File Sharing API for PubNub Cocoa Objective-C SDK

Allows users to upload and share files. You can upload any file of up to 5 MB in size. This feature is commonly used in social apps to share images, or in medical apps to share medical records for patients.

When a file is uploaded on a channel, it's stored and managed using a storage service, and associated with your key. Subscribers to that channel receive a file event which contains a file ID, filename, and optional description.

Send file

Upload the file to a specified channel.

This method covers the entire process of sending a file, including preparation, uploading the file to a cloud storage service, and post-uploading messaging on a channel.

For the last messaging step, sendFileWithRequest internally calls the PublishFileMessage method to publish a message on the channel.

The published message contains metadata about the file, such as the file identifier and name, enabling others on the channel to find out about the file and access it.

Method(s)

- (void)sendFileWithRequest:(PNSendFileRequest *)request
                 completion:(nullable PNSendFileCompletionBlock)block;

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
request	PNSendFileRequest	Yes	Send file request with all information about file and where it should be uploaded.
block	PNSendFileCompletionBlock	No	Send file file request completion block.

PNSendFileRequest

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
fileMessageMetadata	NSDictionary	No		NSDictionary with values to be used by PubNub service to filter file messages
cipherKey	NSString	No	From client configuration	Key to be used to encrypt uploaded data
fileMessageTTL	NSUInteger	No	0	How long message should be stored in channel's storage. Set to 0 (zero) to store message according to the retention policy you have set on your key.
fileMessageStore	BOOL	No	YES	Whether published file messages should be stored in the channel's history
message	id	No		Message to be sent along with file to specified channel
filename	NSString	Yes		Name to be used to store uploaded data. This is set by default only if the request is created with requestWithChannel:fileURL:.

Basic Usage

NSURL *localFileURL = ...;
PNSendFileRequest *request = [PNSendFileRequest requestWithChannel:@"channel"
                                                           fileURL:localFileURL];

[self.client sendFileWithRequest:request completion:^(PNSendFileStatus *status) {
    if (!status.isError) {
        /**
         * File upload successfully completed.
         * Uploaded file information is available here:
         *   status.data.fileIdentifier is the unique file identifier
         *   status.data.fileName is the name used to store the file
         */
    } else {
        /**
         * Handle send file error. Check the 'category' property for reasons

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Response

@interface PNSendFileData : PNServiceData

// Unique identifier assigned to the file during upload
@property (nonatomic, nullable, readonly, strong) NSString *fileIdentifier;

// Time at which the file information message was published.
@property (nonatomic, nullable, readonly, strong) NSNumber *timetoken;

// Name under which the uploaded file is stored
@property (nonatomic, nullable, readonly, strong) NSString *fileName;

/**
 * Whether the file uploaded or not.
 *
 * This property should be used during error handling to identify whether the

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Other Examples

Upload binary data

NSData *data = [[NSUUID UUID].UUIDString dataUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
PNSendFileRequest *request = [PNSendFileRequest requestWithChannel:@"channel"
                                                            fileName:@"cat_picture.jpg"
                                                                data:data];

[self.client sendFileWithRequest:request completion:^(PNSendFileStatus *status) {
    if (!status.isError) {
        /**
            * File upload successfully completed.
            * Uploaded file information available here:
            *   status.data.fileIdentifier - unique file identifier
            *   status.data.fileName - name which has been used to store file
            */
    } else {
        /**

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Upload using stream

NSInputStream *stream = ...;
NSUInteger streamSize = /* size of data in stream */;
PNSendFileRequest *request = [PNSendFileRequest requestWithChannel:@"channel"
                                                            fileName:@"image.png"
                                                            stream:stream
                                                                size:streamSize];

[self.client sendFileWithRequest:request completion:^(PNSendFileStatus *status) {
    if (!status.isError) {
        /**
            * File upload successfully completed.
            * Uploaded file information available here:
            *   status.data.fileIdentifier - unique file identifier
            *   status.data.fileName - name which has been used to store file
            */

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Returns

Same as from basic usage.

List channel files

Retrieve list of files uploaded to Channel.

Method(s)

- (void)listFilesWithRequest:(PNListFilesRequest *)request
                  completion:(PNListFilesCompletionBlock)block;

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
request	PNListFilesRequest	Yes	List files request with all information which should be used to fetch channel's files list.
block	PNListFilesCompletionBlock	Yes	List files request completion block.

PNListFilesRequest

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
next	NSString	No		Random string returned from the server, indicating a specific position in a data set. Used for forward pagination, it fetches the next page, allowing you to continue from where you left off.
limit	NSUInteger	No	100	Number of files to return in response.

Basic Usage

PNListFilesRequest *request = [PNListFilesRequest requestWithChannel:@"channel"];
request.limit = 20;
request.next = ...;

[self.client listFilesWithRequest:request
                       completion:^(PNListFilesResult *result, PNErrorStatus *status) {
    if (!status.isError) {
        /**
         * Uploaded files list successfully fetched.
         *   result.data.files - List of uploaded files (information).
         *   result.data.next - Random string returned from the server, indicating a specific position in a data set. Used for forward pagination, it fetches the next page, allowing you to continue from where you left off.
         *   result.data.count - Total number of files uploaded to channel.
         */
    } else {
        /**

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Response

@interface PNListFilesData : PNServiceData

// List of channel files.
@property (nonatomic, nullable, readonly, strong) NSArray<PNFile *> *files;

// Random string returned from the server, indicating a specific position in a data set. Used for forward pagination, it fetches the next page, allowing you to continue from where you left off.
@property (nonatomic, nullable, readonly, strong) NSString *next;

// How many files has been returned.
@property (nonatomic, readonly, assign) NSUInteger count;

@end

@interface PNListFilesResult : PNResult

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Get File Url

Generate URL which can be used to download file from target Channel.

