files by using Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT.

Dependent on the Android version/device brand the file browser opens and I get the following results:

Selecting a file from Downloads:

content://com.android.providers.downloads.documents/document/446

Selecting a file from Fotos:

content://media/external/images/media/309

Selecting a file from FileCommander:

file:///storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Camera/20141027_132114.jpg

I can open all these files except when I try to open a file from Downloads,, Audio , Afbeeldingen(Images)

It's likely I can't handle this kind of Uri: content://com.android.providers.downloads.documents/document/446

I have tried the following things:

• Trying to open the file by new File(uri.getPath()). File.exists() returns false.
• Trying to open/reach the file by getContext().getContentResolver().openInputStream(uri). Results into a FileNotFoundException

• Trying to open the file with the following code:

  public static String getRealPathFromURI_API19(Context context, Uri uri) {
  
  Log.i("uri", uri.getPath());
  String filePath = "";
  if (uri.getScheme().equals("file")) {
      return uri.getPath();
  } else if (DocumentsContract.isDocumentUri(context, uri)) {
      String wholeID = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
      Log.i("wholeID", wholeID);
      // Split at colon, use second item in the array
      String[] splits = wholeID.split(":");
  if (splits.length == 2) {
      String id = splits[1];
  
          String[] column = {MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA};
      // where id is equal to
          String sel = MediaStore.Images.Media._ID + "=?";
          Cursor cursor = context.getContentResolver().query(MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI,
                  column, sel, new String[]{id}, null);
          int columnIndex = cursor.getColumnIndex(column[0]);
          if (cursor.moveToFirst()) {
              filePath = cursor.getString(columnIndex);
          }
          cursor.close();
      }
  } else {
      filePath = AttachmentUtils.getPath(context, uri);
  }
  return filePath;
  }
  

What am I doing wrong?

UPDATE: I have noticed that the files that are listed in the screenshot that they are not physically existing in the storage. The device I am using is a tablet from the company containing rubbish data. My colleague told me that this device once was connected with a different Google account. These files could be the files from the previous account which are not existing/reachable anymore.

My own conclusion about it is that I am encountering some bug in Android. My bug report

Update 6 february 2017:

Android banned the file:// URI. Please consider to think about it.

Ban on file: Uri Scheme The biggest compatibility issue so far with Android 7.0 is that the file: scheme for Uri values is banned, in effect. If you attempt to pass a file: Uri in an Intent that is going to another app — whether via an extra or as the “data” facet of the Intent — you will crash with a FileUriExposedException exception. You will face similar issues with putting file: Uri values on the clipboard in ClipData . This is coming from an updated edition of StrictMode . StrictMode.VmPolicy.Builder has a penaltyDeathOnFileUriExposure() method that triggers the detection of file: Uri values and the resulting FileUriExposedException exceptions. And, it appears that this is pre-configured, much as how StrictMode is pre-configured to apply penaltyDeathOnNetwork() (the source of your NetworkOnMainThreadException crashes).

Answer 1

Use below code.This will work for sure.

public static String getPath(Context context, Uri uri) {

    if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT) {
        // DocumentProvider
        if (DocumentsContract.isDocumentUri(context, uri)) {
            // ExternalStorageProvider
            if (isExternalStorageDocument(uri)) {
                final String docId = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
                final String[] split = docId.split(":");
                final String type = split[0];

                if ("primary".equalsIgnoreCase(type)) {
                    return Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/" + split[1];
                }
                // TODO handle non-primary volumes
            }
            // DownloadsProvider
            else if (isDownloadsDocument(uri)) {
                final String id = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
                final Uri contentUri = ContentUris.withAppendedId(Uri.parse("content://downloads/public_downloads"), Long.valueOf(id));
                return getDataColumn(context, contentUri, null, null);
            }
            // MediaProvider
            else if (isMediaDocument(uri)) {
                final String docId = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
                final String[] split = docId.split(":");
                final String type = split[0];
                Uri contentUri = null;
                if ("image".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else if ("video".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Video.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else if ("audio".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Audio.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                }
                final String selection = "_id=?";
                final String[] selectionArgs = new String[]{split[1]};
                return getDataColumn(context, contentUri, selection, selectionArgs);
            }
        }
    }
    // MediaStore (and general)
    else if ("content".equalsIgnoreCase(uri.getScheme())) {
        // Return the remote address
        if (isGooglePhotosUri(uri))
            return uri.getLastPathSegment();
        return getDataColumn(context, uri, null, null);
    }
    // File
    else if ("file".equalsIgnoreCase(uri.getScheme())) {
        return uri.getPath();
    }
    return null;
}

