DirectoryEntrySync

The DirectoryEntrySync interface of the File System API represents a directory in a file system. It includes methods for creating, reading, looking up, and recursively removing files in a directory.

About this document

This document was last updated on March 2, 2012 and follows the W3C Specifications (Working Draft) drafted on April 19, 2011.

This specification is pretty much abandoned, having failed to reach any substantial traction.

Basic concepts

If you want to create subdirectories, you have to create each child directory in sequence. If you try to create a directory using a full path that includes parent directories that do not exist yet, you get an error. So create the hierarchy by recursively adding a new path after creating the parent directory.

Example

The getFile() method returns a FileEntrySync, which represents a file in the file system.  The following creates an empty file called seekrits.txt in the root directory.

var fileEntry = fs.root.getFile('seekrits.txt', {create: true});

The getDirectory() method returns a DirectoryEntrySync, which represents a file in the file system. The following creates a new directory called superseekrit in the root directory.

var dirEntry = fs.root.getDirectory('superseekrit', {create: true});

Method overview

Methods

createReader()

Creates a new DirectoryReaderSync to read entries from this directory.

DirectoryReaderSync createReader (
) raises (FileException);

Returns

DirectoryReaderSync

Represents a directory in a file system.

Parameter

None

Exceptions

This method can raise a FileException with the following codes:

getFile()

Depending on how you've set the options parameter, the method either creates a file or looks up an existing file.

void getFile (
  in DOMString path, in optional Flags options
) raises (FileException);

Parameter

path

Either an absolute path or a relative path from the directory to the file to be looked up or created. You cannot create a file whose immediate parent does not exist. Create the parent directory first.

options

An object literal describing the behavior of the method. If the file does not exist, it is created.

Returns

FileEntrySync

Represents a file in a file system.

Exceptions

This method can raise a FileException with the following codes:

getDirectory()

Creates or looks up a directory. The method is similar to getFile() with DirectoryEntrySync being passed.

void getDirectory (
  in DOMString path, in optional Flags options
) raises (FileException);

Parameter

path

Either an absolute path or a relative path from the directory to the file to be looked up or created. You cannot create a file whose immediate parent does not exist. Create the parent directory first.

options

An object literal describing the behavior of the method if the file does not exist.

Returns

DirectoryEntrySync

Represents a directory in a file system.

Exceptions

This method can raise a FileException with the following codes:

removeRecursively()

Deletes a directory and all of its contents. You cannot delete the root directory of a file system.

If you delete a directory that contains a file that cannot be removed or if an error occurs while the deletion is in progress, some of the contents might not be deleted. Catch these cases with error callbacks and retry the deletion.

void removeRecursively (
)  raises (FileException);

Parameter

None

Returns

void

Exceptions

This method can raise a FileException with the following codes:

Browser compatibility

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See also

Specification: File API: Directories and System SpecificationWD

Reference: File System API

Introduction: Basic Concepts About the File System API