thechromesource – Google Chrome and Chrome OS News and Forum

Chrome 7 Brings File API to the Browser

Posted on 21. Oct, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey in News

While mentioned in the post announcing the release of Chrome 7 stable, not much has ever been said about the File API that has quietly been implemented into the browser. If you have heard recently about the fact that you can now drag and drop files from your desktop and into Google Docs to upload them, that is a perfect example of the File API in action.

The API itself is actually an open standard that has been developed in conjunction with the W3C. That’s why you can use the Google Docs drag and drop feature not just in Chrome, but also in Firefox and Safari.

We should expect to see more File API capabilities enabled in the browser, but the reason why Google is so interested in it is of course because of Chrome OS. Many people have speculated on how a filesystem will work in the operating system, and the fact of the matter is that it won’t behave much differently other than the fact that folders and file structures are viewed in HTML form, and that the root will be locked down for security reasons.

It’s possible, for example, that Google Music may use this to store playlists or perhaps even music files locally to a machine, but run those files completely in the browser. The Music service is expected to launch before the end of the year if Google can get major labels on board.

As if this may not dazzle you enough, don’t fret: there are standards in place for two more specifications to add more functionality to the File API – File System, which allows sandboxed use of a computer’s file hierarchies as well as File Writer API, which will allow webapps to write to local files.

What other purposes do you see for files on web applications? Digital music? Photo editing?

Tags: Chrome OS filesystem, File API, File API Chrome, File API Chrome 7, File API Google Docs, File API W3C, File System API, File Writer API, Google Music, Google Music File API