[v2] AppData App directory not being created

[Linkek]

Hey everyone,

I have been trying to save some data in the AppData/Roaming/com.app-name.app folder. But the App directory is not being created. I'm not sure if it's bec of a bug or my config. But yea as the ".../Roaming/com.app-name.app" is none existing I cant create, save any files there.

As I understood it, Tauri should just generate it for me.

Here is my config:

  "$schema": "https://schema.tauri.app/config/2.0.0-rc",
  "productName": "com.app-name.app",
  "version": "0.1.0",
  "identifier": "com.app-name.app",
  "build": {
    "beforeDevCommand": "yarn dev",
    "devUrl": "http://localhost:1420",
    "beforeBuildCommand": "yarn build",
    "frontendDist": "../dist"
  },
  "app": {
    "windows": [
      {
        "title": "app-name",
        "width": 800,
        "height": 600
      }
    ],
    "security": {
      "csp": null
    }
  },
  "bundle": {
    "active": true,
    "targets": "all",
    "icon": [
      "icons/32x32.png",
      "icons/128x128.png",
      "icons/128x128@2x.png",
      "icons/icon.icns",
      "icons/icon.ico"
    ]
  }
}

default.json

  "$schema": "../gen/schemas/desktop-schema.json",
  "identifier": "default",
  "description": "Capability for the main window",
  "windows": ["main"],
	"scope:": ["$APPDATA/**"],
  "permissions": [
    "core:default",
    "shell:allow-open",
		"fs:allow-read-text-file",
		"fs:allow-write-text-file",
		"fs:allow-exists",
		"fs:allow-mkdir",
		{
      "identifier": "fs:scope",
      "allow": [
        { "path": "$APPDATA/**" }
      ]
    }
  ],
	"fs": {
    "scope": ["$APPDATA/**"],
    "allow": ["readTextFile", "writeTextFile", "mkdir", "exists"]
  }
}

Any ideas would be appreciated!

[FabianLars]

As I understood it, Tauri should just generate it for me.

What made you think that? Did our docs hint at that? If so, then please tell us about it because we need to fix that then.

Generally, Tauri does not create any directories it doesn't need internally so you always want to (try to) create the directories you need before writing to them.

[arashi-dev]

@FabianLars
so we need to always repeat this code every time we want to write to it?

await createDir(await getIdentifier(), {
  baseDir: BaseDirectory.AppData,
  recursive: true,
});

and hardcode it in capabilities for every commands?

{
  "identifier": "fs:default",
  "allow": [
    {
      "path": "$APPDATA/com.app.name"
    }
 ]
},
...

isn't there any easier workaround?
It would be much better to add another BaseDirectory that handles it automatically.

[FabianLars]

BaseDirectory.AppData already contains the identifier.
In case this happened here, do not confuse it with the Windows specific AppData folder (the parent of Local, LocalLow, Roaming)

[arashi-dev]

Now I understand! thanks for clarification. but I think it still makes confusion (at least it did to me) that it should make that directory if the BaseDirectory.AppData is pointing to. otherwise what's the point if it is not solving anything! I should NOT make directories every time I need them if they are the base directories. if a new developer comes to project, they would think: "if Tauri is handling base paths, then it should also handle their filesystem, why not"

Having this code:

```ts
await write(filename, data, {
    baseDir: BaseDirectory.AppData,
    create: true,
});

makes much more sense, than having:

await mkdir(await appDataDir());

await write(filename, data, {
    baseDir: BaseDirectory.AppData,
    create: true,
});

Is there something I am missing?

[proxie-ghanshyam]

Hey, i faced the same problem recently. I think it should be mentioned in filesystem or path api like appdatadir also needs to be created. The problem accours that when i read dir name is "addDataDir". it feels like appDatadir is a app's installed dir which should exists and contains some app files. I also didnt knew that we have to manually create the appDataDir for the app too.

I solved it as mentioned above, the solution is pretty simple. I just misunderstood too.

[raphaelnunes67]

I had the same problem. I was using the file system to save some settings from my application, such as language and my app’s state. On Windows, I found that the Tauri application wasn’t able to create my app’s folder under C:\Users<User>\AppData\Roaming. The workaround was to add handling in my “storage” class to save under C:\Users<User>\AppData\Local.

import { 
  writeTextFile, 
  readTextFile, 
  rename, 
  exists, 
  BaseDirectory,
  remove,
  mkdir
} from '@tauri-apps/plugin-fs';

const PROFILES_FILE = 'profiles.json';
const SETTINGS_FILE = 'settings.json';

export class Storage {

  constructor(){}

  private getBaseDir(): BaseDirectory {
    const isWindows = navigator.userAgent.includes('Windows');
    return isWindows ? BaseDirectory.AppLocalData : BaseDirectory.AppData;
  }

  async init(): Promise<void> {
    const baseDir = this.getBaseDir();

    try {

      await mkdir('', { baseDir: baseDir, recursive: true });

      if (!await exists(SETTINGS_FILE, { baseDir: baseDir })) {
        await this.atomicWrite(SETTINGS_FILE, DEFAULT_SETTINGS);
      }
      if (!await exists(PROFILES_FILE, { baseDir: baseDir })) {
        await this.atomicWrite(PROFILES_FILE, []);
      }
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Storage: Initialization failed', error);
    }
  }
  }