public static String getDataColumn(Context context, Uri uri, String selection, String[] selectionArgs) {
    Cursor cursor = null;
    final String column = "_data";
    final String[] projection = {column};
    try {
        cursor = context.getContentResolver().query(uri, projection, selection, selectionArgs, null);
        if (cursor != null && cursor.moveToFirst()) {
            final int index = cursor.getColumnIndexOrThrow(column);
            return cursor.getString(index);
        }
    } finally {
        if (cursor != null)
            cursor.close();
    }
    return null;
}

public static boolean isExternalStorageDocument(Uri uri) {
    return "com.android.externalstorage.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority());
}

/**
 * @param uri The Uri to check.
 * @return Whether the Uri authority is DownloadsProvider.
 */
public static boolean isDownloadsDocument(Uri uri) {
    return "com.android.providers.downloads.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority());
}

/**
 * @param uri The Uri to check.
 * @return Whether the Uri authority is MediaProvider.
 */
public static boolean isMediaDocument(Uri uri) {
    return "com.android.providers.media.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority());
}

/**
 * @param uri The Uri to check.
 * @return Whether the Uri authority is Google Photos.
 */
public static boolean isGooglePhotosUri(Uri uri) {
    return "com.google.android.apps.photos.content".equals(uri.getAuthority());
}

Use the below code to browse the file in any format.

public void browseClick() {

    Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT);
    intent.setType("*/*");
    intent.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_OPENABLE);
    //intent.putExtra("browseCoa", itemToBrowse);
    //Intent chooser = Intent.createChooser(intent, "Select a File to Upload");
    try {
        //startActivityForResult(chooser, FILE_SELECT_CODE);
        startActivityForResult(Intent.createChooser(intent, "Select a File to Upload"),FILE_SELECT_CODE);
    } catch (Exception ex) {
        System.out.println("browseClick :"+ex);//android.content.ActivityNotFoundException ex
    }
}

Then get that file path in the onActivityResult like below.

@Override
public void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {
    super.onActivityResult(requestCode, resultCode, data);
    if (requestCode == FILE_SELECT_CODE) {
        if (resultCode == RESULT_OK) {
            try {
              Uri uri = data.getData();

                if (filesize >= FILE_SIZE_LIMIT) {
                    Toast.makeText(this,"The selected file is too large. Selet a new file with size less than 2mb",Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                } else {
                    String mimeType = getContentResolver().getType(uri);
                    if (mimeType == null) {
                        String path = getPath(this, uri);
                        if (path == null) {
                            filename = FilenameUtils.getName(uri.toString());
                        } else {
                            File file = new File(path);
                            filename = file.getName();
                        }
                    } else {
                        Uri returnUri = data.getData();
                        Cursor returnCursor = getContentResolver().query(returnUri, null, null, null, null);
                        int nameIndex = returnCursor.getColumnIndex(OpenableColumns.DISPLAY_NAME);
                        int sizeIndex = returnCursor.getColumnIndex(OpenableColumns.SIZE);
                        returnCursor.moveToFirst();
                        filename = returnCursor.getString(nameIndex);
                        String size = Long.toString(returnCursor.getLong(sizeIndex));
                    }
   File fileSave = getExternalFilesDir(null);
    String sourcePath = getExternalFilesDir(null).toString();
    try {
                        copyFileStream(new File(sourcePath + "/" + filename), uri,this);

                    } catch (Exception e) {
                        e.printStackTrace();
                    }
  }
            } catch (Exception e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }
    }
}
private void copyFileStream(File dest, Uri uri, Context context)
        throws IOException {
    InputStream is = null;
    OutputStream os = null;
    try {
        is = context.getContentResolver().openInputStream(uri);
        os = new FileOutputStream(dest);
        byte[] buffer = new byte[1024];
        int length;

        while ((length = is.read(buffer)) > 0) {
            os.write(buffer, 0, length);

        }
    } catch (Exception e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    } finally {
        is.close();
        os.close();
    }
}

After this you can open this file from your application external storage where you saved the file with appropriate action.

