Query: Default Download Saver Sub-Addressing?

[@TiddlyTweeter]

I'm asking this here first.

Background

You are working in the Edge browser and only Download Saving is possible.

Issue

CAN you, within the TW running in Edge, define a sub-directory of the Downloads Folder that download saves would go to?

I see that PMario did it for a plugin. 

Would it be possible in a TW in browsers that don't support such plugins? I.e. that TW itself specify that Download go to a SUB-address of whatever the browser determines is downloads?

Hope this is clear!

 

Best wishes

TT

[@TiddlyTweeter]

Repeat for email ...

[TonyM]

Josiah,

As you say I would think it possible because the backups plugin (even the save) does this. One could possibly do it to other locations except the browser does not have the rights. In a related need I would love to be able to hard code export of other newly created or overwriting files to a known location, still needing user intervention but such that the user need not "hunt and peck" or remember where it is they want to save each time.

Theoretically timimi could be used via its script process to achieve this, and with Edge moving to Chromium it may soon be possible to use the chrome version of Timimi (When available). 

Similarly I would love to paste a local filename into my wiki and be able to click/startup trigger and import without going through the file dialogue, so that I could import updates from elsewhere, even if this was constrained to the browser access rights, or URL's

Regards

Tony

[PMario]

On Monday, December 23, 2019 at 8:59:33 PM UTC+1, @TiddlyTweeter wrote:

I'm asking this here first.

Background

You are working in the Edge browser and only Download Saving is possible.

I'm planning to release a file-backups version for Chromium based Edge. So it should be available for Chrome as well. ... That's the hope ...

The low level, web-extension APIs should be compatible between browsers. ... BUT they are not. So in the end it will be a major rewrite of main elements. That's the reason, why I did release it for FF only atm.

 

Issue

CAN you, within the TW running in Edge, define a sub-directory of the Downloads Folder that download saves would go to?

You can't, if it needs to work reliably, without an AddOn.

 

I see that PMario did it for a plugin. 

This was tricky. ... The browser doesn't provide you with any user setting. So an AddOn can't ask the browser about the actual Download directory. ... So the AddOn needs some tricks to find out, if a wiki is loaded from the download dir or from a subdirectory.

Would it be possible in a TW in browsers that don't support such plugins? I.e. that TW itself specify that Download go to a SUB-address of whatever the browser determines is downloads?

It would be possible to use user settings. ... BUT you'd also need to establish a 24/7 helpline for maintenance.

have fun!

mario

[PMario]

On Tuesday, December 24, 2019 at 2:26:28 AM UTC+1, TonyM wrote:

...

As you say I would think it possible because the backups plugin (even the save) does this.

As I wrote, you'll need some tricks to do this, because the browser doesn't provide you with enough information about the users file-system. It's considered a security risk.

 

One could possibly do it to other locations except the browser does not have the rights. In a related need I would love to be able to hard code export of other newly created or overwriting files to a known location, still needing user intervention but such that the user need not "hunt and peck" or remember where it is they want to save each time.

I know, that some file-backups users use the D:/ drive as their downloads directory. This basically allows you to use every subdrive as your wiki destination.

I think, this mechanism is much easier as using directory "junctions" on windows.

mario

[PMario]

Hi,

Probably not what you want but you can have a closer look at: https://tiddlywiki.com/#%24%3A%2Fsnippets%2Fdownload-wiki-button

-m

[@TiddlyTweeter]

Wouldn't it be great if you could just change the address in that from ...

<$action-sendmessage $message="tm-download-file" $param="$:/core/save/all" filename="index.html"/>

to ...

<$action-sendmessage $message="tm-download-file" $param="$:/core/save/all" filename="wiki/index.html"/>

I tried & "/" is converted to "_" on download.

Happy xmas

TT

[@TiddlyTweeter]

TonyM & PMario

Part of my interest in this is in relation to "Polly", but also simply leveraging "Downloads" folder to be more useful when you don't have an available plugin for TW.

I find it, still, not good that TW's often have to be in the "Downloads" folder at all. But if they have to be, then far better in a sub-dir.

Some users, like me, download vast numbers of things daily and having to store TW in the midst of that is not ideal. 

It is also counter-intuitive. 

A used TW  is an active "Document", not a "download" at all.

Just my persistent annoyance I guess :-)

Best wishes 

Josiah

[PMario]

Hi,

The download saver uses a href download attribute, to activate the download dialog. As you can see in the description /-slash and \-backslash is changed to _ by the browser.

So not much, we can do about it. :/

-m

[PMario]

On Tuesday, December 24, 2019 at 6:26:51 PM UTC+1, @TiddlyTweeter wrote:

...

Part of my interest in this is in relation to "Polly", but also simply leveraging "Downloads" folder to be more useful when you don't have an available plugin for TW.

See the other post. There is not much left, we can do, to improve this situation.

 

I find it, still, not good that TW's often have to be in the "Downloads" folder at all. But if they have to be, then far better in a sub-dir.

That's right. As I wrote. Having your own drive for TW documents, will be very close to what you want.

Since micro-SDs and portable SSDs are relatively affordable these days, I think this is an easy way to go.

Creating your own drive for TW should be simple too. There are a lot of videos on youtube, how to do this.

Some users, like me, download vast numbers of things daily and having to store TW in the midst of that is not ideal. 

It is also counter-intuitive. 

You need to tell this to browser vendors. Everyone of us will "like" it.

have fun!

mario

[@TiddlyTweeter]

PMario wrote

I'm planning to release a file-backups version for Chromium based Edge. ...

Edge is a useful browser on Windows because of its integration with the O/S. For instance, voice control is very smooth.

It is unfortunate that is so low on the lists of browsers. The Chromium version of Edge is looking really good! Great you think to support it!

 

The low level, web-extension APIs should be compatible between browsers. ... BUT they are not. 

That sucks.

TT

 

[TonyM]

Folks

My ff and chrome are set to allow me to save downloads anywhere. So it is possible to go to a folder and save over a previous download. Since we can set the save filename in a wiki we can always download with a preconfigured name but we need to remember the folder. If the save mechanisium were fed the local path and opened the save/download dialogue in that folder using the default download would be smoother but I am not sure if this is possible.

I wonder if we had a tiddly wiki mime type if we could add different handling within the browser for tiddlywiki files as microsoft, pdf viewers and others already do. All browsers should allow this mechanisium.

You can associate an application to handle different mime or document types, perhaps we could have one that trapped the download and ensured it was deposited inn the right folder, backup original file and saved with the original filename.

The above could make the default save less dependant on user interaction.

Just some speculation based on observations with other files in browsers especialy within the office cloud integrations with local apps and folders. They can do it so surely we can?

regards
Tony

[@TiddlyTweeter]

TonyM wrote:

... If the save mechanisium were fed the local path and opened the save/download dialogue in that folder using the default download would be smoother but I am not sure if this is possible.

Ciao Tony

Yeah, that was my OP's query. Either with dialogue, or not.

PMario tells us that the cross-browser API's are not consistent enough to ensure it would work reliably.

It is frustrating that, lumbered with download saving already by browsers, attenuation to salvage a better approach is difficult. 

But the last thing you'd want is having to add hacks per browser. Would take you back to square one.

Polly is quite a good solution towards universalism on Desktop, though configuration can be quite complicated.

And, again, download naming is a limiting factor in that the download "bucket" can only handle ONE name at a time.

I think, though, it is worth noting that on mobiles (Quinoid, Quine, Tiddloid) it is a different kind of agenda on saving & it seems more intuitive. 

Likely because the mechanism is more hidden?

My two cents

Josiah