Background Download plugin for Apache Cordova

API provides an advanced file download functionality that persists beyond app termination, runs in the background and continues even when the user closed/suspended the application. The plugin includes progress updates and primarily designed for long-term transfer operations for resources like video, music, and large images.

Sample usage

    var fileName = "PointerEventsCordovaPlugin.wmv",
        uriString = "http://media.ch9.ms/ch9/8c03/f4fe2512-59e5-4a07-bded-124b06ac8c03/PointerEventsCordovaPlugin.wmv";
    
    // open target file for download
    window.requestFileSystem(LocalFileSystem.PERSISTENT, 0, function(fileSystem) {
        fileSystem.root.getFile(fileName, { create: true }, function (targetFile) {
            
            var onSuccess, onError, onProgress; // plugin callbacks to track operation execution status and progress
    
            var downloader = new BackgroundTransfer.BackgroundDownloader();
            // Create a new download operation.
            var download = downloader.createDownload(uriString, targetFile);
            // Start the download and persist the promise to be able to cancel the download.
            app.downloadPromise = download.startAsync().then(onSuccess, onError, onProgress);
        });
    });

onError

This callback now returns an object with the http status code if the process failed on the actual downloading of the file. The object will look like this, if for instance the server returns a 500 status code:
```
   {
     statusCode: 500
   } 
```

Internal vs External (SD card) storage on Android

External Storage

resolve cordova.file.externalDataDirectory directory in runtime

window.resolveLocalFileSystemURL(cordova.file.externalDataDirectory, function(dirEntry) {
        dirEntry.getFile(fileName, { create: true }, function (targetFile) {
            ...
        })
    }, function(error) {...})

Note, that device can be without external storage. In this case cordova.file.externalDataDirectory will be null so it should be checked before usage.

Internal Storage

resolve cordova.file.dataDirectory directory in runtime

window.resolveLocalFileSystemURL(cordova.file.dataDirectory, function(dirEntry) {
        dirEntry.getFile(fileName, { create: true }, function (targetFile) {
            ...
        })
    }, function(error) {...})

Read File Plugin quirks for more details:

Supported platforms

iOS 7.0 or later
Android

Quirks

If a download operation was completed when the application was in the background, onSuccess callback is called when the application become active.
If a download operation was completed when the application was closed, onSuccess callback is called right after the first startAsync() is called for the same uri, as if the file has been downloaded immediately.
A new download operation for the same uri resumes a pending download instead of triggering a new one. If no pending downloads found for the uri specified, a new download is started, the target file will be automatically overwritten once donwload is completed.
On Android temporary downloading file is created on external storage (limitation of DownloadManager), so if there is no external storage the downloading will fail.

dualinventive / cordova-plugin-background-download

Background Download plugin for Apache Cordova

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