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I'm trying to write a simple client-side text editor using HTML5 and Javascript. Is it possible to overwrite the contents of an existing text file using HTML5? I know that the HTML File API makes it possible to read the contents of a file, but I haven't yet found a way to modify or overwrite an existing file.

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  • Depends, where's the file located? Commented Aug 3, 2012 at 21:39
  • I'd like to prompt the user to select a file to open, and then modify and overwrite the file. Commented Aug 3, 2012 at 21:41
  • Judging by that comment, you don't care where the file is saved, as long as it's saved on prompt. Am I correct? Commented Aug 3, 2012 at 21:42
  • Yes, but I'd like to select a file to open, and then modify the contents of the file. Commented Aug 3, 2012 at 21:43
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    That is a virtual filesystem. For more information, see tagwiki of html5-filesystem and Where is the filesystem in html5 stored on the real file system?. Commented Aug 4, 2012 at 20:27

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Prompt to open

To read a file, use the FileReader API (examples):

Prompt to save

To save the file, create an URL using URL.createObjectURL (the blob is constructed via the FileReader API, with type application/octet-stream), or using a data-URI (example).

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6 Comments

riiiight, but this will only work offline-- which if I gather is pretty much not useful for a website.
@FlavorScape Hang on, do you want the client to browse on the server using pure client-side JavaScript? If yes, that's not possible, because the client can't browse/modify server-side files without a server-side implementation. The methods suggested by my answer allows a user to select an accessible file from their computer, do some magic within the web page, then save the file on their computer.
oh ok-- i guess that's not a requirement. i just assumed that since the OP used the word "client-side" that there was a "server-side" somewhere
@FlavorScape Oops, I've mistaken you for the OP, sorry :p
@Rob W Is it possible to overwrite (instead of duplicating) a file using the method you described?
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