Where to store images within Internal Memory?

Question

I have a custom camera Android application that saves captured images, according to the Google tutorials, into the external memory, then Media Scanner triggers Gallery to detect them.

But I have a new client with LG G2 that has no SD card slot, not external memory -- only internal.

I explained to him that I can only make my app store the images in internal Cache of the app, and he would access them through Root Explorer of some kind.

But he asserts that other purchased camera apps store their images so that Gallery can detect them. HOW? Please help -- I need to make my app able to do that as well.

Thanks!

UPD: Following is my code that works for other devices and deals primarily with external memory:

public static File getBaseFolder() {
    File f;
    f = null;
    try {
        f = Environment
                .getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.DIRECTORY_PICTURES);
    } catch (Exception e) {
        Utils.toasterLong("Error accessing storage: " + e.getMessage());
    }
    return f;
}

public static File getImageFolder() {
    File f;
    f = null;
    try {
        f = new File(getBaseFolder(), "Magic");
    } catch (Exception e) {
        Utils.toasterLong("Error accessing storage: " + e.getMessage());
    }
    return f;
}

/** Create a file Uri for saving an image or video */
private static Uri getOutputMediaFileUri(int type) {
    return Uri.fromFile(getOutputMediaFile(type));
}

/** Create a File for saving an image or video */
private static File getOutputMediaFile(int type) {
    // To be safe, you should check that the SDCard is mounted
    // using Environment.getExternalStorageState() before doing this.

    File mediaStorageDir = getImageFolder();
    // This location works best if you want the created images to be shared
    // between applications and persist after your app has been uninstalled.

    // Create the storage directory if it does not exist
    if (!mediaStorageDir.exists()) {
        if (!mediaStorageDir.mkdirs()) {
            Log.d(TAG, "failed to create directory");
            return null;
        }
    }

    // Create a media file name
    String timeStamp = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyyMMdd_HHmmss")
            .format(new Date());
    File mediaFile;
    if (type == MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE) {
        mediaFile = new File(mediaStorageDir.getPath() + File.separator
                + "IMG_" + timeStamp + ".jpg");
    } else if (type == MEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO) {
        mediaFile = new File(mediaStorageDir.getPath() + File.separator
                + "VID_" + timeStamp + ".mp4");
    } else {
        return null;
    }

    return mediaFile;
}

and the part of code that writes the image to external memory and triggers the scanner:

{
pictureFile = getOutputMediaFile(MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE);
                if (pictureFile == null) {
                    writeErrorDirty = true;
                    if (MyDebug.LOG)
                        Log.d(TAG,
                                "Error creating media file, check storage permissions");

                } else if (MyDebug.LOG)
                    Log.d(TAG, "Valid path=" + pictureFile.getAbsolutePath());

                FileOutputStream out = null;
                try {
                    out = new FileOutputStream(pictureFile);
                    picTaken_mod.compress(Bitmap.CompressFormat.JPEG, 90, out);
                } catch (Exception e) {
                    e.printStackTrace();
                    writeErrorDirty = true;
                } finally {
                    try {
                        if (out != null) {
                            out.close();
                        }
                    } catch (IOException e) {
                        e.printStackTrace();
                        writeErrorDirty = true;
                        if (MyDebug.LOG)
                            Log.d(TAG,
                                    "Error writing media file, check storage permissions");
                    }
                } // end try

try {
                MediaScannerConnection.scanFile(grandContext,
                        new String[] { pictureFile.getAbsolutePath() }, null,
                        new MediaScannerConnection.OnScanCompletedListener() {
                            public void onScanCompleted(String path, Uri uri) {
                                // now visible in gallery
                            }
                        });
            } catch (Exception e) {
                if (MyDebug.LOG)
                    Log.d(TAG,
                            "Error broadcasting the image: " + e.getMessage());
                // writeErrorDirty = true;
            }
}

Answer 1

But I have a new client with LG G2 that has no SD card slot, not external memory -- only internal.

You have both internal storage and external storage on that device. You may not have removable storage, but removable storage is not internal storage and it is not external storage.

Please understand that what the Android SDK refers to as internal storage and external storage is tied to the Android SDK as does not necessarily line up with what information is shown to the user (e.g., in Settings).

But he asserts that other purchased camera apps store their images so that Gallery can detect them. HOW?

They wrote the images to external storage, then used MediaScannerConnection to inform the Gallery and other apps that use the MediaStore ContentProvider that the files are there.