@capawesome-team/capacitor-file-opener

Capacitor File Opener Plugin

Capacitor plugin to open a file with the default application.

Features

The Capacitor File Opener plugin is one of the most complete file opening solutions for Capacitor apps. Here are some of the key features:

• Cross-platform: Supports Android, iOS, and Web.
• Multiple file formats: Open various file types with their default applications.
• Web support: Open files using Blob objects on Web platform.
• Native integration: Uses system file associations on mobile platforms.
• Flexible paths: Support for file paths and content URIs on Android.
• MIME type detection: Automatic MIME type detection or manual specification.
• Error Codes: Provides detailed error codes for better error handling.
• Compatibility: Works alongside the File Compressor, File Picker and Printer plugins.
• Up-to-date: Always supports the latest Capacitor version.

Missing a feature? Just open an issue and we'll take a look!

Use Cases

The File Opener plugin is typically used whenever an app hands a file over to another application, for example:

• Document viewing: Open downloaded documents such as PDFs, invoices, or reports with the device's default viewer app.
• Post-download handling: Let users open a file right after your app has downloaded or generated it.
• Media playback: Open images, videos, or audio files with the app the user has associated with that file type.
• Web downloads: Open files from Blob objects on the Web without saving them first.

Compatibility

Plugin Version	Capacitor Version	Status
8.x.x	>=8.x.x	Active support
7.x.x	7.x.x	Deprecated
6.x.x	6.x.x	Deprecated
5.x.x	5.x.x	Deprecated

Demo

A working example can be found here: robingenz/capacitor-plugin-demo

Android	iOS

Guides

• How to Take and Edit Photos in a Capacitor App

Installation

You can use our AI-Assisted Setup to install the plugin. Add the Capawesome Skills to your AI tool using the following command:

npx skills add capawesome-team/skills --skill capacitor-plugins

Then use the following prompt:

Use the `capacitor-plugins` skill from `capawesome-team/skills` to install the `@capawesome-team/capacitor-file-opener` plugin in my project.

If you prefer Manual Setup, install the plugin by running the following commands and follow the platform-specific instructions below:

npm install @capawesome-team/capacitor-file-opener
npx cap sync

Android

You need to specify the directories that contain the files you want to open. To do this, create a new file named file_paths.xml in the res/xml directory of your Android project (e.g. android/app/src/main/res/xml/file_paths.xml). Here is an example of the content of the file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<paths xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <files-path name="files" path="." />
    <cache-path name="cache" path="." />
    <external-files-path name="external-files" path="." />
    <external-cache-path name="external-cache" path="." />
    <external-path name="external" path="." />
</paths>

More information can be found in the Android documentation.

Variables

If needed, you can define the following project variable in your app’s variables.gradle file to change the default version of the dependency:

• $androidxDocumentFileVersion version of androidx.documentfile:documentfile (default: 1.1.0)

This can be useful if you encounter dependency conflicts with other plugins in your project.

Configuration

No configuration required for this plugin.

Usage

The following example shows how to open a file with the default application.

Open a file with the default application

On Android and iOS, pass the path of the file. On Android, both file paths and content URIs are supported. The mime type is determined automatically, but you can also specify it with the mimeType option. On Web, pass a Blob instance instead:

import { ErrorCode, FileOpener } from '@capawesome-team/capacitor-file-opener';

const open = async () => {
  try {
    await FileOpener.openFile({
      path: 'content://com.android.providers.downloads.documents/document/msf%3A1000000073',
    });
  } catch (error) {
    if (error.code === ErrorCode.FileAlreadyOpen) {
      // On iOS, a file is already open or still being opened.
    } else {
      // Handle other errors.
    }
  }
};

API

• openFile(...)
• Interfaces

openFile(...)

openFile(options: OpenFileOptions) => Promise<void>

Open a file with the default application.

Param	Type
options	OpenFileOptions

Since: 0.0.1

---

Interfaces

OpenFileOptions

Prop	Type	Description	Since
blob	Blob	The blob instance of the file to open. Only available on Web.	6.1.0
path	string	The path of the file. Only available on Android and iOS.	0.0.1
mimeType	string	The mime type of the file. If not specified, the mime type will be determined. Only available on Android and iOS.	0.0.1

FAQ

Which file types can I open with this plugin?

The plugin can open various file types with their default applications. On Android and iOS, it uses the system file associations, so any file type for which the user has a suitable app installed can be opened. The mime type is determined automatically, but you can also specify it manually with the mimeType option.

Why can't a file be opened on Android?

Make sure that the directory containing the file is declared in the file_paths.xml file of your Android project, as described in the Installation section. Without this configuration, the file can not be shared with the app that should open it.

How do I open a file on the Web?

On the Web, pass a Blob instance to the openFile(...) method using the blob option. The path and mimeType options are only available on Android and iOS.

Do I need to specify the mime type of the file?

No, if the mimeType option is not specified, the mime type will be determined automatically. You only need to set it if you want to override the detected type. This option is only available on Android and iOS.

How is this plugin different from the File Picker plugin?

The File Picker plugin lets the user select a file from the device and returns its path and metadata. The File Opener plugin does the opposite: it takes a file your app already has and opens it with the default application. Both plugins work well together, for example to pick a file and then open it.

Can I use this plugin with Ionic, React, Vue or Angular?

Yes, the plugin is framework-agnostic. It works in any Capacitor app regardless of the web framework, including Ionic with Angular, React, or Vue, as well as plain JavaScript projects.

Related Plugins

• File Compressor: Compress files with support for image formats like PNG, JPEG, and WebP.
• File Picker: Let the user select a file, directory, image, or video from the device.
• Printer: Print files, HTML, PDFs, and web views on Android and iOS.
• Share Target: Receive text, links, and files shared from other apps.

Newsletter

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Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md.

License

See LICENSE.