File Move Google Drive API v3 PHP

Question

Using Google API v3 I try to move a file from one folder to another. I am using a wrapper class in Laravel, the file and parent IDs are correct. Developing from the documentation, I have tried code as:

public function moveFileFromTo($fileID, $toParentID) {
    $fromFile = $this->service->files->get($fileID, ['fields' => '*']);
    $fromParentID = $fromFile->getParents();
    $blankFile = new Google_Service_Drive_DriveFile();
    $this->service->files->update($fileID, $blankFile, [
        "removeParents" => $fromParentID,
        "addParents" => $toParentID
    ]);
}

However, this seems to move the file but strips out all the meta data. I have also tried

public function moveFileFromTo($fileID, $toParentID) {
    $fromFile = $this->service->files->get($fileID, ['fields' => '*']);
    $fromParentID = $fromFile->getParents();
    $fromFile->setParents($fromParentID);
    $this->service->files->update($fileID, $fromFile);
}

However, this gives the error:

Google\Service\Exception
{ "error": { "errors": [ { "domain": "global", "reason": 
"fieldNotWritable", "message": "The resource body includes fields 
which are not directly writable." } ], "code": 403, "message": "The 
resource body includes fields which are not directly writable." } }

I wish to simply move the file and retain all its metadata. From the documentation, it seems either a new empty file is required in update (really weird) or I must somehow strip out the fields of the object used in the second argument ($fromFile) it does not like to be written to (even though I am simply updating the files parents - which is writable).

See also https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/199921300

---

Problems with Answers so far: but grateful for responses

$fromFile = $this->service->files->get($fileID, ['fields' => 'parents, id']);

returns all ~75 attributes a lot of which are not writeable. Instead of the expected 2 as per PHPStorm debug (note the break is at the statement immediately following the GET request so irrelevant at this point

using

unset($fromFile->shared);

still leaves other writable attributes

and indeed the file is not actually shared

---

UPDATE TO MY CODING

public function moveFileFromTo($fileID, $toParentID) {
    $fromFile = $this->service->files->get($fileID, ["fields" => "id,parents"]);
    $fromFile = $this->getParsedWritableFile($fromFile);
    $fromFile->setParents($toParentID);
    $this->service->files->update($fileID, $fromFile, ['addParents' => $toParentID]);
}

getParsedWritableFile is trying to just set writable attributes on a new Google Drive file object:

public function getParsedWritableFile($gdrivefile) {
        $gdrivefile = new \Google_Service_Drive_DriveFile();//comment or delete, just here to check auto complete function names

        $parsedFile = new \Google_Service_Drive_DriveFile();
        //$parsedFile=$gdrivefile;
        // currently only allow these according to https://developers.google.com/drive/api/v3/reference/files#resource-representations
        $parsedFile->setName($gdrivefile->getName());//name
        $parsedFile->setMimeType($gdrivefile->getMimeType());//mimeType
        $parsedFile->setDescription($gdrivefile->getDescription());//description
        $parsedFile->setStarred($gdrivefile->getStarred());//starred
        $parsedFile->setTrashed($gdrivefile->getTrashed());//trashed
        $parsedFile->setParents($gdrivefile->getParents());//parents
        $parsedFile->setProperties($gdrivefile->getProperties());//properties  [object]
        $parsedFile->setAppProperties($gdrivefile->getAppProperties());//appProperties [object]
        $parsedFile->setCreatedTime($gdrivefile->getCreatedTime());//createdTime
        $parsedFile->setModifiedTime($gdrivefile->getModifiedTime());//modifiedTime
        $parsedFile->setWritersCanShare($gdrivefile->getWritersCanShare());//writersCanShare
        $parsedFile->setViewedByMeTime($gdrivefile->getViewedByMeTime());//viewedByMeTime
        $parsedFile->setFolderColorRgb($gdrivefile->getFolderColorRgb());//folderColorRgb
        $parsedFile->setOriginalFilename($gdrivefile->getOriginalFilename());//originalFilename
        $parsedFile->setCopyRequiresWriterPermission($gdrivefile->getCopyRequiresWriterPermission());//copyRequiresWriterPermission

