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getFile

« XPCOM API Reference

Called by the Directory Service to obtain an nsIFile object corresponding for a given standard path location.

The individual platform implementation of nsIDirectoryServiceProvider maps the symbolic path location passed to this function and returns the appropriate nsIFile.

 nsIFile getFile(
  in string aName,
  out boolean aPersistent
);

Parameters

aName
[in] The symbolic name for a file or directory location. See Symbolic names below for a list of accepted values.

XPCOM File System Aliases

aPersistent
[out] This output parameter indicates to the caller whether or not the returned location is persistent. If true, this lets the Directory Service cache results to improve the performance of directory lookups. If false, then the Directory Service will not cache the results of this method.

Symbolic names

The list of symbolic names is subject to change, so be sure to take a look at the xpcom/io/nsDirectoryServiceDefs.h file for the version of Gecko you're working with for the latest list.

Available on all platforms

These symbolic names are available on all platforms (although, of course, they may refer to different physical paths on the storage device).

C constant String value Notes
NS_OS_HOME_DIR "Home"  
NS_OS_TEMP_DIR "TmpD"  
NS_OS_CURRENT_WORKING_DIR "CurWorkD"  
NS_OS_DESKTOP_DIR "Desk" otherwise same as Home
NS_OS_CURRENT_PROCESS_DIR "CurProcD"  
NS_XPCOM_CURRENT_PROCESS_DIR "XCurProcD" can be overriden by passing a "bin directory" to NS_InitXPCOM2().
NS_XPCOM_COMPONENT_DIR "ComsD"  
NS_XPCOM_COMPONENT_DIR_LIST "ComsDL"  
NS_XPCOM_COMPONENT_REGISTRY_FILE "ComRegF"  
NS_XPCOM_XPTI_REGISTRY_FILE "XptiRegF"  
NS_XPCOM_LIBRARY_FILE "XpcomLib"  
NS_GRE_DIR "GreD"

Note: On Mac OS X, up through Firefox 34 this is the Contents/MacOS directory within the application's bundle. Starting with Firefox 35, this is Contents/Resources. This change was required in order to comply with Apple's new Gatekeeper v2 rules; without this change, Firefox would not work on any Mac OS X newer than 10.9.4.

NS_GRE_COMPONENT_DIR "GreComsD"  

Platform-specific locations

Some symbolic names represent platform-specific locations. The following sections cover these.

Available on both Mac and Unix

These locations are available on both Mac OS X and Unix implementations of Gecko.

C constant String value Notes
NS_OS_SYSTEM_DIR "SysD"  

Available on Mac OS X only

These locations are supported only on Mac OS X versions of Gecko.

C constant String value Notes
NS_MAC_DESKTOP_DIR NS_OS_DESKTOP_DIR  
NS_MAC_TRASH_DIR "Trsh"  
NS_MAC_STARTUP_DIR "Strt"  
NS_MAC_SHUTDOWN_DIR "Shdwn"  
NS_MAC_APPLE_MENU_DIR "ApplMenu"  
NS_MAC_CONTROL_PANELS_DIR "CntlPnl"  
NS_MAC_EXTENSIONS_DIR "Exts"  
NS_MAC_FONTS_DIR "Fnts"  
NS_MAC_PREFS_DIR "Prfs"  
NS_MAC_DOCUMENTS_DIR "Docs"  
NS_MAC_INTERNET_SEARCH_DIR "ISrch"  
NS_OSX_HOME_DIR NS_OS_HOME_DIR  
NS_MAC_HOME_DIR NS_OS_HOME_DIR  
NS_MAC_DEFAULT_DOWNLOAD_DIR "DfltDwnld"  
NS_MAC_USER_LIB_DIR "ULibDir" // Only available under OS X
NS_OSX_DEFAULT_DOWNLOAD_DIR "DfltDwnld"  
NS_OSX_USER_DESKTOP_DIR "UsrDsk"  
NS_OSX_LOCAL_DESKTOP_DIR "LocDsk"  
NS_OSX_USER_APPLICATIONS_DIR "UsrApp"  
NS_OSX_LOCAL_APPLICATIONS_DIR "LocApp"  
NS_OSX_USER_DOCUMENTS_DIR "UsrDocs"  
NS_OSX_LOCAL_DOCUMENTS_DIR "LocDocs"  
NS_OSX_USER_INTERNET_PLUGIN_DIR "UsrIntrntPlgn"  
NS_OSX_LOCAL_INTERNET_PLUGIN_DIR "LoclIntrntPlgn"  
NS_OSX_USER_FRAMEWORKS_DIR "UsrFrmwrks"  
NS_OSX_LOCAL_FRAMEWORKS_DIR "LocFrmwrks"  
NS_OSX_USER_PREFERENCES_DIR "UsrPrfs"  
NS_OSX_LOCAL_PREFERENCES_DIR "LocPrfs"  
NS_OSX_PICTURE_DOCUMENTS_DIR "Pct"  
NS_OSX_MOVIE_DOCUMENTS_DIR "Mov"  
NS_OSX_MUSIC_DOCUMENTS_DIR "Music"  
NS_OSX_INTERNET_SITES_DIR "IntrntSts"  

