Getting started in EJ2 TypeScript File Manager component

31 Jan 202624 minutes to read

This section explains how to create the File Manager component and configure its features in TypeScript using the Essential® JS 2 quickstart seed repository.

This application is integrated with the webpack.config.js configuration and uses the latest version of the webpack-cli. It requires node v14.15.0 or higher. For more information about webpack and its features, refer to the webpack documentation.

Dependencies

The following are the dependencies required to use the File Manager component in your application:

|-- @syncfusion/ej2-filemanager
    |-- @syncfusion/ej2-base
    |-- @syncfusion/ej2-layouts
    |-- @syncfusion/ej2-popups
    |-- @syncfusion/ej2-data
    |-- @syncfusion/ej2-inputs
    |-- @syncfusion/ej2-lists
    |-- @syncfusion/ej2-buttons
    |-- @syncfusion/ej2-splitbuttons
    |-- @syncfusion/ej2-navigations
    |-- @syncfusion/ej2-grids

Set up development environment

Open a command prompt in the desired directory and run the following command to clone the Syncfusion® JavaScript (Essential® JS 2) quickstart project from GitHub.

git clone https://github.com/SyncfusionExamples/ej2-quickstart-webpack- ej2-quickstart

After cloning the application in the ej2-quickstart folder, run the following command line to navigate to the ej2-quickstart folder.

cd ej2-quickstart

Add Syncfusion® JavaScript packages

Syncfusion® JavaScript (Essential® JS 2) packages are available on the npmjs.com public registry. You can install all Syncfusion® JavaScript (Essential® JS 2) controls in a single @syncfusion/ej2 package or individual packages for each control.

The quickstart application is preconfigured with the dependent @syncfusion/ej2 package in the ~/package.json file. Use the following command to install the dependent npm packages from the command prompt.

npm install

Import the Syncfusion® CSS styles

Import the File Manager and its dependent control styles in the ~/src/styles/styles.css file as shown below:

@import '../../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-base/styles/tailwind3.css';
@import '../../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-icons/styles/tailwind3.css';
@import '../../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-inputs/styles/tailwind3.css';
@import '../../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-popups/styles/tailwind3.css';
@import '../../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-buttons/styles/tailwind3.css';
@import '../../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-splitbuttons/styles/tailwind3.css';
@import '../../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-navigations/styles/tailwind3.css';
@import '../../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-layouts/styles/tailwind3.css';
@import '../../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-grids/styles/tailwind3.css';
@import '../../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-filemanager/styles/tailwind3.css';

Initialize the File Manager

Now, initialize the Essential® JS 2 File Manager component in your application. To get started, add an HTML <div> element with the id attribute value filemanager to your index.html.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">

<head>
    <title>Essential JS 2 File Manager control</title>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=no" />
    <meta name="description" content="Essential JS 2" />
    <meta name="author" content="Syncfusion" />
    <link href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.7/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet" />
</head>

<body>
    <!--element which is going to render the File Manager-->
    <div id="filemanager"></div>
</body>

</html>

Now, import the File Manager component into your app.ts and append it to #filemanager as follows.

import { FileManager } from '@syncfusion/ej2-filemanager';

let hostUrl: string = 'https://ej2-aspcore-service.azurewebsites.net/';
// initialize File Manager Control
let filemanagerInstance: FileManager = new FileManager({
    ajaxSettings: {
        url: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/FileOperations'
    }
});

// render initialized File Manager
filemanagerInstance.appendTo('#filemanager');

Note: The ajaxSettings must be defined when initializing the File Manager. The File Manager uses the URLs specified in ajaxSettings to send file operation requests to the server.
The File Manager service link is provided in hostUrl.

Run the application

Now use the npm run start command to run the application in the browser.

npm run start

The following example shows the basic File Manager component.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">

<head>
    <title>Essential JS 2 File Manager</title>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <meta name="description" content="Essential JS 2 File Manager Control" />
    <meta name="author" content="Syncfusion" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-base/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-inputs/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-popups/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-buttons/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-splitbuttons/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-layouts/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-navigations/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-grids/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-filemanager/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/systemjs/0.19.38/system.js"></script>
    <script src="systemjs.config.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/syncfusion-helper.js" type ="text/javascript"></script>
</head>
<body>
    <div id='loader'>Loading....</div>
    <div id="filemanager"></div>
</body>
</html>
import { FileManager } from '@syncfusion/ej2-filemanager';

let hostUrl: string = 'https://ej2-aspcore-service.azurewebsites.net/';
// initialize File Manager Control
let filemanagerInstance: FileManager = new FileManager({
    ajaxSettings: {
        url: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/FileOperations'
    },
    height: '380px'
});

// render initialized File Manager
filemanagerInstance.appendTo('#filemanager');

File download support

To perform the download operation, initialize the downloadUrl property in ajaxSettings of the File Manager component.

