Getting Started with Blazor FileManager Component

19 Apr 202323 minutes to read

This section briefly explains about how to include Blazor FileManager component in your Blazor Server App and Blazor WebAssembly App using Visual Studio.

Prerequisites

Create a new Blazor App in Visual Studio

You can create Blazor Server App or Blazor WebAssembly App using Visual Studio in one of the following ways,

Install Syncfusion Blazor FileManager NuGet in the App

Syncfusion Blazor components are available in nuget.org. To use Syncfusion Blazor components in the application, add reference to the corresponding NuGet. Refer to NuGet packages topic for available NuGet packages list with component details and Benefits of using individual NuGet packages.

To add Blazor FileManager component in the app, open the NuGet package manager in Visual Studio (Tools → NuGet Package Manager → Manage NuGet Packages for Solution), search for Syncfusion.Blazor.FileManager and then install it.

Register Syncfusion Blazor Service

Open ~/_Imports.razor file and import the Syncfusion.Blazor namespace.

@using Syncfusion.Blazor

Now, register the Syncfusion Blazor Service in the Blazor Server App or Blazor WebAssembly App. Here, Syncfusion Blazor Service is registered by setting IgnoreScriptIsolation property as true to load the scripts externally in the next steps.

NOTE

From 2022 Vol-1 (20.1) version, the default value of IgnoreScriptIsolation is changed to true. It is not necessary to set the IgnoreScriptIsolation property to refer scripts externally, since the default value has already been changed to true, and this property is obsolete.

Blazor Server App

  • For .NET 6 and .NET 7 app, open the ~/Program.cs file and register the Syncfusion Blazor Service.

  • For .NET 5 and .NET 3.X app, open the ~/Startup.cs file and register the Syncfusion Blazor Service.

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Components;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Components.Web;
using Syncfusion.Blazor;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

// Add services to the container.
builder.Services.AddRazorPages();
builder.Services.AddServerSideBlazor();
builder.Services.AddSyncfusionBlazor();

var app = builder.Build();
....
using Syncfusion.Blazor;

namespace BlazorApplication
{
    public class Startup
    {
        ...
        public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
        {
            services.AddRazorPages();
            services.AddServerSideBlazor();
            services.AddSyncfusionBlazor();
        }
        ...
    }
}

Blazor WebAssembly App

Open ~/Program.cs file and register the Syncfusion Blazor Service in the client web app.

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Components.Web;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Components.WebAssembly.Hosting;
using Syncfusion.Blazor;

var builder = WebAssemblyHostBuilder.CreateDefault(args);
builder.RootComponents.Add<App>("#app");
builder.RootComponents.Add<HeadOutlet>("head::after");

builder.Services.AddScoped(sp => new HttpClient { BaseAddress = new Uri(builder.HostEnvironment.BaseAddress) });

builder.Services.AddSyncfusionBlazor();
await builder.Build().RunAsync();
....
using Syncfusion.Blazor;

namespace WebApplication1
{
    public class Program
    {
        public static async Task Main(string[] args)
        {
            ....
            builder.Services.AddSyncfusionBlazor();
            await builder.Build().RunAsync();
        }
    }
}

Add Style Sheet

Checkout the Blazor Themes topic to learn different ways (Static Web Assets, CDN and CRG) to refer themes in Blazor application, and to have the expected appearance for Syncfusion Blazor components. Here, the theme is referred using Static Web Assets. Refer to Enable static web assets usage topic to use static assets in your project.

To add theme to the app, open the NuGet package manager in Visual Studio (Tools → NuGet Package Manager → Manage NuGet Packages for Solution), search for Syncfusion.Blazor.Themes and then install it. Then, the theme style sheet from NuGet can be referred as follows,

NOTE

If you are using Syncfusion.Blazor single NuGet, you don’t have to refer Syncfusion.Blazor.Themes NuGet. Since style sheets already inside the assets of Syncfusion.Blazor NuGet.