Available on Windows only

These locations are supported only on Microsoft Windows builds of Gecko.

C constant String value Notes
NS_WIN_WINDOWS_DIR "WinD"  
NS_WIN_PROGRAM_FILES_DIR "ProgF"  
NS_WIN_HOME_DIR NS_OS_HOME_DIR  
NS_WIN_DESKTOP_DIR "DeskV" virtual folder at the root of the namespace
NS_WIN_PROGRAMS_DIR "Progs" User start menu programs directory!
NS_WIN_CONTROLS_DIR "Cntls"  
NS_WIN_PRINTERS_DIR "Prnts"  
NS_WIN_PERSONAL_DIR "Pers"  
NS_WIN_FAVORITES_DIR "Favs"  
NS_WIN_STARTUP_DIR "Strt"  
NS_WIN_RECENT_DIR "Rcnt"  
NS_WIN_SEND_TO_DIR "SndTo"  
NS_WIN_BITBUCKET_DIR "Buckt"  
NS_WIN_STARTMENU_DIR "Strt" same thing as NS_OS_DESKTOP_DIR
NS_WIN_DESKTOP_DIRECTORY "DeskP" file sys dir which physically stores objects on desktop
NS_WIN_DRIVES_DIR "Drivs"  
NS_WIN_NETWORK_DIR "NetW"  
NS_WIN_NETHOOD_DIR "netH"  
NS_WIN_FONTS_DIR "Fnts"  
NS_WIN_TEMPLATES_DIR "Tmpls"  
NS_WIN_COMMON_STARTMENU_DIR "CmStrt"  
NS_WIN_COMMON_PROGRAMS_DIR "CmPrgs"  
NS_WIN_COMMON_STARTUP_DIR "CmStrt"  
NS_WIN_COMMON_DESKTOP_DIRECTORY "CmDeskP"  
NS_WIN_APPDATA_DIR "AppData"  
NS_WIN_LOCAL_APPDATA_DIR "LocalAppData"  
NS_WIN_PRINTHOOD "PrntHd"  
NS_WIN_COOKIES_DIR "CookD"  

Available on Unix only

These locations are supported only on Unix builds of Firefox OS.

C constant String value Notes
NS_UNIX_LOCAL_DIR "Locl"  
NS_UNIX_LIB_DIR "LibD"  
NS_UNIX_HOME_DIR NS_OS_HOME_DIR  

The following locations are provided only on OS/2 builds of Gecko.

Deprecated

These locations have been deprecated and should no longer be used.

C constant String value Notes
NS_OS_DRIVE_DIR "DrvD"  

 

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 Contributors to this page: Sheppy, Allanbonadio, Jsnydr, Pmash
 Last updated by: Sheppy,