[SOLVED] InputFile replaced by File in server SDK, breaking compatibility with Node.js 18 and lower

[leaden solstice]

Hello everyone! 👋🏻

Recently I upgraded my cloud function from version 12.0.1 to the latest version, version 14.2.0. InputFile was removed and replaced by File. This caused some problems. Below I share the solution:

In my cloud function I have a function:

await storage.createFile(photoBucketId, 'unique()', new InputFile(Readable.from(buffer), "photo.jpg", Buffer.byteLength(buffer)));

A breaking change in at least version 14.2.0 is the removal of InputFile. It is replaced by File. This is what the new function call look likes after removing InputFile.

await storage.createFile(photoBucketId, 'unique()', new File([buffer], "photo.jpg");

File isn't supported by Node.js lower than version 22. It results in a ReferenceError: File is not defined error. If you want to stay on version 18 then you can use the web-file-polyfill package:

https://www.npmjs.com/package/web-file-polyfill

Just add it to your package.json, import it and you're done: import { File, Blob } from "web-file-polyfill. I tested this on Appwrite Cloud and it works as expected, as far as I can tell.

[flat dew]

Alternatively, you can import InputFile from node-appwrite/file. For example, see https://github.com/appwrite/playground-for-node/blob/dd3023f042d464be3c4a5811449d18bb2fdd0fff/src/app.js#L5

This was necessary since InputFile can't be used in some SSR runtimes.

we need to document this better.

[leaden solstice]

That's what I tried at first. It results in a ReferenceError: File is not defined error. It's because I use Node.js 18 as a runtime.

Anything below Node.js 22 doesn't support File, unless that web-file-polyfill package is used as a workaround.

[flat dew]

What did you try? Importing InputFile from node-appwrite/file?

[leaden solstice]

Yes, that's what I tried. But createFile in 14.2.0 in doesn't take an InputFile. It takes a File object.

[flat dew]

InputFile's static methods return a File. buuut I'm surprised you ran into reference errors because you wouldn't be using File in your code

[leaden solstice]

Tried that before. The constuctor of createFile doesn't accept InputFile. ☹️

[flat dew]

You're supposed to use the static methods. not creating a new InputFile like that

https://github.com/appwrite/playground-for-node/blob/dd3023f042d464be3c4a5811449d18bb2fdd0fff/src/app.js#L310

[leaden solstice]

Wow, I had no idea. Thanks! My bad. I think this is a leftover from a very old example code that I used.

[flat dew]

ya... and we need to update the docs

[leaden solstice]

I'm going to look into this and see if I can get it to work by using static methods. 😊

[leaden solstice]

That'd be awesome. 😎👍🏻 It's a bit confusing at the moment.