HTML5 offline storage. File storage? Directories and filesystem API
For storing data offline WebApp can use:
- session storage, "advanced version of cookies"
- key/value based Web Storage (AKA local/global/offline/DOM storage)
- sql-based Web SQL Database (deprecated) and Indexed Database API
- FileReader and FileWriter API (requires user to select files each time the application loads)
But apparently there is no File Storage. Of course, there is a manifest-based caching, but it's just a cache and is not supposed to be used as a user data storage.
Does it mean that the user of WebApp is forced to use some sort of a cloud file storage?
Is there any way to save large files on user's local machine? Or maybe some way to select a local folder web application can use to store user data?
Edit. Security. HTML5 already has the ability to write big portions of data to user's local machine. I don't see any security issues if a browser will provide another, file-based abstraction to store data. It can be some virtual machine, virtual filesystem, whatever.
Hm, I think, it is possible to write JS filesystem and store it as a blob in SQL...
Update: Hm... recently I've found this and this. Maybe it is what I'm looking for... Yes, it is! See the answer below.
Answer
At last, I've found it! Here's the answer:
I’ll have the DOMFileSystem with a side of read/write access please wrote:
Eric Uhrhane of Google has been working on the working draft of the File API: Directories and System specification which defines a set of APIs to create a sandboxed filesystem where a web app can read and write data to.
Wow! I'm so excited!