Problems with activity starter and viewing pdf files

[Bruno Bueno Mena]

Hi all!

I created this little application to test the pdf viewer months ago. It used to work perfectly, today I didnt work.

I tried on 2 smartphones with negative results. I didnt modify anything of the blocks. 

In my old smartphone it says "this document cant be open" and it's not one of those texts I put on the blocks

when the activitystarter is not working. When I get out of this little application I can view the pdf correctly.

In my lets say new smartphone, isnt working but at least it tries to open it, though the screen is black.

When i get out of my application I can view the pdf correctly.

I tried with the old compilation and the new for Google Play, it didnt work either.

What is happening? new upgrade of android is blocking the pdf viewer?

By the way im using the typical pdf viewer of Tayfun.

thanks in advance!

[Taifun]

does the example project work for you?
https://puravidaapps.com/pdf.php

which device / Android verison are you using for your tests?

Taifun

[Bruno Bueno Mena]

Well my blocks are like this:

its a bit more complete version of your "how to view a pdf document" from your snippets.

(Maybe you thought I was referring to your extension)

Im not using your pdf extension, because im not into extensions yet and this one is for android version 5.

I wanted my app to be used by all possible mobiles, but with the last change for Google Play, now it has

more sense to do it.

devices:

old mobile ---> android 4.1.2 LG-P760

newer mobile ---> android 6.0.1 Galaxy J5

It happened to me something similar with Skype, I used to use activitystarter to make a direct phone call

but there was a moment that it werent possible. I remember that I had to modify my app for this.

Can I read a pdf without using your extension or is it the only possible way now?

[TimAI2]

You can still use a webviewer or activitystarter to view a pdf:

https://puravidaapps.com/snippets.php#2pdf

[Bruno Bueno Mena]

Tim, activitystarter is not working for me.

I didnt try the webviewer because I dont have pdf stored in a website.

It's a feature for my app, I created a little apk to test it. It worked before

but not now, I dont know what has changed.

[Taifun]

for the activity starter solution you will need a pdf reader app on your device

It would really help if you provided a screenshot of your relevant blocks, so we can see what you are trying to do, and where the problem may be.

Taifun

---

Trying to push the limits of App Inventor! Snippets, Tutorials and Extensions from Pura Vida Apps by Taifun. 

[Bruno Bueno Mena]

I have a pdf app in both smartphones, I can view pdfs with them.

The problem is that I cant view them inside my testing app. It used to

work but not now and I didnt modify anything, it seems that some

specification of the activity starter doesnt work anymore.

[Taifun]

did you try the example project from here

https://puravidaapps.com/snippets.php#2pdf

in the Thunkable community this also was reported, see here https://community.thunkable.com/t/i-cant-open-pdf-file-from-internal-storage/40551/22?u=taifun

also in the MAkeroid community, see here https://community.makeroid.io/t/getting-error-while-accessing-pdf-from-directory-kindly-help/10116?u=taifun

probably it's an API level 26 issue?

Taifun

[Bruno Bueno Mena]

I've tried your "pdf project" in both phones:

old mobile ---> android 4.1.2 LG-P760

newer mobile ---> android 6.0.1 Galaxy J5

"Vier pdf from Device" didnt work, its like the pdf viewer try to open it but

it sends a message "this document cant be opened".

"View pdf from web" works perfectly for both.

Something is blocking the activitystarter, like when Skype started not to do direct calls

with activitystarter either.

[Taifun]

thank you Bruno

assigned to Evan to check...

here is the exampe project https://puravidaapps.com/snippets.php#2pdf

Taifun

PS: I edited the subject of this thread to avoid misunderstandings...

[Evan Patton]

Hi Bruno,

Would you mind sharing the project with me that is exhibiting the problem? We can test it here at MIT and see if we can replicate/diagnose the problem.

Thanks,

Evan

[Taifun]

a temporary solution to fix this issue is to drag a sharing component into the project, see Mika's tip here https://community.makeroid.io/t/getting-error-while-accessing-pdf-from-directory-kindly-help/10116/11?u=taifun

@Evan: see the example project here https://puravidaapps.com/snippets.php#2pdf

Taifun

[Bruno Bueno Mena]

Tayfun,

The drag solution didnt work either. I tried 2 things:

1) Just dragging into my project and your pdf project without any

blocks related to the sharing component. The aswer was "this 

document cant be opened".

2) Not only dragging it but using the block "call sharing sharedfile/file"

with the result uri given by activitystarter. The error2001 appeared, 

saying the file (written as a path) couldnt be found, and right after the

"this document cant be opened" error.

[Taifun]

you might want to ask Mika in the Makeroid forum about that workaround...

Taifun

[Evan Patton]

Thanks Taifun. I will use this as a baseline and see whether we can replicate it at MIT.

Cheers,

Evan

[Boban Stojmenovic]

Modified example project from here https://puravidaapps.com/pick.php

Seems like it doesn't accept DataUri if it contains content://com.android.externalstorage.documents/document/primary%3A

I have added file component to grant permission at run-time when build App for Google Play.

This works on most of my devices except on Samsung S3 with Android 4.3, get an error message failed to find configured root that contains.

Modified file provider_paths.xml in ..\res\xml\ with this instead

    <root-path name="root" path="." />

And now it works on all devices.

Hope it helps in some way to find the error...

/Boban

[Evan Patton]

Thanks Boban for the detailed report. The SDK 26 update will convert file:// URIs to content:// URIs, which is why this works the way it does. It might be the case that we aren't allowed to reuse content URIs coming from other activities, although I'm not sure why that would be the case. Does the example work with the File component but without changing back to file://?

Cheers,

Evan

[Boban Stojmenovic]

Using third party Explorer, I get this and it works.

Using direct file, works.

With my sample file and build App, works on all devices.

As I mentioned earlier, it doesn't work if I build with App for Google Play on Samsung S3 with Android 4.3 without further modification.

/Boban

[Boban Stojmenovic]

Ups forgot this one..

Does the example work with the File component but without changing back to file://?

edit... When you're tired you don't realize that some things don't work.

Doesn't work

(The file file:///mnt/sdcard/AppInventor%2Fassets%2Fcolors.csv could not be found) (2101)

Doesn't work

(The file content://com.android.externalstorage.documents/document/primary%3AAppInventor%2Fassets%2Fcolors.csv could not be found) (2101)

Doesn't work, using direct file.

(The file file:///mnt/sdcard/AppInventor/assets/colors.csv could not be found) (2101)

/Boban

[Boban Stojmenovic]

On the other hand, this works using file component.

Using direct file.

/Boban