StorageProvider

The StorageProvider is central to file and folder management. It provides methods for file and folder selection, checking platform capabilities, and interacting with stored bookmarks.

The StorageProvider can be access through an instance of TopLevel or directly from the Window class, as it inherits from TopLevel. Here are two common ways to access to the StorageProvider.

Using TopLevel.GetTopLevel

You can use the static GetTopLevel method of the TopLevel class to get the top-level control that contains the current control. After obtaining the TopLevel instance, you can then access the StorageProvider:

var topLevel = TopLevel.GetTopLevel(control);
var result = topLevel.StorageProvider.OpenFilePickerAsync(new FilePickerOpenOptions
{
    Title = "Open Text File",
    AllowMultiple = false
});

This method can be helpful if you're working within a user control or a lower-level component and need access to the StorageProvider.

Using the Window Class

Since theWindow class inherits from TopLevel, you can directly access the StorageProvider from an instance of Window:

var result = window.StorageProvider.OpenFilePickerAsync(new FilePickerOpenOptions
{
    Title = "Open Text File",
    AllowMultiple = false
});

This method is typically used when you're already working within the context of a window, such as in a ViewModel or an event handler within the Window class.

Properties

CanOpen

Indicates whether it's possible to open a file picker on the current platform.

bool CanOpen { get; }

CanSave

Indicates whether it's possible to open a save file picker on the current platform.

bool CanSave { get; }

CanPickFolder

Indicates whether it's possible to open a folder picker on the current platform.

bool CanPickFolder { get; }

Methods

OpenFilePickerAsync

Opens a file picker dialog.

Task<IReadOnlyList<IStorageFile>> OpenFilePickerAsync(FilePickerOpenOptions options);

The method returns an array of selected IStorageFile instances or an empty collection if the user cancels the dialog.

SaveFilePickerAsync

Opens a save file picker dialog.

Task<IStorageFile?> SaveFilePickerAsync(FilePickerSaveOptions options);

The method returns a saved IStorageFile instance or null if the user cancels the dialog.

OpenFolderPickerAsync

Opens a folder picker dialog.

Task<IReadOnlyList<IStorageFolder>> OpenFolderPickerAsync(FolderPickerOpenOptions options);

The method returns an array of selected IStorageFolder instances or an empty collection if the user cancels the dialog.

OpenFileBookmarkAsync

Opens a IStorageBookmarkFile from the bookmark ID.

Task<IStorageBookmarkFile?> OpenFileBookmarkAsync(string bookmark);

The method returns a bookmarked file or null if the operating system denied the request.

OpenFolderBookmarkAsync

Opens a IStorageBookmarkFolder from the bookmark ID.

Task<IStorageBookmarkFolder?> OpenFolderBookmarkAsync(string bookmark);

The method returns a bookmarked folder or null if the operating system denied the request.

TryGetFileFromPathAsync

Attempts to read a file from the file system by its path.

Task<IStorageFile?> TryGetFileFromPathAsync(Uri filePath);

The method returns a file or null if it doesn't exist. The filePath parameter is expected to be an absolute path with a "file" scheme, but can be a URI with a "content" scheme on Android.

### TryGetFolderFromPathAsync Attempts to read a folder from the file system by its path.

Task<IStorageFolder?> TryGetFolderFromPathAsync(Uri folderPath);

The method returns a folder or null if it doesn't exist. The folderPath parameter is expected to be an absolute path with a "file" scheme, but can be a URI with a "content" scheme on Android.

TryGetWellKnownFolderAsync

Attempts to read a folder from the file system by its well-known folder identifier.

Task<IStorageFolder?> TryGetWellKnownFolderAsync(WellKnownFolder wellKnownFolder);

The method returns a folder or null if it doesn't exist.