Using a web application as the default handler of local content

A computing device comprising:

• a data storage device storing files that are accessible via a local filesystem;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by a processor, causing at least one processor of the computing device to:
• provide a file manager interface, the file manager interface being configured to facilitate interaction, by a user, with the local filesystem;
• register a web application, which is executable through a web browser, as a default file handler of a particular type of locally-stored files, the registering comprising modifying a functionality of the file manager interface to allow the registered web application local access to the particular type of locally-stored files, the modifying being based on one or more entries included in a file associated with the registered web application, the one or more entries defining actions that can be performed in association with the particular type of locally-stored files, the modifying including:
• indicating at least one action the web application is allowed to perform on the particular type of locally-stored files;
• and
• defining a user selectable action element for inclusion in the file manager interface that, when selected, initiates the at least one action by invoking the registered web application;
• receive, by the file manager interface, a user selection of a file included in the local filesystem, wherein the file belongs to the particular type of files;
• based on the user selection of the file of the particular type and based on the web application being registered as the default file handler of the selected file, provide, in the file manager interface, the user selectable action element to invoke the registered web application from the file manager interface;
• receive, by the file manager interface, a user selection of the user selectable action element;
• and
• in response to the user selection of the user selectable action element, automatically invoke the registered web application to handle the selected file.

A non-transitory, machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to:

• provide, by the computing device, a file manager interface, the file manager interface being configured to facilitate interaction, by a user, with a local filesystem of the computing device;
• register a web application, which is executable through a web browser, as a default file handler of a particular type of locally-stored files, the registering comprising modifying a functionality of the file manager interface to allow the registered web application local access to the particular type of locally-stored files, the modifying being based on one or more entries included in a file associated with the registered web application, the one or more entries defining actions that can be performed in association with the particular type of locally-stored files, the modifying including:
• indicating at least one action the web application is allowed to perform on the particular type of locally-stored files;
• and
• defining a user selectable action element for inclusion in the file manager interface that, when selected, initiates the at least one action by invoking the registered web application;
• receive, by the file manager interface, a user selection of a file included in the local filesystem, wherein the file belongs to the particular type of files;
• based on the user selection of the file of the particular type and based on the web application being registered as the default file handler of the selected file, provide, in the file manager interface, the user selectable action element to invoke the registered web application the file manager interface;
• receive, by the file manager interface, a user selection of the user selectable action element;
• and
• in response to the user selection of the user selectable action element, automatically invoking the registered web application to handle the selected file.