Using android gallery so user can choose their photo for avatar, having problems with the path of the file returned though

Question

I'm not going to print out the entire stack trace cause it's huge, but essentially I'm trying to create a FileHandle for the file 'document/image:136635' and I'm getting no such file or directory.

com.badlogic.gdx.utils.GdxRuntimeException: Couldn't load file: /document/image:136635

Caused by: android.system.ErrnoException: open failed: ENOENT (No such file or directory)

So I'm using the path 'document/image:136635' because I launched an activity for the android gallery app so the user can select a photo of themselves for the avatar. The selection seems to works ok, we can select an image and my program continues afterwards, but they when I try to create a filehandle for the image so I can actually draw it in my game I have problems. When I analyse the data returned from the activity the path of the photo they selected comes back as 'document/image:136635'. Is that a valid path for an image ordinarily? If I use a file viewer on my phone I can see that there is a document folder but nothing is in it.

Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

edit: So the info in the URI is (in order):

image:136635

image/jpeg

IMG_20190702_175942.jpg

1562065182000

5

1285506

So I can get the actual filename, but still not the real path? I don't think...

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 03 '19 at 05:59

try this code into your app its work fine

private static final int GALLERY_PICK = 1;


Intent galleryIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_PICK,
            android.provider.MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI);
    startActivityForResult(galleryIntent, PICK_IMAGE_REQUEST);


@Override
protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {
super.onActivityResult(requestCode, resultCode, data);

if (requestCode == PICK_IMAGE_REQUEST && resultCode == RESULT_OK && data != null && 
data.getData() != null) {

    Uri uri = data.getData();

    try {
        Bitmap bitmap = MediaStore.Images.Media.getBitmap(getContentResolver(), uri);
        // Log.d(TAG, String.valueOf(bitmap));

        ImageView imageView = (ImageView) findViewById(R.id.imageView);
        imageView.setImageBitmap(bitmap);
    } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }
}
}

I'm using libgdx so will need to convert the bitmap to a Texture. I guess the quickest way would be convert the bitmap to a byte array and then convert the bytearray to a pixmap and then finally convert the pixmap to a texture? seem a long and roundabout way to do it. Ideally I just want the actual path of the image so I can create the texture directly from that and not have all these extra steps — user8810083, Jul 03 '19 at 06:48
Loading the Bitmap should be done on a background Thread, such as with an AysncTask. Otherwise you risk an ANR. — Tenfour04, Jul 03 '19 at 15:21

Prachi Singh · Accepted Answer · 2019-07-03T10:14:54.817

 private static final int GALLERY_PICK = 1;


Intent galleryIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_PICK,
            android.provider.MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI);
    startActivityForResult(galleryIntent, GALLERY_PICK);


@Override
protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {
super.onActivityResult(requestCode, resultCode, data);

if (requestCode == GALLERY_PICK && resultCode == RESULT_OK && data != null && 
data.getData() != null) {

    Uri uri = data.getData();

    try {

     String filePath = getPathNew(this,uri);  //return actual path

    } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }
}
}

To get Actual Path--

@SuppressLint("NewApi")
    public static String getPathNew(final Context context, final Uri uri) {

        final boolean isKitKat = Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT;

        // DocumentProvider
        if (isKitKat && DocumentsContract.isDocumentUri(context, uri)) {
            // ExternalStorageProvider
            if (isExternalStorageDocument(uri)) {
                final String docId = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
                final String[] split = docId.split(":");
                final String type = split[0];

                if ("primary".equalsIgnoreCase(type)) {
                    return Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/" + split[1];
                }
                // TODO handle non-primary volumes
            }
            // DownloadsProvider
            else if (isDownloadsDocument(uri)) {

                final String id = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
                final Uri contentUri = ContentUris.withAppendedId(Uri.parse("content://downloads/public_downloads"),
                        Long.valueOf(id));
                return getDataColumn(context, contentUri, null, null);
            }
            // MediaProvider
            else if (isMediaDocument(uri)) {
                final String docId = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
                final String[] split = docId.split(":");
                final String type = split[0];

                Uri contentUri = null;
                if ("image".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else if ("video".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Video.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else if ("audio".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Audio.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                }

                final String selection = "_id=?";
                final String[] selectionArgs = new String[]{split[1]};

                return getDataColumn(context, contentUri, selection, selectionArgs);
            }
        }
        // MediaStore (and general)
        else if ("content".equalsIgnoreCase(uri.getScheme())) {
            return getDataColumn(context, uri, null, null);
        }
        // File
        else if ("file".equalsIgnoreCase(uri.getScheme())) {
            return uri.getPath();
        }

        return null;
    }

    public static String getDataColumn(Context context, Uri uri, String selection, String[] selectionArgs) {

        Cursor cursor = null;
        final String column = "_data";
        final String[] projection = {column};

        try {
            cursor = context.getContentResolver().query(uri, projection, selection, selectionArgs, null);
            if (cursor != null && cursor.moveToFirst()) {
                final int column_index = cursor.getColumnIndexOrThrow(column);
                return cursor.getString(column_index);
            }
        } finally {
            if (cursor != null)
                cursor.close();
        }
        return null;
    }

    /**
     * @param uri The Uri to check.
     * @return Whether the Uri authority is ExternalStorageProvider.
     */
    public static boolean isExternalStorageDocument(Uri uri) {
        return "com.android.externalstorage.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority());
    }

    /**
     * @param uri The Uri to check.
     * @return Whether the Uri authority is DownloadsProvider.
     */
    public static boolean isDownloadsDocument(Uri uri) {
        return "com.android.providers.downloads.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority());
    }

