Binding to Custom File System Provider

• Aug 01, 2019
• 2 minutes to read

FileManager allows you to implement a custom system provider.

To create a custom provider, follow the steps below.

1. Create your own provider class by inheriting it from the base FileSystemProviderBase class.

   C#

   public class LinqFileSystemProvider : FileSystemProviderBase {
        ...
   }
   

2. Provide implementation for the required virtual methods in your class. If you inherit from FileSystemProviderBase, the implementation of the following methods is essential:

   • FileSystemProviderBase.GetFiles,
   • FileSystemProviderBase.GetFolders,
   • FileSystemProviderBase.ReadFile,
   • FileSystemProviderBase.Exists.
   C#

   public class LinqFileSystemProvider : FileSystemProviderBase {
   
        ...
   
        public override IEnumerable<FileManagerFile> GetFiles(FileManagerFolder folder) {
             DbFileSystemItem dbFolderItem = FindDbFolderItem(folder);
                  return
                  from dbItem in DataContext.DbFileSystemItems
                  where !dbItem.IsFolder && dbItem.ParentId == dbFolderItem.Id
                  select new FileManagerFile(this, folder, dbItem.Name);
        }
        public override IEnumerable<FileManagerFolder> GetFolders(FileManagerFolder parentFolder) {
             DbFileSystemItem dbFolderItem = FindDbFolderItem(parentFolder);
             return
             from dbItem in FolderCache.Values
             where dbItem.IsFolder && dbItem.ParentId == dbFolderItem.Id
             select new FileManagerFolder(this, parentFolder, dbItem.Name);
        }
        public override bool Exists(FileManagerFile file) {
             return FindDbFileItem(file) != null;
        }
        public override bool Exists(FileManagerFolder folder) {
             return FindDbFolderItem(folder) != null;
        }
        public override System.IO.Stream ReadFile(FileManagerFile file) {
             return new MemoryStream(FindDbFileItem(file).Data.ToArray());
        }
   }
   

3. Bind the FileManager to your provider class instance via the FileManagerExtension.BindToFileSystemProvider method. FileManager will use your custom provider to access data.

   Controller code:

   C#

   
   using System.Web.Mvc;
   
   namespace MyProject {
       public partial class HomeController : Controller {
   
           public MyProject.Models.LinqFileSystemProvider dataSource = new MyProject.Models.LinqFileSystemProvider();
           public ActionResult Index() {
               return View(dataSource);
           }
           [ValidateInput(false)]
           public ActionResult DataBindingPartial() {
               return View("DataBindingPartial", dataSource);
           }
       }
   }
   

   View code:

   C#

   
   @model LinqFileSystemProvider
   
   @using(Html.BeginForm()) {
       @Html.Partial("DataBindingPartial", Model)
   }
   

   Partial View code (“DataBindingPartial.cshtml”):

   C#

   
   @Html.DevExpress().FileManager(
       settings => {
           settings.Name = "fileManager";
           settings.CallbackRouteValues = new { Controller = "Home", Action = "DataBindingPartial" };
   
           settings.Settings.InitialFolder = "Salvador Dali\\1936 - 1945"; // Folder within the data source
           settings.Settings.ThumbnailFolder = Url.Content("~/Content/FileManager/Thumbnails"); 
   
           settings.SettingsEditing.AllowCreate = true;
           settings.SettingsEditing.AllowDelete = true;
           settings.SettingsEditing.AllowMove = true;
           settings.SettingsEditing.AllowRename = true;
       }
   ).BindToFileSystemProvider(Model)
   .GetHtml()
   

Online Demo

• File Manager - Data Binding