import { FileManager } from '@syncfusion/ej2-filemanager';

let hostUrl: string = 'https://ej2-aspcore-service.azurewebsites.net/';
// initialize File Manager Control
let filemanagerInstance: FileManager = new FileManager({
    ajaxSettings: {
        url: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/FileOperations',
        downloadUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/Download'
    }
});

// render initialized File Manager
filemanagerInstance.appendTo('#filemanager');

File upload support

To perform the upload operation, initialize the uploadUrl property in ajaxSettings of the File Manager component.

import { FileManager } from '@syncfusion/ej2-filemanager';

let hostUrl: string = 'https://ej2-aspcore-service.azurewebsites.net/';
// initialize File Manager Control
let filemanagerInstance: FileManager = new FileManager({
    ajaxSettings: {
        url: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/FileOperations',
        uploadUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/Upload'
    }
});

// render initialized File Manager
filemanagerInstance.appendTo('#filemanager');

Image preview support

To enable image preview in the File Manager component, initialize the getImageUrl property in ajaxSettings.

import { FileManager } from '@syncfusion/ej2-filemanager';

let hostUrl: string = 'https://ej2-aspcore-service.azurewebsites.net/';
// initialize File Manager Control
let filemanagerInstance: FileManager = new FileManager({
    ajaxSettings: {
        url: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/FileOperations',
        getImageUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/GetImage'
    },
    height: '380px'
});

// render initialized File Manager
filemanagerInstance.appendTo('#filemanager');
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">

<head>
    <title>Essential JS 2 File Manager</title>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <meta name="description" content="Essential JS 2 File Manager Control" />
    <meta name="author" content="Syncfusion" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-base/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-inputs/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-popups/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-buttons/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-splitbuttons/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-layouts/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-navigations/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-grids/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-filemanager/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/systemjs/0.19.38/system.js"></script>
    <script src="systemjs.config.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/syncfusion-helper.js" type ="text/javascript"></script>
</head>
<body>
    <div id='loader'>Loading....</div>
    <div id="filemanager"></div>
</body>
</html>

Injecting feature modules

The File Manager includes a context menu for file operations, a large-icons view for displaying files and folders, and a breadcrumb for navigation. These functionalities can be extended using additional feature modules such as Toolbar, NavigationPane, and DetailsView to simplify navigation and file operations. Inject these modules using the FileManager.Inject() method.

import { FileManager, Toolbar, NavigationPane, DetailsView } from '@syncfusion/ej2-filemanager';

FileManager.Inject(Toolbar, NavigationPane, DetailsView)

let hostUrl: string = 'https://ej2-aspcore-service.azurewebsites.net/';
// initialize File Manager Control
let filemanagerInstance: FileManager = new FileManager({
    ajaxSettings: {
        url: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/FileOperations',
        getImageUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/GetImage',
        uploadUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/Upload',
        downloadUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/Download'
    }
});
// render initialized File Manager
filemanagerInstance.appendTo('#filemanager');

The following example shows the File Manager with all feature modules.

import { FileManager, Toolbar, NavigationPane, DetailsView } from '@syncfusion/ej2-filemanager';

FileManager.Inject(Toolbar, NavigationPane, DetailsView)

let hostUrl: string = 'https://ej2-aspcore-service.azurewebsites.net/';
// initialize File Manager Control
let filemanagerInstance: FileManager = new FileManager({
    ajaxSettings: {
        url: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/FileOperations',
        getImageUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/GetImage',
        uploadUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/Upload',
        downloadUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/Download'
    },
    height: '380px'
});

// render initialized File Manager
filemanagerInstance.appendTo('#filemanager');
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">

<head>
    <title>Essential JS 2 File Manager</title>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <meta name="description" content="Essential JS 2 File Manager Control" />
    <meta name="author" content="Syncfusion" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-base/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-inputs/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-popups/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-buttons/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-splitbuttons/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-layouts/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-navigations/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-grids/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-filemanager/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/systemjs/0.19.38/system.js"></script>
    <script src="systemjs.config.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/syncfusion-helper.js" type ="text/javascript"></script>
</head>
<body>
    <div id='loader'>Loading....</div>
    <div id="filemanager"></div>
</body>
</html>

Note: Customize the appearance of the File Manager using the cssClass property. This adds a CSS class to the root element, which can be used to add new styles or override existing styles for the File Manager.