Blazor Server App

  • For .NET 6 app, add the Syncfusion bootstrap5 theme in the <head> of the ~/Pages/_Layout.cshtml file.

  • For .NET 3.X, .NET 5 and .NET 7 app, add the Syncfusion bootstrap5 theme in the <head> of the ~/Pages/_Host.cshtml file.

<head>
    ...
    <link href="_content/Syncfusion.Blazor.Themes/bootstrap5.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <!--Refer theme style sheet as below if you are using Syncfusion.Blazor Single NuGet-->
    <!--<link href="_content/Syncfusion.Blazor/styles/bootstrap5.css" rel="stylesheet" />-->
</head>
<head>
    ...
    <link href="_content/Syncfusion.Blazor.Themes/bootstrap5.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <!--Refer theme style sheet as below if you are using Syncfusion.Blazor Single NuGet-->
    <!--<link href="_content/Syncfusion.Blazor/styles/bootstrap5.css" rel="stylesheet" />-->
</head>

Blazor WebAssembly App

For Blazor WebAssembly App, refer the theme style sheet from NuGet in the <head> of wwwroot/index.html file in the client web app.

<head>
    ...
    <link href="_content/Syncfusion.Blazor.Themes/bootstrap5.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <!--Refer theme style sheet as below if you are using Syncfusion.Blazor Single NuGet-->
    <!--<link href="_content/Syncfusion.Blazor/styles/bootstrap5.css" rel="stylesheet" />-->
</head>

Add Script Reference

Checkout Adding Script Reference topic to learn different ways to add script reference in Blazor Application. In this getting started walk-through, the required scripts are referred using Static Web Assets externally inside the <head> as follows. Refer to Enable static web assets usage topic to use static assets in your project.

Blazor Server App

  • For .NET 6 app, refer script in the <head> of the ~/Pages/_Layout.cshtml file.

  • For .NET 3.X, .NET 5 and .NET 7 app, refer script in the <head> of the ~/Pages/_Host.cshtml file.

<head>
    ....
    <link href="_content/Syncfusion.Blazor.Themes/bootstrap5.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <script src="_content/Syncfusion.Blazor.Core/scripts/syncfusion-blazor.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
    <!--Use below script reference if you are using Syncfusion.Blazor Single NuGet-->
    <!--<script  src="_content/Syncfusion.Blazor/scripts/syncfusion-blazor.min.js"  type="text/javascript"></script>-->
</head>
<head>
    ....
    <link href="_content/Syncfusion.Blazor.Themes/bootstrap5.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <script src="_content/Syncfusion.Blazor.Core/scripts/syncfusion-blazor.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
    <!--Use below script reference if you are using Syncfusion.Blazor Single NuGet-->
    <!--<script  src="_content/Syncfusion.Blazor/scripts/syncfusion-blazor.min.js"  type="text/javascript"></script>-->
</head>

Blazor WebAssembly App

For Blazor WebAssembly App, refer script in the <head> of the ~/index.html file.

<head>
    ....
    <link href="_content/Syncfusion.Blazor.Themes/bootstrap5.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <script src="_content/Syncfusion.Blazor.Core/scripts/syncfusion-blazor.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
    <!--Use below script reference if you are using Syncfusion.Blazor Single NuGet-->
    <!--<script  src="_content/Syncfusion.Blazor/scripts/syncfusion-blazor.min.js"  type="text/javascript"></script>-->
</head>

NOTE

Syncfusion recommends to reference scripts using Static Web Assets, CDN and CRG by disabling JavaScript isolation for better loading performance of the Blazor application.