Method(s)

- (nullable NSURL *)downloadURLForFileWithName:(NSString *)name
                                    identifier:(NSString *)identifier
                                     inChannel:(NSString *)channel;

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
name	NSString	Yes	Name under which uploaded file is stored for channel.
identifier	NSString	Yes	Unique file identifier which has been assigned during file upload.
channel	NSString	Yes	Name of channel within which file with name has been uploaded.

Basic Usage

NSURL *url = [self.client downloadURLForFileWithName:@"user_profile.png"
                                          identifier:@"<file-identifier>"
                                           inChannel:@"lobby"];

Returns

URL which can be used to download remote file with specified name and identifier.

Download file

Download file from specified Channel.

Method(s)

- (void)downloadFileWithRequest:(PNDownloadFileRequest *)request
                     completion:(PNDownloadFileCompletionBlock)block;

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
request	PNDownloadFileRequest	Yes	Download file request with information about file which should be downloaded.
block	PNDownloadFileCompletionBlock	Yes	Download file request completion block.

PNDownloadFileRequest

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
cipherKey	NSString	No	From client configuration	Key which should be used to decrypt downloaded data.
targetURL	NSURL	No	Temporary location	URL where downloaded file should be stored locally. File downloaded to temporary location will be removed after completion block return.

Basic Usage

PNDownloadFileRequest *request = [PNDownloadFileRequest requestWithChannel:@"lobby"
                                                                identifier:@"<file-identifier>"
                                                                      name:@"user_profile.png"];
request.targetURL = ...;

[self.client downloadFileWithRequest:request
                          completion:^(PNDownloadFileResult *result, PNErrorStatus *status) {

    if (!status.isError) {
        /**
         * File successfully has been downloaded.
         *   status.data.location - location where downloaded file can be found
         *   status.data.temporary - whether file has been downloaded to temporary storage and
         *                           will be removed on completion block return.
         */

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Response

@interface PNDownloadFileData : PNServiceData

/**
 * Whether file is temporary or not.
 *
 * Temporary file will be removed as soon as completion block will exit. Make sure
 * to move temporary files (w/o scheduling task on secondary thread) to persistent
 * location.
 */
@property (nonatomic, readonly, assign, getter = isTemporary) BOOL temporary;

// Location where downloaded file can be found.
@property (nonatomic, readonly, nullable, readonly, strong) NSURL *location;

@end

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Delete file

Delete file from specified Channel.

Method(s)

- (void)deleteFileWithRequest:(PNDeleteFileRequest *)request
                   completion:(nullable PNDeleteFileCompletionBlock)block;

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
request	PNDeleteFileRequest	Yes	Delete file request with all information about file for removal.
block	PNDeleteFileCompletionBlock	No	Delete file request completion block.

Basic Usage

PNDeleteFileRequest *request = [PNDeleteFileRequest requestWithChannel:@"channel"
                                                            identifier:@"<file-identifier>"
                                                                  name:@"greetings.txt"];

[self.client deleteFileWithRequest:request completion:^(PNAcknowledgmentStatus *status) {
    if (!status.isError) {
        // File successfully has been deleted.
    } else {
        /**
         * Handle file delete error. Check 'category' property to find out possible issue
         * because of which request did fail.
         *
         * Request can be resent using: [status retry]
         */
    }

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Response

@interface PNErrorData : PNServiceData

// Stringified error information.
@property (nonatomic, readonly, strong) NSString *information;

@end

@interface PNAcknowledgmentStatus : PNErrorStatus

// Whether status object represent error or not.
@property (nonatomic, readonly, assign, getter = isError) BOOL error;

// Additional information related to error status object.
@property (nonatomic, readonly, strong) PNErrorData *errorData;

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Publish file message

Publish the uploaded file message to a specified channel.

This method is called internally by sendFileWithRequest as part of the file-sending process to publish the message with the file (already uploaded in a storage service) on a channel.

This message includes the file's unique identifier and name elements, which are needed to construct download links and inform channel subscribers that the file is available for download.

You can call this method when sendFileWithRequest fails and returns the status.operation === PNPublishFileMessageOperation error. In that case, you can use the data from the status object to try again and use publishFileMessageWithRequest to manually resend a file message to a channel without repeating the upload step.

Method(s)

- (void)publishFileMessageWithRequest:(PNPublishFileMessageRequest *)request
                           completion:(nullable PNPublishCompletionBlock)block;

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
request	PNPublishFileMessageRequest	Yes	File message publish request with all information about uploaded file.
block	PNPublishCompletionBlock	No	File message publish request completion block.

Basic Usage

PNPublishFileMessageRequest *request = [PNPublishFileMessageRequest requestWithChannel:@"channel"
                                                                        fileIdentifier:@"fileIdentifier"
                                                                                  name:@"fileName"];

[self.client publishFileMessageWithRequest:request completion:^(PNPublishStatus *status) {
    if (!status.isError) {
        // File message successfully published.
    } else {
        // Handle file message publish error. Check 'category' property to find out possible
        // issue because of which request did fail.
        //
        // Request can be resent using: [status retry];
    }
}];

Response

@interface PNPublishData : PNServiceData

/**
 * Service-provided time stamp at which message has been pushed to remote
 * data object live feed.
 */
@property (nonatomic, readonly, strong) NSNumber *timetoken;

// Service-provide information about service response message.
@property (nonatomic, readonly, strong) NSString *information;

@end

@interface PNPublishStatus : PNAcknowledgmentStatus

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