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Permissions API

Backendless security mechanism assigns an Access Control List (ACL) to every file in the file storage. An ACL defines users and user roles that have permissions to read, write, or delete a file. The Permissions API allows programmatic control over file ACL by granting or denying permissions to a file for a user or a user role. Using the API permissions can be applies for a user or user role individually or in "bulk" - for all users or user roles in a single call.

The path or the url argument in the APIs below must identify a file or directory for which the permission is modified. The value must be the short version of the path. For example, suppose the full URL of a file in the file storage system is:

https://backendlessappcontent.com/31CB9FED-F34C-5541-FF26-6C2B6719F200/23432-A6B2-FF6B-31CB9FED/files/movies/vacation.mp4

The path to the file in the API call must contain only the directory and the file name (without the leading slash):

movies/vacation.mp4

The user account (or the role) on which behalf the API is executed must contain the Permission permission. For example, if the call is made by an authenticated user, the role for the user account would be AuthenticatedUser. The role must have the Permission permission in order for the API call to go through.

Method Signatures

The following method signatures are used for granting or denying the access to file  or directory for a user, user role, all users, and all user roles

public void GrantForUser( String userId, String fileOrDirURL )
public void GrantForUser( String userId, String fileOrDirURL, AsyncCallback<Object> responder )
public void DenyForUser( String userId, String fileOrDirURL )
public void DenyForUser( String userId, String fileOrDirURL, AsyncCallback<Object> responder )
public void GrantForRole( String roleName, String fileOrDirURL )
public void GrantForRole( String roleName, String fileOrDirURL, AsyncCallback<Object> responder )
public void DenyForRole( String roleName, String fileOrDirURL )
public void DenyForRole( String roleName, String fileOrDirURL, AsyncCallback<Object> responder )
public void GrantForAllUsers( String fileOrDirURL )
public void GrantForAllUsers( String fileOrDirURL, AsyncCallback<Object> responder )
public void DenyForAllUsers( String fileOrDirURL )
public void DenyForAllUsers( String fileOrDirURL, AsyncCallback<Object> responder )
public void GrantForAllRoles( String fileOrDirURL )
public void GrantForAllRoles( String fileOrDirURL, AsyncCallback<Object> responder )
public void DenyForAllRoles( String fileOrDirURL )
public void DenyForAllRoles( String fileOrDirURL, AsyncCallback<Object> responder )

Use these methods to retrieve, upload, and remove a file

  • FilePermission.READ.<method>to set permission to load/retrieve a file
  • FilePermission.WRITE.<method>to set permission to upload a file
  • FilePermission.DELETE.<method> to set permission to remove a file
  • FilePermission.PERMISSION.<method> to change permissions for a file or directory

To grant access for a user

FilePermission.READ.GrantForUser( userId, fileOrDirURL );
FilePermission.WRITE.GrantForUser( userId, fileOrDirURL );
FilePermission.DELETE.GrantForUser( userId, fileOrDirURL );

where:

  • userId - ID of a user, for which you want to grant the read, write, or delete  permission.
  • fileOrDirURL - path to a file or directory, for which you want to specify the permission.

To grant access for a user role

FilePermission.READ.GrantForRole( roleName, fileOrDirURL );
FilePermission.WRITE.GrantForRole( roleName, fileOrDirURL );
FilePermission.DELETE.GrantForRole( roleName, fileOrDirURL );

where:

Argument                Description
roleName name of the user role, for which you want to grant the read, write, or delete  permission.
  • fileOrDirURL - path to a file or directory, for which you want to specify the permission.

To grant access for all users

FilePermission.READ.GrantForAllUsers( fileOrDirURL );
FilePermission.WRITE.GrantForAllUsers( fileOrDirURL );
FilePermission.DELETE.GrantForAllUsers( fileOrDirURL );

where:

  • fileOrDirURL - path to a file or directory, for which you want to specify the permission.

To grant access for all user roles

FilePermission.READ.GrantForAllRoles( fileOrDirURL );
FilePermission.WRITE.GrantForAllRoles( fileOrDirURL );
FilePermission.DELETE.GrantForAllRoles( fileOrDirURL );

where:

  • fileOrDirURL - path to a file or directory, for which you want to specify the permission.

To deny access for a user

FilePermission.READ.DenyForUser( userId, fileOrDirURL );
FilePermission.WRITE.DenyForUser( userId, fileOrDirURL );
FilePermission.DELETE.DenyForUser( userId, fileOrDirURL );

where:

  • userId - ID of a user, for which you want to deny the read, write, or delete  permission.
  • fileOrDirURL - path to a file or directory, for which you want to specify the permission.

To deny access for a user role

FilePermission.READ.DenyForRole( roleName, fileOrDirURL );
FilePermission.WRITE.DenyForRole( roleName, fileOrDirURL );
FilePermission.DELETE.DenyForRole( roleName, fileOrDirURL );

where:

Argument                Description
roleName name of the user role, for which you want to deny the read, write, or delete  permission.
  • fileOrDirURL - path to a file or directory, for which you want to specify the permission.

To deny access for all users

FilePermission.READ.DenyForAllUsers( fileOrDirURL );
FilePermission.WRITE.DenyForAllUsers( fileOrDirURL );
FilePermission.DELETE.DenyForAllUsers( fileOrDirURL );

where:

  • fileOrDirURL - path to a file or directory, for which you want to specify the permission.

To deny access for all user roles

FilePermission.READ.DenyForAllRoles( fileOrDirURL );
FilePermission.WRITE.DenyForAllRoles( fileOrDirURL );
FilePermission.DELETE.DenyForAllRoles( fileOrDirURL );

where:

  • fileOrDirURL - path to a file or directory, for which you want to specify the permission.