Switching initial view of the File Manager

Change the initial view of the File Manager to Details or Large Icons using the view property. By default, the File Manager renders in Large Icons view.

import { FileManager, Toolbar, NavigationPane, DetailsView } from '@syncfusion/ej2-filemanager';

FileManager.Inject(Toolbar, NavigationPane, DetailsView)

let hostUrl: string = 'https://ej2-aspcore-service.azurewebsites.net/';
// initialize File Manager Control
let filemanagerInstance: FileManager = new FileManager({
    ajaxSettings: {
        url: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/FileOperations',
        getImageUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/GetImage',
        uploadUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/Upload',
        downloadUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/Download'
    },
    // Initial view of File Manager is set to details view
    view: "Details",
    height: '380px'
});

// render initialized File Manager
filemanagerInstance.appendTo('#filemanager');
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">

<head>
    <title>Essential JS 2 File Manager</title>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <meta name="description" content="Essential JS 2 File Manager Control" />
    <meta name="author" content="Syncfusion" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-base/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-inputs/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-popups/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-buttons/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-splitbuttons/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-layouts/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-navigations/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-grids/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-filemanager/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/systemjs/0.19.38/system.js"></script>
    <script src="systemjs.config.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/syncfusion-helper.js" type ="text/javascript"></script>
</head>
<body>
    <div id='loader'>Loading....</div>
    <div id="filemanager"></div>
</body>
</html>

Maintaining control state on page reload

The File Manager can maintain its state on page reload. Enable the enablePersistence property to preserve the following:

  • Previous view of the File Manager - view
  • Previous path of the File Manager - path
  • Previous selected items of the File Manager - selectedItems
import { FileManager, Toolbar, NavigationPane, DetailsView, SuccessEventArgs, FailureEventArgs } from '@syncfusion/ej2-filemanager';

FileManager.Inject(Toolbar, NavigationPane, DetailsView)

let hostUrl: string = 'https://ej2-aspcore-service.azurewebsites.net/';
// initialize File Manager Control
let filemanagerInstance: FileManager = new FileManager({
    ajaxSettings: {
        url: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/FileOperations',
        getImageUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/GetImage',
        uploadUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/Upload',
        downloadUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/Download'
    },
    enablePersistence: true,
    height: '380px'
});

// render initialized File Manager
filemanagerInstance.appendTo('#filemanager');
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">

<head>
    <title>Essential JS 2 File Manager</title>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <meta name="description" content="Essential JS 2 File Manager Control" />
    <meta name="author" content="Syncfusion" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-base/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-inputs/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-popups/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-buttons/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-splitbuttons/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-layouts/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-navigations/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-grids/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-filemanager/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/systemjs/0.19.38/system.js"></script>
    <script src="systemjs.config.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/syncfusion-helper.js" type ="text/javascript"></script>
</head>
<body>
    <div id='loader'>Loading....</div>
    <div id="filemanager"></div>
</body>
</html>

Note: The files of the current folder opened in the File Manager can be refreshed programmatically by calling refreshFiles method.

Rendering control in right-to-left direction

Render the File Manager in the right-to-left direction by setting the enableRtl API to true.

import { FileManager, Toolbar, NavigationPane, DetailsView } from '@syncfusion/ej2-filemanager';

FileManager.Inject(Toolbar, NavigationPane, DetailsView)

let hostUrl: string = 'https://ej2-aspcore-service.azurewebsites.net/';
// initialize File Manager Control
let filemanagerInstance: FileManager = new FileManager({
    ajaxSettings: {
        url: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/FileOperations',
        getImageUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/GetImage',
        uploadUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/Upload',
        downloadUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/Download'
    },
    enableRtl: true,
    height: '380px'
});

// render initialized File Manager
filemanagerInstance.appendTo('#filemanager');
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">

<head>
    <title>Essential JS 2 File Manager</title>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <meta name="description" content="Essential JS 2 File Manager Control" />
    <meta name="author" content="Syncfusion" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-base/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-inputs/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-popups/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-buttons/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-splitbuttons/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-layouts/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-navigations/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-grids/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/32.1.19/ej2-filemanager/styles/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/systemjs/0.19.38/system.js"></script>
    <script src="systemjs.config.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/syncfusion-helper.js" type ="text/javascript"></script>
</head>
<body>
    <div id='loader'>Loading....</div>
    <div id="filemanager"></div>
</body>
</html>

Specifying the current path of the File Manager

The current path of the File Manager can be specified initially or dynamically using the path property.

The following code snippet demonstrates specifying the current path when rendering the File Manager.

import { FileManager, Toolbar, NavigationPane, DetailsView } from '@syncfusion/ej2-filemanager';

FileManager.Inject(Toolbar, NavigationPane, DetailsView)

let hostUrl: string = 'https://ej2-aspcore-service.azurewebsites.net/';
// initialize File Manager Control
let filemanagerInstance: FileManager = new FileManager({
    ajaxSettings: {
        url: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/FileOperations',
        getImageUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/GetImage',
        uploadUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/Upload',
        downloadUrl: hostUrl + 'api/FileManager/Download'
    },
    // Specify the required current path
    path: '/Food'
});

// render initialized File Manager
filemanagerInstance.appendTo('#filemanager');