Answer 2

The accepted answer on kotlin

@Suppress("SpellCheckingInspection")
object PathCompat {

    @WorkerThread
    fun getFilePath(context: Context, uri: Uri): String? = context.run {
        return try {
            when {
                Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT -> getDataColumn(uri, null, null)
                else -> getPathKitkatPlus(uri)
            }
        } catch (e: Throwable) {
            Timber.e(e)
            null
        }
    }

    @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
    @SuppressLint("NewApi", "DefaultLocale")
    private fun Context.getPathKitkatPlus(uri: Uri): String? {
        when {
            DocumentsContract.isDocumentUri(applicationContext, uri) -> {
                val docId = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri)
                when {
                    uri.isExternalStorageDocument -> {
                        val parts = docId.split(":")
                        if ("primary".equals(parts[0], true)) {
                            return "${Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory()}/${parts[1]}"
                        }
                    }
                    uri.isDownloadsDocument -> {
                        val contentUri = ContentUris.withAppendedId(
                            Uri.parse("content://downloads/public_downloads"),
                            docId.toLong()
                        )
                        return getDataColumn(contentUri, null, null)
                    }
                    uri.isMediaDocument -> {
                        val parts = docId.split(":")
                        val contentUri = when (parts[0].toLowerCase()) {
                            "image" -> MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI
                            "video" -> MediaStore.Video.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI
                            "audio" -> MediaStore.Audio.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI
                            else -> return null
                        }
                        return getDataColumn(contentUri, "_id=?", arrayOf(parts[1]))
                    }
                }
            }
            "content".equals(uri.scheme, true) -> {
                return if (uri.isGooglePhotosUri) {
                    uri.lastPathSegment
                } else {
                    getDataColumn(uri, null, null)
                }
            }
            "file".equals(uri.scheme, true) -> {
                return uri.path
            }
        }
        return null
    }

    private fun Context.getDataColumn(uri: Uri, selection: String?, args: Array<String>?): String? {
        contentResolver?.query(uri, arrayOf("_data"), selection, args, null)?.use {
            if (it.moveToFirst()) {
                return it.getString(it.getColumnIndexOrThrow("_data"))
            }
        }
        return null
    }

    private val Uri.isExternalStorageDocument: Boolean
        get() = authority == "com.android.externalstorage.documents"

    private val Uri.isDownloadsDocument: Boolean
        get() = authority == "com.android.providers.downloads.documents"

    private val Uri.isMediaDocument: Boolean
        get() = authority == "com.android.providers.media.documents"

    private val Uri.isGooglePhotosUri: Boolean
        get() = authority == "com.google.android.apps.photos.content"
}

Answer 3

Pick any file using System File Picker:

val intent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT)
intent.type = "*/*"
startActivityForResult(intent, 1)

onActivityResult:

override fun onActivityResult(requestCode: Int, resultCode: Int, data: Intent?) {
    super.onActivityResult(requestCode, resultCode, data)
    if (requestCode == 1 && resultCode == Activity.RESULT_OK) {
        data?.data?.let {
            getFileFromUri(requireContext().contentResolver, uri, requireContext().cacheDir)
        }
    }
}

Get File:

private fun getFileFromUri(contentResolver: ContentResolver, uri: Uri, directory: File): File {
    val file =
        File.createTempFile("suffix", "prefix", directory)
    file.outputStream().use {
        contentResolver.openInputStream(uri)?.copyTo(it)
    }

    return file
}

Answer 4

There is a bug I just faced

final String docId = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);

return different URI (e.g: content://com.android.providers.downloads.documents/document/11 and sometime content://com.android.providers.downloads.documents/document/abc%aile.jpg in that case Long.valueOf(id) throws an exception to fix that

String id = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
                if (id.startsWith("raw:")) {
                    id = id.replaceFirst("raw:", "");
                    return id;
                }
                final Uri contentUri = ContentUris.withAppendedId(
                    Uri.parse("content://downloads/public_downloads"), Long.valueOf(id));

                return getDataColumn(contentUri, null, null);

do this return the id, it worked for me