Add Blazor FileManager component

  • Open ~/_Imports.razor file or any other page under the ~/Pages folder where the component is to be added and import the Syncfusion.Blazor.FileManager namespace.
@using Syncfusion.Blazor
@using Syncfusion.Blazor.FileManager
  • Now, add the Syncfusion FileManager component in razor file. Here, the FileManager component is added in the ~/Pages/Index.razor file under the ~/Pages folder.
<SfFileManager TValue="FileManagerDirectoryContent">
    <FileManagerAjaxSettings Url="/api/SampleData/FileOperations">
    </FileManagerAjaxSettings>
</SfFileManager>

Initialize the service in controller

File Manager supports the basic file actions like Read, Delete, Copy, Move, Get Details, Search, Rename, and Create New Folder.

To initialize a local service, create a new folder name with Controllers inside the server part of the project. Then, create a new file SampleDataController with extension .cs inside the Controllers folder and add the following code in that file.

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Hosting;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http.Features;
//File Manager's base functions are available in the below namespace.
using Syncfusion.EJ2.FileManager.Base;
//File Manager's operations are available in the below namespace.
using Syncfusion.EJ2.FileManager.PhysicalFileProvider;
using Newtonsoft.Json;
using System.Linq;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace filemanager.Server.Controllers
{
    [Route("api/[controller]")]
    public class SampleDataController : Controller
    {
        public PhysicalFileProvider operation;
        public string basePath;
        string root = "wwwroot\\Files";
        [Obsolete]
        public SampleDataController(IHostingEnvironment hostingEnvironment)
        {
            this.basePath = hostingEnvironment.ContentRootPath;
            this.operation = new PhysicalFileProvider();
            this.operation.RootFolder(this.basePath + "\\" + this.root); // It denotes in which files and folders are available.
        }

        // Processing the File Manager operations.
        [Route("FileOperations")]
        public object FileOperations([FromBody] FileManagerDirectoryContent args)
        {
            switch (args.Action)
            {
                // Add your custom action here.
                case "read":
                    // Path - Current path; ShowHiddenItems - Boolean value to show/hide hidden items.
                    return this.operation.ToCamelCase(this.operation.GetFiles(args.Path, args.ShowHiddenItems));
                case "delete":
                    // Path - Current path where the folder to be deleted; Names - Name of the files to be deleted
                    return this.operation.ToCamelCase(this.operation.Delete(args.Path, args.Names));
                case "copy":
                    //  Path - Path from where the file was copied; TargetPath - Path where the file/folder is to be copied; RenameFiles - Files with same name in the copied location that is confirmed for renaming; TargetData - Data of the copied file
                    return this.operation.ToCamelCase(this.operation.Copy(args.Path, args.TargetPath, args.Names, args.RenameFiles, args.TargetData));
                case "move":
                    // Path - Path from where the file was cut; TargetPath - Path where the file/folder is to be moved; RenameFiles - Files with same name in the moved location that is confirmed for renaming; TargetData - Data of the moved file
                    return this.operation.ToCamelCase(this.operation.Move(args.Path, args.TargetPath, args.Names, args.RenameFiles, args.TargetData));
                case "details":
                    // Path - Current path where details of file/folder is requested; Name - Names of the requested folders
                    return this.operation.ToCamelCase(this.operation.Details(args.Path, args.Names));
                case "create":
                    // Path - Current path where the folder is to be created; Name - Name of the new folder
                    return this.operation.ToCamelCase(this.operation.Create(args.Path, args.Name));
                case "search":
                    // Path - Current path where the search is performed; SearchString - String typed in the searchbox; CaseSensitive - Boolean value which specifies whether the search must be casesensitive
                    return this.operation.ToCamelCase(this.operation.Search(args.Path, args.SearchString, args.ShowHiddenItems, args.CaseSensitive));
                case "rename":
                    // Path - Current path of the renamed file; Name - Old file name; NewName - New file name
                    return this.operation.ToCamelCase(this.operation.Rename(args.Path, args.Name, args.NewName));
            }
            return null;
        }
    }
}

To access the above File Operations, you need some model class files that have file operations methods. So, create Models folder in server part of the application and download the PhysicalFileProvider.cs and Base folder from the this link in the Models folder.

Add your required files and folders under the wwwroot\Files directory.

