Image path from Android camera intent

Question

I am trying to figure out the right way to get a file path from the camera after a picture is taken:

Launch the camera intent. Since I am telling the camera to write to internal storage give it the uri and read permission:

File file = new File(context.getFilesDir(), "picture.jpg");
Uri uri = FileProvider.getUriForFile(getApplicationContext(), "my.app.package.fileprovider", file);
Intent intent = new Intent(MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE);
intent.putExtra(MediaStore.EXTRA_OUTPUT, uri);
intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_GRANT_READ_URI_PERMISSION);
startActivityForResult(intent, ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE_REQUEST_CODE);

Listen for the camera intent result:

@Override
protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {
    if (resultCode != RESULT_OK) {
        return;
    }
    switch (requestCode) {
    case ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE_REQUEST_CODE:
        // How do I get the local path to the file here?
        break;
    }
}

What is the best way to get the file path on camera intent return. Sure I can save off the file path to a member variable before launching the intent, but that seems bad, seems I should get the path from the onActivityResult.

I have tried this (Get Image path from camera intent):

String[] projection = { MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA };
Cursor cursor = managedQuery(MediaStore.Images.Media.INTERNAL_CONTENT_URI,projection, null, null, null);
int column_index_data = cursor.getColumnIndexOrThrow(MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA);
cursor.moveToLast();

String imagePath = cursor.getString(column_index_data);

Only difference being that I am using INTERNAL_CONTENT_URI as I am trying to store the pic internally. If I do this I get an exception:

Error getting data column
java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: column '_data' does not exist

Am I going about this wrong. I want to take a pic and store that pic in internal storage.

EDIT:

One more thought. Should I be storing pics internally? I am right not because of the new android M permissions. I already have to ask the user for Camera permission, if I store pic to external storage, I have to ask the user for permission to write to to external. Lastly if I store the image externally, it is readable by all applications on the device that can read from external storage. This may be a privacy issue for my app.

Answer 1

What is the best way to get the file path on camera intent return

You specified the file path in EXTRA_OUTPUT. Either the camera put the photo there, or it didn't. If it did, then you already know the file path: new File(context.getFilesDir(), "picture.jpg"). That should be the case the vast majority of the time.

Some camera apps are buggy and will ignore EXTRA_OUTPUT. In those cases:

• You can see if the camera app returned a Uri in the Intent passed to onActivityResult(), then use ContentResolver and openInputStream() to begin the process of copying the image to your desired location, or

• You can see if the "data" extra exists, in which case that's a Bitmap thumbnail that you can save to your desired location.

In all of these cases, the file path is what you specified; it is merely a question of whether or not it takes additional work for you to get the image there.

Sure I can save off the file path to a member variable before launching the intent, but that seems bad

I have no idea why you would think that.

seems I should get the path from the onActivityResult

You are welcome to believe whatever you want. Camera app developers are hopefully reading the documentation for ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE. That documentation does not state that the camera app has to return anything if you provide EXTRA_OUTPUT. Hence, many camera apps will not return anything.

---

UPDATE based on edit:

Should I be storing pics internally?

Um, you already are.

if I store pic to external storage, I have to ask the user for permission to write to to external

That depends on where you are writing. getExternalFilesDir(), getExternalCacheDir(), and kin from Context do not require a permission on Android 4.4+. The methods you call on Environment for external storage locations (e.g., getExternalStoragePublicDirectory()) do require WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE, which is a dangerous permission and would need to be requested at runtime.