How to get camera result as a uri in data folder?

I am creating an application in which I want to capture a image and then I want to send that image in the email as a attachment.

I am opening a camera using android.provider.MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE intent action and I am passing the Uri of the file as a parameter EXTRA_OUTPUT to get the image back to the file. This is working perfectly and I am able to get the captured image if I use the external storage uri as a EXTRA_OUTPUT but if I use the data folder uri it is not working and the camera is not closing and its all buttons are not working.

Here is my code for get the result in the external storage directory

Intent i = new Intent(android.provider.MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE);
File out = Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory();
out = new File(out, imagename);
i.putExtra(MediaStore.EXTRA_OUTPUT, Uri.fromFile(out));
startActivityForResult(i, CAMERA_RESULT);

And this code is for get the image in the data folder

Intent i = new Intent(android.provider.MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE);
File out = getFilesDir();
out = new File(out, MyPharmacyOptions.PRESCRIPTION_IMAGE_NAME);
i.putExtra(MediaStore.EXTRA_OUTPUT, Uri.fromFile(out));
startActivityForResult(i, CAMERA_RESULT);

I knew that the data folder is not accessible to third application so may be this causes an issue so I have create one content provider to share the file.

Here is my content provide class

public class MyContentProvider extends ContentProvider {
	private static final String Tag = RingtonContentProvider.class.getName();
	public static final Uri CONTENT_URI = Uri
			.parse("content://x.y.z/");
	private static final HashMap<String, String> MIME_TYPES = new HashMap<String, String>();

	static {
		MIME_TYPES.put(".mp3", "audio/mp3");
		MIME_TYPES.put(".wav", "audio/mp3");
		MIME_TYPES.put(".jpg", "image/jpeg");
	}

	@Override
	public boolean onCreate() {
		return true;
	}

	@Override
	public String getType(Uri uri) {
		String path = uri.toString();

		for (String extension : MIME_TYPES.keySet()) {
			if (path.endsWith(extension)) {
				return (MIME_TYPES.get(extension));
			}
		}

		return (null);
	}

	@Override
	public ParcelFileDescriptor openFile(Uri uri, String mode)
			throws FileNotFoundException {
		File f = new File(getContext().getFilesDir(), uri.getPath());

		if (f.exists()) {
			return (ParcelFileDescriptor.open(f, ParcelFileDescriptor.MODE_READ_ONLY));
		}

		throw new FileNotFoundException(uri.getPath());
	}

	@Override
	public Cursor query(Uri url, String[] projection, String selection,
			String[] selectionArgs, String sort) {
		throw new RuntimeException("Operation not supported");
	}

	@Override
	public Uri insert(Uri uri, ContentValues initialValues) {
		File file = new File(getContext().getFilesDir(), uri.getPath());
		if(file.exists()) file.delete();
		try {
			file.createNewFile();
		} catch (IOException e) {
			// TODO Auto-generated catch block
			e.printStackTrace();
		}
		
		return Uri.fromFile(file);
	}

	@Override
	public int update(Uri uri, ContentValues values, String where,
			String[] whereArgs) {
		throw new RuntimeException("Operation not supported");
	}

	@Override
	public int delete(Uri uri, String where, String[] whereArgs) {
		File f = new File(getContext().getFilesDir(), "image1.jpg");
		if(f.exists()) f.delete();
		f = new File(getContext().getFilesDir(), "image2.jpg");
		if(f.exists()) f.delete();
		
		getContext().getContentResolver().notifyChange(CONTENT_URI, null);
		
	}
}

So to use this content provide I am using following code to pass the uri to the camera activity

Intent i = new Intent(android.provider.MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE);
Uri uri = MyContentProvider.CONTENT_URI;
uri = Uri.withAppendedPath(uri, imagename);
getContentResolver().insert(uri, null);
getContentResolver().notifyChange(RingtonContentProvider.CONTENT_URI, null);
Log.d(Tag, uri.toString());
i.putExtra(MediaStore.EXTRA_OUTPUT, uri);

startActivityForResult(i, CAMERA_RESULT);

Now if I pass the url other then external storage directory the camera is opening but it is not closing in emulator but in device the camera is going to closed but I am not getting the result.

I have declared this content provide in the manifest file

<provider
android:name=".contentproviders.MyContentProvider"
android:authorities="x.y.z" />

Also I have given the permission to write the external storage and also for use the camera.

