AS3 SharedObject read/write file location change

Question

I’m using the following AS3 code to write and read data in two arrays to a local file, using Animate CC 2019 on Windows 10 and AIR 30.0 for Desktop/Flash (.swf) publishing settings. I use two input text boxes, input1 & input2, to add new data to the arrays.

When I test the FLA, the data file created has a .sol extension and is placed in a folder path:

C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\FLA filename\Local Store#SharedObjects\FLA filename.swf\

If I publish and install the program using an .air installer package, the exact same file, in the same folder path, is also accessed by the installed version of the program. Same location is used if I install on another computer running Windows 7, so the file location seems pretty consistent.

Question: How can I force the code to save to a different location on the local hard drive on Windows? For example, in the documents folder or to create a new folder on the system drive and save the file there? Or, even better, prompt the user to choose the folder and file himself?

Please consider I’m looking for an answer using SharedObject, if possible, and not alternative methods like URLLoader, File, FileStream, FileMode. The reason is this way I can store multiple array contents in a file, without having to deal with the in-file data arrangement. So, I can read back the data for each array easily as shown below.

Thanks in advance

This is the code I use to access the local file:

var datavariable:SharedObject = SharedObject.getLocal("filiename");
var data1:Array = new Array ();
var data2:Array = new Array ();

btn_read.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, readfromfile);
btn_write.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, writetofile);
btn_new.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, newentry);

//To add new data from input text boxes to the arrays:
function newentry(e:Event):void
{
    data1.push(input1.text);
    data2.push(input2.text);
}

//To write to the local file:
function readfromfile(e:Event):void
{
    data1 = datavariable.data.d1
    data2 = datavariable.data.d2    
}

//To read from the local file:
function writetofile(e:Event):void
{
    datavariable.data.d1 = data1
    datavariable.data.d2 = data2
    datavariable.flush();
}

Answer 1

I don't know of a way of changing the shared object storage location. That mechanism is designed to be abstracted out from the developer.

Since you are using AIR, you can actually forget shared objects, and just write your own files anywhere your app has permission to do so. You can do this using the same format as shared object and don't have to worry about in file data arrangement (you save an object, you read back an object - just like Shared Object does), the only difference is you load/save the file where you choose.

Here is an example:

function writetofile(e:Event):void
{
    //create an object that holds your data, this will act the same as the 'data' value of a shared object
    var saveObject = {
        d1: data1,
        d2: data2
    }

    //using the File and FileStream classes to read/save files
    var file:File = File.applicationStorageDirectory.resolvePath("saveData.data"); //or where and whatever you want to store and call the save file
        var fileStream:FileStream = new FileStream();
        fileStream.open(file, FileMode.WRITE);
        fileStream.writeObject(saveObject); //write the object to this file
        fileStream.close(); //close the File Stream
}

function readfromfile(e:Event):void
{
    var file:File = File.applicationStorageDirectory.resolvePath("saveData.data");

    var fileStream:FileStream = new FileStream();
        fileStream.open(file, FileMode.READ);

    var savedObject = fileStream.readObject();
    fileStream.close();

    data1 = savedObject.d1;
    data2 = savedObject.d2;    
}

If you want to save complex objects (objects that aren't primitives), you need to register the class first. This goes for shared objects as well. See this answer for example of that.