Creating a folder or file in External microSD card

Question

I have searched everywhere for the answer to my problem and i did found a large amount of answer which should have solved my it but yet i can't solved it.

My Goal is to put a SD card with 128GB and to write files into it (csv or text). I'm trying to open a file or a folder in my microSD card but it do not create it. also the file is not created. I think the Path that i get from:

Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory()

is not The SD Card Path.

here is my java code :

package com.example.thermie.test2;

import android.Manifest;
import android.os.Environment;
import android.support.v4.app.ActivityCompat;
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.util.Log;
import android.widget.TextView;
import android.widget.Toast;

import java.io.BufferedWriter;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.FileWriter;
import java.io.OutputStreamWriter;
import java.util.Date;

import static android.Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE;
import static android.os.Environment.DIRECTORY_DCIM;
import static android.os.Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    private static final String TAG = "";
    private static final int MY_PERMISSIONS_REQUEST_WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE = 1;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);



// Log used as debug
        try {
            boolean mExternalStorageAvailable = false;
            boolean mExternalStorageWriteable = false;


            String state = Environment.getExternalStorageState();

            if (Environment.MEDIA_MOUNTED.equals(state)) {
                // We can read and write the media
                mExternalStorageAvailable = mExternalStorageWriteable = true;
                Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,
                        "Read and Write", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
            } else if (Environment.MEDIA_MOUNTED_READ_ONLY.equals(state)) {
                // We can only read the media
                mExternalStorageAvailable = true;
                mExternalStorageWriteable = false;
                Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,
                        "onlyread", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
            } else {
                // Something else is wrong. It may be one of many other states, but all we need
                //  to know is we can neither read nor write
                mExternalStorageAvailable = mExternalStorageWriteable = false;
             Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,
                        "cant writer", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();

            }
            String sdkS =  String.valueOf(android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT);
            Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,
            sdkS, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();


            String dir = Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory()+File.separator+"myDirectory";
            //create folder
            File folder = new File(dir); //folder name
            boolean result = folder.mkdirs();

            //create file
            File file = new File(dir, "filename.txt");

            if (result){
                Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,
                        "True", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();

            }
            TextView textView = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.textView2);
            textView.setText(dir);
            Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,
                    String.valueOf(state), Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        } catch (Exception e) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Error opening Log.", e);
            Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,
                    "not good", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        }

    }
}

My dir is : /storage/emulated/0/myDirectory Which is not in my SD card , it's the internal memory in an directory without any access.

my results of :

boolean result = folder.mkdirs();

is not true. so no folder opens , i also tried :

boolean result = folder.mkdir();

and my Toasts says:

Read and Write
23 (API)
mounted (sd mounted)

Phone galaxy s5. andorid version 6.0.1 Marshmallow.

Here is my manifeset :

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"

    package="com.example.thermie.test2">


    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

    <application

        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:supportsRtl="true"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme">
        <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

        <activity android:name=".MainActivity">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>

    </application>
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

</manifest>

Hope it is detail enough. Thanks you all.

you can't write files to sd card. You can only write files inside your app directory on sd card situated in android folder — Vivek Mishra, Mar 30 '17 at 11:17
`I think the Path that i get from: Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() is not The SD Card Path. `. Indeed. That is not SD card but external storage as the function name clearly indicates. — greenapps, Mar 30 '17 at 12:59
But you should be able to create files in the path you use now. So you are doing something wrong. I think you use Android 6 or above and forgot to ask the user permission at runtime. — greenapps, Mar 30 '17 at 13:01

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 30 '17 at 11:24

I think the Path that i get from Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() is not The SD Card Path

Correct.

Use the getExternalFilesDirs() method on Context. If that returns 2+ File objects, the second and subsequent ones will be locations on removable storage that you can read and write, without any permissions.

