First File Manager For windows Phone 8 with Full SD Card Access Capability

Yeaaaah this was posted a couple days ago so I wouldn't really call it "GRAB IT FAST" (nor, for that matter, is this post quite in line with the forum rules as you're kinda-sorta advertising a paid app, even though it's not yours).

If you read the dev's forum thread (it's not here, it's easy enough to find though) you'll see he got special permission from Microsoft to use a capability which is normally only available to OEMs. Sure, it's a good sign and may mean good things to come, but don't go getting all breathlessly excited about it *just* yet!

Also, "Full API Access" is a pretty bad description. It doesn't appear to use any non-standard APIs at all, in fact (I decompiled it already). The filesystem APIs are available to all developers. You just can't *DO* much with them because apps run in sandboxes with very low permissions. The dev got permission to add *one* extra capability, ID_CAP_MEDIALIB_PHOTO_FULL, which gives full access to the pictures library and the SD card. It does not give anything even vaguely close to full access to the whole phone (as a trivial example, it still doesn't give access to the Documents folder). It's also not something that just any random developer is going to be able to use.

Thanks for trying, though, I guess...

Amirphp said:

Not the means of any ad here.
I just got it...usefull....
Delete the thread...if its not suitable here.
thanks

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

I don't think this thread should be deleted.

Anyway I just went to the Pocket File Manager facebook and this is what I found out :

"Hello developers.

I want to info you that in next version of Pocket File Manager we added support for third party application to save files into Phone storage and SD Card. It is very simple process and will cost you nothing.

How it works:

All what you need is to add special extension into your file and execute Launcher. PFM will receive file and save it to desired location , also it will remove extension so the file name remains original.

Extensions supproted:

.tosd - Save file to SD Card. For example you have file named "my new file.dat" and you want to save it to SD card. Rename the file to "my new file.dat.tosd" and use Windows.System.Launcher.LaunchFileAsync(); PFM will store the file named "my new file.dat" in SD Card. If no SD card is presents file will be stored into Phone's storage Picture folder)

.tols - Save file to PFM local storage.

.tops - Save file to Phone's storage under the Pictures folder.

If you have any questions fill free to ask!"

Maybe this can be helpfull to other developers that can't get the ID_CAP_MEDIALIB_PHOTO_FULL capability for their own app.

I think this is interesting ...

Best app

Super app!! Installed trial version on Lumia 925, all works as described. Hurry up developers!!!

This looks great! But I wish the ability to access even a small part of the SD card was open to all developers. Its been very difficult to build a productivity app when the only way to get files out of the phone is email. Looks like he got into the Nokia collection about a month before he added the capability, I assume Nokia made this happen.

That could be. Nokia has the ability to add ID_CAP_MEDIALIB_PHOTO_FULL to "their" apps if they want; they could probably arrange for this app to receive it.

I'm with you on the SD thing. The official APIs for SD access (read-only, limited to the file types you specify beforehand, can't specify reserved file types, can only see so many files) are really stupid.

The fact that 8.1 supposedly allows devs to enable installing apps to SD is encouraging. If that feature stays, there's a decent change it will mean the apps are installed to a FAT partition, which would mean they would have full access, automatically (MS can restrict access to the mount point, but then the app couldn't get at its own binaries and resources; if they allow that, they allow it all). Of course, they might split-partition the card, making part of it NTFS so that they can ACL it to hell again. Even then, though, you could remove the card and put it in a PC...

From my experience with the emulator, the SD card still appears to be a single partition, FAT32 to be exact. Installed apps are stored in a hidden folder, namely WPSystem\Apps. Unless there's some trickery here that I'm unaware of...

Heh, "hidden" folder. Yeah, that'll be effective. I bet they set the readonly flag too...

GoodDayToDie said:

Heh, "hidden" folder. Yeah, that'll be effective. I bet they set the readonly flag too...

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

That folder was there before, but now it also contains apps and appdata as well, besides some system files from before. Some folders are marked as partially read-only.

Well if there is a difference between the winRT file access and the winPTR 8.1 file access for apps I am yet to find it (aside from not being able to get on network locations and DLNA from phone).

I say devs should be more focused on getting their apps ready for 8.1 than still trying to live up with the *redacted* limitations of WP8.0...