Google and Mozilla Want to Enable Web-Based Editing of Local Files–What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Seriously, that’s what they want to do. Here’s Google’s Pete LePage describing this “feature”,

Today, if a user wants to edit a local file in a web app, the web app needs to ask the user to open the file. Then, after editing the file, the only way to save changes is by downloading the file to the Downloads folder, or having to replace the original file by navigating the directory structure to find the original folder and file. This user experience leaves a lot to be desired, and makes it hard to build web apps that access user files.

The writable files API is designed to increase interoperability of web applications with native applications, making it possible for users to choose files or directories that a web app can interact with on the native file system, and without having to use a native wrapper like Electron to ship your web app.

With the Writable Files API, you could create a simple, single file editor that opens a file, allows the user to edit it, and save the changes back to the same file. Or a multi-file editor like an IDE or CAD style application where the user opens a project containing multiple files, usually together in the same directory. And there are plenty more.

Leave a Reply