        /*complex permissions*/
        /*
        contentHints.thumbnail.image
        contentHints.thumbnail.mimeType
        contentHints.indexableText
         */
        $contenthints=$gdrivefile->getContentHints();//could be null meaning further functions eg getThumbnail cause exception
        if($contenthints){
            $parsedFile->setContentHints($contenthints->getThumbnail()->getImage());
            $parsedFile->setContentHints($contenthints->getThumbnail()->getMimeType());
            $parsedFile->setContentHints($contenthints->getIndexableText());
        }

        /*no function to get indiviual attributes*/
        /*
contentRestrictions[].readOnly
ccontentRestrictions[].reason
         */
        $parsedFile->setContentRestrictions($gdrivefile->getContentRestrictions());

        //</ end>
        return $parsedFile;
    }

This is proving a bit successful but this is original meta

the above code does move it, with seemingly proper meta data, created time and EXIF data is now intact

Answer 1

I ended up creating a custom function to only include writeable attributes as specified in the Google Documentation:

public function getParsedWritableFile($gdrivefile) {
        $gdrivefile = new \Google_Service_Drive_DriveFile();//comment or delete, just here to check auto complete function names
        $parsedFile = new \Google_Service_Drive_DriveFile();

        // currently only allow these according to https://developers.google.com/drive/api/v3/reference/files#resource-representations
        $parsedFile->setName($gdrivefile->getName());//name
        $parsedFile->setMimeType($gdrivefile->getMimeType());//mimeType
        $parsedFile->setDescription($gdrivefile->getDescription());//description
        $parsedFile->setStarred($gdrivefile->getStarred());//starred
        $parsedFile->setTrashed($gdrivefile->getTrashed());//trashed
        $parsedFile->setParents($gdrivefile->getParents());//parents
        $parsedFile->setProperties($gdrivefile->getProperties());//properties  [object]
        $parsedFile->setAppProperties($gdrivefile->getAppProperties());//appProperties [object]
        $parsedFile->setCreatedTime($gdrivefile->getCreatedTime());//createdTime
        $parsedFile->setModifiedTime($gdrivefile->getModifiedTime());//modifiedTime
        $parsedFile->setWritersCanShare($gdrivefile->getWritersCanShare());//writersCanShare
        $parsedFile->setViewedByMeTime($gdrivefile->getViewedByMeTime());//viewedByMeTime
        $parsedFile->setFolderColorRgb($gdrivefile->getFolderColorRgb());//folderColorRgb
        $parsedFile->setOriginalFilename($gdrivefile->getOriginalFilename());//originalFilename
        $parsedFile->setCopyRequiresWriterPermission($gdrivefile->getCopyRequiresWriterPermission());//copyRequiresWriterPermission

        /*complex permissions*/
        /*
        contentHints.thumbnail.image
        contentHints.thumbnail.mimeType
        contentHints.indexableText
         */
        $contenthints=$gdrivefile->getContentHints();//could be null meaning further functions eg getThumbnail cause exception
        if($contenthints){
            $parsedFile->setContentHints($contenthints->getThumbnail()->getImage());
            $parsedFile->setContentHints($contenthints->getThumbnail()->getMimeType());
            $parsedFile->setContentHints($contenthints->getIndexableText());
        }

        /*no function to get indiviual attributes*/
        /*
contentRestrictions[].readOnly
ccontentRestrictions[].reason
         */
        $parsedFile->setContentRestrictions($gdrivefile->getContentRestrictions());
        return $parsedFile;
    }

and called with

public function moveFileFromTo($fileID, $toParentID) {
    $fromFile = $this->service->files->get($fileID, ["fields" => "id,parents"]);
    $fromFile = $this->getParsedWritableFile($fromFile);
    $fromFile->setParents($toParentID);
    $this->service->files->update($fileID, $fromFile, ['addParents' => $toParentID]);
}