Revision 1125121 of FileSystemEntry

<div>{{APIRef("File System API")}} {{non-standard_header}}</div>

<p>The <strong><code>FileSystemEntry</code></strong> interface of the File and Directory Entries API represents a single in a file system. The entry can be a file or a directory (directories are represented by the {{domxref("DirectoryEntry")}} interface. It includes methods for working with files—including copying, moving, removing, and reading files—as well as information about a file it points to—including the file name and its path from the root to the entry.</p>

<div class="note">
<p>Because this is a non-standard API, whose specification is not currently on a standards track, it's important to keep in mind that not all browsers implement it, and those that do may implement only small portions of it. Check the {{anch("Browser compatibility")}} section for details.</p>
</div>

<h2 id="basic" name="basic">Basic concepts</h2>

<p>You don't create <code>FileSystemEntry</code> objects directly. Instead, you will receive an object based on this interface through other APIs. This interface serves as a base class for the {{domxref("FileSystemFileEntry")}} and {{domxref("FileSystemDirectoryEntry")}} interfaces, which provide features specific to file system entries representing files and directories, respectively.</p>

<p>The <code>FileSystemEntry</code> interface includes methods that you would expect for manipulating files and directories, but it also includes a convenient method for obtaining the URL of the entry: <code><a href="#toURL">toURL()</a></code>. It also introduces a new URL scheme: <code>filesystem:</code>.</p>

<p>You can use the <code>filesystem:</code> scheme on Google Chrome to see all the files and folders that are stored in the origin of your app. Just use <code>filesystem:</code> scheme for the root directory of the origin of the app. For example, if your app is in <code><a href="https://www.html5rocks.com" rel="freelink">https://www.html5rocks.com</a></code>, open<code> filesystem:<a href="https://www.html5rocks.com/temporary/" rel="freelink">https://www.html5rocks.com/temporary/</a></code> in a tab. Chrome shows a read-only list of all the files and folders stored the origin of your app.</p>

<h3 id="example" name="example">Example</h3>

<p>To see an example of how <code>toURL()</code> works, see the <a href="#toURL">method description</a>. The snippet below shows you how you can remove a file by name.</p>

<pre class="brush: js">
// Taking care of the browser-specific prefixes.
window.requestFileSystem  = window.requestFileSystem || window.webkitRequestFileSystem; 

...

// Opening a file system with temporary storage
window.requestFileSystem(TEMPORARY, 1024*1024 /*1MB*/, function(fs) {
  fs.root.getFile('log.txt', {}, function(fileEntry) {
    
    fileEntry.remove(function() {
      console.log('File removed.');
    }, onError);
  
  }, onError);
}, onError); </pre>

<h2 id="Properties">Properties</h2>

<p><em>This interface provides the following properties.</em></p>

<dl>
 <dt>{{domxref("FileSystemEntry.filesystem", "filesystem")}} {{ReadOnlyInline}}</dt>
 <dd>A {{domxref("FileSystem")}} object representing the file system in which the entry is located.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("FileSystemEntry.fullPath", "fullPath")}} {{ReadOnlyInline}}</dt>
 <dd>A {{domxref("DOMString")}} object which provides the full, absolute path from the file system's root to the entry; it can also be thought of as a path which is relative to the root directory, prepended with a "/" character.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("FileSystemEntry.isDirectory", "isDirectory")}} {{ReadOnlyInline}}</dt>
 <dd>A {{jsxref("Boolean")}} which is <code>true</code> if the entry represents a directory; otherwise, it's <code>false</code>.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("FileSystemEntry.isFile", "isFile")}} {{ReadOnlyInline}}</dt>
 <dd>A Boolean which is <code>true</code> if the entry represents a file. If it's not a file, this value is <code>false</code>.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("FileSystemEntry.name", "name")}} {{ReadOnlyInline}}</dt>
 <dd>A {{domxref("DOMString")}} containing the name of the entry (the final part of the path, after the last "/" character).</dd>
</dl>