I am able to capture the image using the external storage but I want to store the image in the data directory instead of external storage because if the external storage in not available I want to capture the image and want to send mail.

If I create content provide then I can also share my image to the email application.

If we not provide the extras with the camera intent it will return the image as a byte[] in the activity result as a data extra but this is for the purpose of the thumbnail so I can't get the high resolution image using this way.

There are two ways to solve this problem.

1. Save bitmap which you received from onActivityResult method

You can start camera through intent to capture photo using below code

Intent cameraIntent=new Intent(android.provider.MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE);
startActivityForResult(cameraIntent, CAMERA_REQUEST);

After capture photo, you will get bitmap in onActivityResult method

if (requestCode == CAMERA_REQUEST) {  
    Bitmap photo = (Bitmap) data.getExtras().get("data"); 
 }

Now you can simply save this bitmap to internal storage

Note: Here bitmap object consists of thumb image, it will not have a full resolution image

2. Save bitmap directly to internal storage using content provider

Here we will create content provider class to allow permission of local storage directory to camera activity

Sample provider example as per below

public class MyFileContentProvider extends ContentProvider {
	public static final Uri CONTENT_URI = Uri.parse
                                    ("content://com.example.camerademo/");
	private static final HashMap<String, String> MIME_TYPES = 
                                     new HashMap<String, String>();

	static {
		MIME_TYPES.put(".jpg", "image/jpeg");
		MIME_TYPES.put(".jpeg", "image/jpeg");
	}

	@Override
	public boolean onCreate() {

		try {
			File mFile = new File(getContext().getFilesDir(), "newImage.jpg");
			if(!mFile.exists()) {
				mFile.createNewFile();
			}
			getContext().getContentResolver().notifyChange(CONTENT_URI, null);
			return (true);
		} catch (Exception e) {
			e.printStackTrace();
			return false;
		}

	}

	@Override
	public String getType(Uri uri) {
		String path = uri.toString();

		for (String extension : MIME_TYPES.keySet()) {
			if (path.endsWith(extension)) {
				return (MIME_TYPES.get(extension));
			}
		}
		return (null);
	}

	@Override
	public ParcelFileDescriptor openFile(Uri uri, String mode)
	throws FileNotFoundException {

		File f = new File(getContext().getFilesDir(), "newImage.jpg");
		if (f.exists()) {
			return (ParcelFileDescriptor.open(f,
					ParcelFileDescriptor.MODE_READ_WRITE));
		}
		throw new FileNotFoundException(uri.getPath());
	}
}

After that you can simply use the URI to pass to camera activity using the below code

Intent i = new Intent(android.provider.MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE);
i.putExtra(MediaStore.EXTRA_OUTPUT, MyFileContentProvider.CONTENT_URI);
startActivityForResult(i, CAMERA_RESULT);

If you don't want to create your own provider then you can use FileProvider from support-library-v4. For detailed help you can look into this post

Best solution I found is: FileProvider (needs support-library-v4) It uses the internal storage! https://developer.android.com/reference/android/support/v4/content/FileProvider.html

1. Define your FileProvider in Manifest in Application element:

    <provider
          android:name="android.support.v4.content.FileProvider"
          android:authorities="your.package.name.fileprovider"
          android:exported="false"
          android:grantUriPermissions="true" >
          <meta-data
                     android:name="android.support.FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS"
                     android:resource="@xml/image_path" />
    </provider>
   

2. Add permissions in manifest root element:

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />
    <uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera" android:required="false" />
   

3. Define your image paths in for example res/xml/image_path.xml:

    <paths xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <files-path name="captured_image" path="your/path/"/>
    </paths>
   

4. Java:

    private static final int IMAGE_REQUEST_CODE = 1;
    // your authority, must be the same as in your manifest file 
    private static final String CAPTURE_IMAGE_FILE_PROVIDER = "your.package.name.fileprovider";
   

4.1 capture intent:

    File path = new File(activity.getFilesDir(), "your/path");
    if (!path.exists()) path.mkdirs();
    File image = new File(path, "image.jpg");
    Uri imageUri = FileProvider.getUriForFile(activity, CAPTURE_IMAGE_FILE_PROVIDER, image);
    Intent intent = new Intent(MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE);
    intent.putExtra(MediaStore.EXTRA_OUTPUT, imageUri);
    startActivityForResult(intent, IMAGE_REQUEST_CODE);

4.2 onActivityResult():