    /**
     * @param uri The Uri to check.
     * @return Whether the Uri authority is MediaProvider.
     */
    public static boolean isMediaDocument(Uri uri) {
        return "com.android.providers.media.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority());
    }

add file READ WRITE permissions in your manifest

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

unfortunately uri.getPath() does not seem to return the actual filepath. e.g. it returns /document/image:136635, when in actual fact the file is /pictures/screenshots/Screenshot_2019-07-02-27-34-789.jpeg. I need the actual filepath so I can create a libgdx texture — user8810083, Jul 03 '19 at 07:08
@user8810083 see my edited answer.. getPathNew() will give you actual path of image. — Prachi Singh, Jul 03 '19 at 07:31
I think getting closer but now I'm getting permission denied with this new getpathnew method. I tried the solution in this post https://stackoverflow.com/a/33292700/8810083 but am having some difficulty getting ActivityCompat to work with libgdx — user8810083, Jul 03 '19 at 10:03
After api 23 that is not enough. You can see they explain in that thread — user8810083, Jul 03 '19 at 10:35
getDataColumn(context, uri, null, null); will return path after api 19 — Prachi Singh, Jul 03 '19 at 10:46
I tried on API 28. Still permission error Caused by: java.lang.SecurityException: Permission Denial: reading com.android.providers.media.MediaProvider uri content://media/external/images/media from pid=5061, uid=10085 requires android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE, or grantUriPermission(). — user8810083, Jul 03 '19 at 11:06
ok this post seems to have done the trick: https://stackoverflow.com/a/37672385/8810083 — user8810083, Jul 03 '19 at 11:27
yes after Api26 we have ask permission like this..happy to help you — Prachi Singh, Jul 03 '19 at 11:31

Tenfour04 · Answer 3 · 2019-07-03T15:14:02.690

I use the Picasso library to make this easy. I save a copy of the image as a .png into the internal directory for the app so I don't have to worry about what happens to the original, and then can open it as a Texture in the game.

Picasso also includes methods for shrinking the image before it is loaded as a Bitmap, because you probably don't want a full resolution photo loaded as a Texture.

First add to android dependencies:

implementation 'com.squareup.picasso:picasso:2.5.2' 
// might need compile keyword instead if using old build tools

Then you can do this in your activity:

private static final int REQUEST_PICK_IMAGE = 1;
void getImage (){
    Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT);
    intent.setType("image/*");
    startActivityForResult(intent, REQUEST_PICK_IMAGE );
}

public void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, final Intent data) {
        super.onActivityResult(requestCode, resultCode, data);
        if (requestCode == REQUEST_PICK_IMAGE && resultCode == Activity.RESULT_OK && data != null){

            // Check for file availability
            InputStream inputStream = null;
            try {
                inputStream = getContentResolver().openInputStream(data.getData());
            } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
                Toast.makeText(this, "Image could not be accessed", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                return;
            } finally {
                if (inputStream != null)
                    inputStream.close();
            }

            //TODO show progress bar and disable buttons

            new ImageResultTask().execute(data);
    }
}

private class ImageResultTask extends AsyncTask<Intent, Void, Boolean> {

    protected Boolean doInBackground (Intent... params) {
        FileOutputStream os = null;
        try {
            Bitmap bitmap = Picasso.with(MyActivity.this)
                .load(params[0].getData())
                .error(R.drawable.my_backup_drawable) // shouldn't happen, checked for FNFE above
                .resize(1024, 0) // the zero makes it scale to width and keep aspect ratio for height
                .get();
            getFilesDir(); // workaround for Android bug #10515463
            File destDir = getFilesDir();
            File destFile = new File(dir, "myImage.png");
            destFile.createNewFile();
            os = new FileOutputStream(destFile , false);
            bitmap.compress(Bitmap.CompressFormat.PNG, 0, os);
            os.flush();
            return true;
        } catch (IOException e){
            e.printStackTrace();
        } catch (SecurityException e){
            e.printStackTrace();
        } finally {
            if (os != null)
                os.close();
        }
        return false;
    }

    protected void onPostExecute(Boolean result) {
        if (result) {
            Gdx.app.postRunnable(...); //TODO call into game to tell it image is ready
            // The Texture can be loaded with Gdx.files.local("myImage.png")
        } else {
            //TODO show some error message
        }
        //TODO remove progress bar and unlock buttons, etc.
    }
}

I haven't been able to get it to compile as is, but have something compiling and I think I may be creating myImage.png, but not sure and not sure how to declare it in the Texture declaration. Is your texture declaration simply 'Texture tex = new Texture("myImage.png");'? I don't think it's finding the file like that for me. And just to be clear, we are talking about libgdx textures right? — user8810083, Jul 03 '19 at 14:37
ok I can confirm that the myImage.png file IS definitely being created successfully. My main issue now is that it is not being found when I try to create the texture. In the android studio Device File Explorer I can see the file under data/data/[my package name]/files/myImage.png. I tried passing that entire path to the texture constructor but doesn't work. I also tried passing the destdir /data/user/0/[my package name]/files/myImage.png but that doesn't work either unfortunately. — user8810083, Jul 03 '19 at 14:48
Use `new Texture(Gdx.files.local("myImage.png"), true)`. The true is for mip-maps, which you probably want for anything besides text or pixel art. Android's `getFilesDir()` points to the same place as a `Gdx.files.local()`. It is inconsistent across versions and builds of Android, so don't try to work with the actual complete path. — Tenfour04, Jul 03 '19 at 14:56
thanks a lot! i'm finally able to see the gallery images in my game :). i didnt use picasso library yet, but might try tomorrow. i have it working with a hodgepodge of different peoples suggestions atm — user8810083, Jul 03 '19 at 15:11

Using android gallery so user can choose their photo for avatar, having problems with the path of the file returned though

3 Answers3