Download / create file from byte array

ionic-v1
1

Hey Guys

I need to achieve the following:

  1. From an API response I get JSON with file details.
  2. In The JSON I have a property DocumentData which is a byte array.
  3. What I need is to download that file in the device storage.
  4. I can create a file with the cordova-file-plugin but I can’t load it with the DocumentData, as the cordova file plugin receives a string for the data property.

So My questions are. How can I create / Download a file from a byte array?
Can I achieve this with the cordova-file-plugin, or I need to use other plugin?

Regards
Jordan

2

Have you checked that your bytes are correctly transferred?
JSON byte array could be base64 encoded, you need to decode it before saving it to file.

3

The problem was that the method from the plugin is receiving a string, so it was writing the byte[] to the file as string.

I solved the problem by converting the byte[] to binary array first using this snippet:

var byteArr=[12,-123,43,99, …] ;
var UTF8_STR = new Uint8Array(byteArr); // Convert to UTF-8…
var BINARY_ARR=UTF8_STR.buffer; // Convert to buffer…

The source is from Here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/19657001/how-to-write-utf-8-or-base64-data-into-a-file-jpg-doc-pdf-on-local-storagesdc

4

Hi @joconolimits @gmarziou ,

My requirements also same as yours. I have followed the same steps, you mentioned, I am able to get the content of .txt files but .docx & .pdf files are showing nothing when open.

Please find my code below.

It would be very helpful if you provide me some solution.

Thanks in advance.
$scope.createFile = function(data,title){

	var UTF8_STR = new Uint8Array(data); // Convert to UTF-8... 
	var BINARY_ARR = UTF8_STR.buffer; // Convert to buffer...
	
		$cordovaFile.writeFile(cordova.file.dataDirectory, title, BINARY_ARR, true)
			  .then(function (success) {
				// success
				console.log("File created successfully");
				}, function (error) {
				// error
				console.log(error);
		});
};
5

Hi @Hariharan,

Did you find any solution…Please share.I am also facing problem when trying to save as Pdf file.

Thanks in advance.

6

What type of data is your “data” variable that you pass here: var UTF8_STR = new Uint8Array(data);
It needs to be a byte array.
The same worked for me with various file types like .pdf, .doc .jpg

7

@joconolimits
I basically want to convert Image URI to .pdf file.

So first I am converting an Image URI to Character Array and then I am converting it into binary.

After that I am using Write File API to create .pdf file.

After doing this code. I am facing an issue that when WriteFile gives me success and I open .pdf file through fileOpener or manually then it gives me error that Invalid Format.

This error only comes when I generate .pdf file.

Do you know how to solve it.

 this.screenshot.URI(80).then(succ=>{
        var byteCharacters = decodeURI(succ.URI)
         var byteNumbers = new Array(byteCharacters.length);
          for (var i = 0; i < byteCharacters.length; i++) {
              byteNumbers[i] = byteCharacters.charCodeAt(i);
          } 
          var byteArray = new Uint8Array(byteNumbers);
          var BINARY_ARR = byteArray.buffer;
   

         console.log("BINARY_ARR : ",BINARY_ARR )
          this.createFile(BINARY_ARR);
        }
      ,() => {
            this.showToast("There is an error!");
          })

  this.file.writeFile(cordova.file.externalDataDirectory,this.createFileName(),blob,true).then(succ=>{
      console.log("File write success : ", succ)
      this.fileOpener.open(
      succ.nativeURL,
      'application/pdf'
    ).then((success) => {
      console.log('success open file: ', success);
    }, (err) => {
      console.log('error open file', err);
    });

    },
    err=>{
      console.log(" write File error : ", err)
    })