    @Override
    public void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent intent) {
	    if (requestCode == IMAGE_REQUEST_CODE) {
		    if (resultCode == Activity.RESULT_OK) {
                File path = new File(getFilesDir(), "your/path");
	            if (!path.exists()) path.mkdirs();
	            File imageFile = new File(path, "image.jpg");
	            // use imageFile to open your image
		    }
	    }
	    super.onActivityResult(requestCode, resultCode, intent);
    }

Intent to call to capture photo,

Intent cameraIntent = new Intent(android.provider.MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE);  
startActivityForResult(cameraIntent, CAMERA_REQUEST);  

Then Take Bitmap in ActivityResult

 if (requestCode == CAMERA_REQUEST) {   
            Bitmap photo = (Bitmap) data.getExtras().get("data");  
 }   

Then Write that Into Internal Memory, see this

// The openfileOutput() method creates a file on the phone/internal storage in the context of your application  
final FileOutputStream fos = openFileOutput("my_new_image.jpg", Context.MODE_PRIVATE); 
 
// Use the compress method on the BitMap object to write image to the OutputStream 
bm.compress(CompressFormat.JPEG, 90, fos); 

Then next time to read that file,

Bitmap bitmap = BitmapFactory.decodeFile(file); 

At first save came photo in your external storage and try it -

@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
   super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
   setContentView(R.layout.main);
   this.imageView = (ImageView)this.findViewById(R.id.imageView1);
   Button photoButton = (Button) this.findViewById(R.id.button1);
   photoButton.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {

    @Override
    public void onClick(View v) {
        Intent cameraIntent = new Intent(android.provider.MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE); 
        startActivityForResult(cameraIntent, CAMERA_REQUEST); 
    }
});
}

protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {  
   if (requestCode == CAMERA_REQUEST) {  
        Bitmap bmp = intent.getExtras().get("data");
        ByteArrayOutputStream stream = new ByteArrayOutputStream();

         bmp.compress(Bitmap.CompressFormat.PNG, 100, stream);
         byte[] byteArray = stream.toByteArray(); // convert camera photo to byte array
         
         // save it in your external storage.
        FileOutputStream fo = new FileOutputStream(new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/_camera.png"));
		
		fo.write(byteArray);
		fo.flush();
		fo.close();
   }  
} 

Next target -

File cameraFile = new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/_camera.png");					
startActivityForResult(Intent.createChooser(new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SEND)
		.setType("image/jpg")
		.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SUBJECT, "Subject")
		.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_STREAM, Uri.fromFile(cameraFile))
		.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_TEXT, textBody), "Send your message using"), Constant.EMAIL);

You can also do this without needing a content provider since you will need the sd card to open the camera image capture intent anyway. You can of course hack around the presence of the sd card but not with the camera intent capture....So you are checking for external storage but need it at this point.... FYI you should also check out a crop library like crop-image instead of using native, as it is not well supported across devices.

File mediaStorageDir;
String photoFileName = "photo.jpg";


    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

    // page = getArguments().getInt("someInt", 0);
    // title = getArguments().getString("someTitle");
    // Get safe storage directory for photos
        mediaStorageDir = new File(
                Environment                          .getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.DIRECTORY_PICTURES),
                APP_TAG);
        // Create the storage directory if it does not exist
        if (!mediaStorageDir.exists() && !mediaStorageDir.mkdirs()) {
            Log.d(APP_TAG, "Directory exists: " + mediaStorageDir.isDirectory());
            Log.d(APP_TAG, "Directory exists: " + mediaStorageDir.getPath());
            Log.d(APP_TAG,
                    "Directory exists: "
                            + Environment.getExternalStorageState());
            Log.d(APP_TAG, "failed to create directory");
        }

}

in your 'take the pic' code:

            Intent intent = new Intent(MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE);
            intent.putExtra(MediaStore.EXTRA_OUTPUT, getPhotoFileUri(photoFileName));

...

public Uri getPhotoFileUri(String fileName) {
   
    return Uri.fromFile(new File(mediaStorageDir.getPath() + File.separator
            + fileName));
}

After researching this bug for some time, I have noticed that the activity that called the camera intent is only restarted when the phone is running out of memory. so because the activity is restarted, the object holding the path or Uri to the captured image is refreshed (nulled)

so I would suggest you catch/ detect the null object in the onActivityResult, and prompt the user to free up space on their device or restart their phone for a quick temporary fix.