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:17

0

have you tried using the Enviroment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory()? As was mentioned above, you can also use getExternalFilesDirs() on context, however, this might now work on some devices. refer to here for what I am referring to.

edited May 23 '17 at 12:17

Community

1
1

answered Mar 30 '17 at 11:38

Abeltensor

132
1
10

using Enviroment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory() i have to input some folder for example Pictures , So i created an Picture Folder but yet without results. I Think Vivek Mishra is might be right i'm checking it – Nati Barchilon Mar 30 '17 at 11:42
`Vivek Mishra` is right. But as you are not writing to SD card the comment is irrelevant. – greenapps Mar 30 '17 at 13:03
Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(DIRECTORY_DCIM) is not working as well – Nati Barchilon Mar 30 '17 at 14:04
is the path to the sd card ? String secStore = System.getenv("SECONDARY_STORAGE"); File f_secs = new File(secStore); – Nati Barchilon Mar 30 '17 at 15:43

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 30 '17 at 16:06

Use this one

 public static File getCacheDirectory(Context context, boolean preferExternal) {
    File appCacheDir = null;
    String externalStorageState;
    try {
        externalStorageState = Environment.getExternalStorageState();
    } catch (NullPointerException e) {
        externalStorageState = "";
    }
    if (preferExternal && MEDIA_MOUNTED.equals(externalStorageState)) {
        appCacheDir = getSecondaryExternalCacheDir(context);
    }

    if (appCacheDir == null) {
        appCacheDir = getPrimaryExternalCacheDir(context);
    }
    return appCacheDir;
}

private static File getSecondaryExternalCacheDir(Context context) {
    File dataDir = new File(new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory(), "Android"), "data");
    File appCacheDir = new File(new File(dataDir, context.getPackageName()), "cache");
    if (!appCacheDir.exists()) {
        if (!appCacheDir.mkdirs()) {
            return null;
        }
    }
    return appCacheDir;
}

private static File getPrimaryExternalCacheDir(Context context) {
    File dataDir = new File(new File(context.getExternalFilesDir(null), "Android"), "data");
    File appCacheDir = new File(new File(dataDir, context.getPackageName()), "cache");
    if (!appCacheDir.exists()) {
        if (!appCacheDir.mkdirs()) {
            return null;
        }
    }
    return appCacheDir;
}

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Mar 30 '17 at 16:14

Ok This is my sloppy code and it's writing a txt file in my local storage. (xml file staied the same)

package com.example.thermie.test2;


import android.Manifest;
import android.content.Context;
import android.os.Environment;
import android.support.v4.app.ActivityCompat;
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.util.Log;
import android.widget.TextView;
import android.widget.Toast;

import java.io.BufferedWriter;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.FileWriter;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.OutputStreamWriter;
import java.util.Date;

import static android.Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE;
import static android.R.attr.path;
import static android.os.Environment.DIRECTORY_DCIM;
import static android.os.Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    private static final String TAG = "";
    private static final int MY_PERMISSIONS_REQUEST_WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE = 1;
    private String filename = "natiFile.txt";
    private String filepath = "/storage/extSdCard";
    File myExternalFile;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);



// Log used as debug
        try {
            boolean mExternalStorageAvailable = false;
            boolean mExternalStorageWriteable = false;


            String state = Environment.getExternalStorageState();

            if (Environment.MEDIA_MOUNTED.equals(state)) {
                // We can read and write the media
                mExternalStorageAvailable = mExternalStorageWriteable = true;
                Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,
                        "Read and Write", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
            } else if (Environment.MEDIA_MOUNTED_READ_ONLY.equals(state)) {
                // We can only read the media
                mExternalStorageAvailable = true;
                mExternalStorageWriteable = false;
                Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,
                        "onlyread", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
            } else {
                // Something else is wrong. It may be one of many other states, but all we need
                //  to know is we can neither read nor write
                mExternalStorageAvailable = mExternalStorageWriteable = false;
             Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,
                        "cant writer", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();

            }
            String sdkS =  String.valueOf(android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT);
            Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,
            sdkS, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();


            File dir = Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(DIRECTORY_DCIM);
            final File file = new File(dir, "config.txt");

            String secStore = System.getenv("SECONDARY_STORAGE");
            File f_secs = new File(secStore);


            myExternalFile = new File(getExternalFilesDir(filepath), filename);

            String data = "gdsg";
            try {
                FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream(myExternalFile);
                fos.write(data.getBytes());
                fos.close();
                Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,
                        "great", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
            } catch (IOException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }



            File folder = new File(f_secs.getAbsolutePath() + "/TollCulator/");
            boolean testing = folder.mkdirs();
            if (testing){
                Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,
                        "True", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();

            }
            TextView textView = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.textView2);
            textView.setText(f_secs.getPath());
            Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,
                    String.valueOf(state), Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        } catch (Exception e) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Error opening Log.", e);
            Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,
                    "not good", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        }

    }
}

Creating a folder or file in External microSD card

4 Answers4