<h2 id="Methods">Methods</h2>

<p><em>This interface defines the following methods.</em></p>

<dl>
 <dt>{{domxref("FileSystemEntry.copyTo", "copyTo()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Copies the file or directory to a new location on the file system.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("FileSystemEntry.getMetadata", "getMetadata()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Obtains metadata about the file, such as its modification date and size.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("FileSystemEntry.getParent", "getParent()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns a {{domxref("FileSystemDirectoryEntry")}} representing the entry's parent directory.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("FileSystemEntry.moveTo", "moveTo()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Moves the file or directory to a new location on the file system, or renames the file or directory.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("FileSystemEntry.remove", "remove()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Removes the specified file or directory. You can only remove directories which are empty.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("FileSystemEntry.toURL", "toURL()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Creates and returns a URL which identifies the entry. This URL uses the URL scheme <code>"filesystem:"</code>.</dd>
</dl>

<h2 id="Specifications">Specifications</h2>

<table class="standard-table">
 <thead>
  <tr>
   <th scope="col">Specification</th>
   <th scope="col">Status</th>
   <th scope="col">Comment</th>
  </tr>
 </thead>
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('File System API')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('File System API')}}</td>
   <td>Draft of proposed API</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

<p>This API has no official W3C or WHATWG specification.</p>

<h2 id="Browser_compatibility" name="Browser_compatibility">Browser compatibility</h2>

<div>{{CompatibilityTable}}</div>

<div id="compat-desktop">
<table class="compat-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th>Feature</th>
   <th>Chrome</th>
   <th>Firefox (Gecko)</th>
   <th>Internet Explorer</th>
   <th>Microsoft Edge</th>
   <th>Opera</th>
   <th>Safari (WebKit)</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>Basic support</td>
   <td>13 {{property_prefix("webkit")}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatGeckoDesktop(50)}}<sup>[1]</sup></td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}<sup>[2]</sup></td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>copyTo()</code>, <code>getMetadata()</code>, <code>getParent()</code>, <code>moveTo()</code>, <code>remove()</code>, <code>toURL()</code></td>
   <td>13 {{property_prefix("webkit")}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>filesystem:</code> URL scheme</td>
   <td>13 {{property_prefix("webkit")}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>
</div>

<div id="compat-mobile">
<table class="compat-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th>Feature</th>
   <th>Android</th>
   <th>Chrome for Android</th>
   <th>Firefox Mobile (Gecko)</th>
   <th>IE Phone</th>
   <th>Opera Mobile</th>
   <th>Safari Mobile</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>Basic support</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>0.16 {{property_prefix("webkit")}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatGeckoMobile(50)}}<sup>[1]</sup></td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>copyTo()</code>, <code>getMetadata()</code>, <code>getParent()</code>, <code>moveTo()</code>, <code>remove()</code>, <code>toURL()</code></td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>0.16 {{property_prefix("webkit")}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>filesystem:</code> URL scheme</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>0.16 {{property_prefix("webkit")}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>
</div>

<p>[1] In Firefox, the error callback's parameter is a {{domxref("DOMError")}} rather than a {{domxref("FileError")}} object.</p>

<p>[2] Microsoft Edge calls this interface <code>WebKitEntry</code>; in addition, it implements {{domxref("FileSystemFileEntry")}} and {{domxref("FileSystemDirectoryEntry")}} as part of this interface, instead of as separate interfaces which inherit from this one.</p>

<h2 id="See_also">See also</h2>

<ul>
 <li><a href="/en-US/docs/Web/API/File_and_Directory_Entries_API">File and Directory Entries API</a></li>
 <li><a href="/en-US/docs/Web/API/File_and_Directory_Entries_API/Introduction">Introduction to the File System API</a></li>
 <li>{{domxref("FileSystemFileEntry")}} and {{domxref("FileSystemDirectoryEntry")}} are based on <code>FileSystemEntry</code>.</li>
</ul>