NOTE

For Server-side application, add the following code in your Startup.cs file.

app.UseEndpoints(endpoints =>
        {
            ....
            ....
            endpoints.MapControllers();
        });
  • Press Ctrl+F5 (Windows) or +F5 (macOS) to run the application. Then, the Syncfusion Blazor FileManager component will be rendered in the default web browser.

Blazor FileManager Component

NOTE

View Sample in GitHub.

File download support

To perform the download operation, initialize the DownloadUrl property in a FileManagerAjaxSettings.

<SfFileManager TValue="FileManagerDirectoryContent">
    <FileManagerAjaxSettings Url="/api/SampleData/FileOperations"
                                DownloadUrl="/api/SampleData/Download">
    </FileManagerAjaxSettings>
</SfFileManager>

Initialize the Download FileOperation in Controller part with the following code snippet.

namespace filemanager.Server.Controllers
{
    [Route("api/[controller]")]
    public class SampleDataController : Controller
    {
        // Processing the Download operation.
        [Route("Download")]
        public IActionResult Download(string downloadInput)
        {
            //Invoking download operation with the required parameters.
            // path - Current path where the file is downloaded; Names - Files to be downloaded;
            FileManagerDirectoryContent args = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<FileManagerDirectoryContent>(downloadInput);
            return operation.Download(args.Path, args.Names);
        }
    }
}

File upload support

To perform the upload operation, initialize the UploadUrl property in a FileManagerAjaxSettings.

<SfFileManager TValue="FileManagerDirectoryContent">
    <FileManagerAjaxSettings Url="/api/SampleData/FileOperations"
                                UploadUrl="/api/SampleData/Upload">
    </FileManagerAjaxSettings>
</SfFileManager>

Initialize the Upload File Operation in Controller part with the following code snippet.

namespace filemanager.Server.Controllers
{
    [Route("api/[controller]")]
    public class SampleDataController : Controller
    {
        // Processing the Upload operation.
        [Route("Upload")]
        public IActionResult Upload(string path, IList<IFormFile> uploadFiles, string action)
        {
            //Invoking upload operation with the required parameters.
            // path - Current path where the file is to uploaded; uploadFiles - Files to be uploaded; action - name of the operation(upload)
            FileManagerResponse uploadResponse;
            uploadResponse = operation.Upload(path, uploadFiles, action, null);
            if (uploadResponse.Error != null)
            {
                Response.Clear();
                Response.ContentType = "application/json; charset=utf-8";
                Response.StatusCode = Convert.ToInt32(uploadResponse.Error.Code);
                Response.HttpContext.Features.Get<IHttpResponseFeature>().ReasonPhrase = uploadResponse.Error.Message;
            }
            return Content("");
        }
    }
}

Image preview support

To perform image preview support in the File Manager component, initialize the GetImageUrl property in a FileManagerAjaxSettings.

<SfFileManager TValue="FileManagerDirectoryContent">
    <FileManagerAjaxSettings Url="/api/SampleData/FileOperations"
                                GetImageUrl="/api/SampleData/GetImage">
    </FileManagerAjaxSettings>
</SfFileManager>

Initialize the GetImage File Operation in Controller part with the following code snippet.

namespace filemanager.Server.Controllers
{
    [Route("api/[controller]")]
    public class SampleDataController : Controller
    {
        // Processing the GetImage operation.
        [Route("GetImage")]
        public IActionResult GetImage(FileManagerDirectoryContent args)
        {
            //Invoking GetImage operation with the required parameters.
            // path - Current path of the image file; Id - Image file id;
            return this.operation.GetImage(args.Path, args.Id, false, null, null);
        }
    }
}

Blazor FileManager with Image Preview

Refer the sample link.

See Also

Getting Started with Syncfusion Blazor for Client-Side in .NET Core CLI

Getting Started with Syncfusion Blazor for Client-Side in Visual Studio

Getting Started with Syncfusion Blazor for Server-Side in .NET Core CLI