Shortcuts does not work with the File Provider

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Preconditions

1. You have the Nextcloud app installed.
2. You have at least one account signed in.
3. You have enabled the Nextcloud file provider in the iOS Files app and can browse the content.

Steps to reproduce

1. Open iOS Shortcuts app.
2. Create a new shortcut.
3. Add the "Append to Text File" action to your newly created shortcut.
4. Select the root folder of the Nextcloud file provider domain as the location variable of the action.

Expected behaviour

The shortcuts action variable should be updated with the name of the file provider domain.

Actual behaviour

1. The Shortcuts app freezes and must be forced to relaunch.
2. The variable value change was not applied to the action.

Notes

• I filed this as a distinct bug report to fix a specific problem instead of vaguely tackling the feature ideas described in #662.
• By default it should be safe to expect for this to work. The file provider framework is there to abstract external storage services and integrate them into the iOS Files. For the Shortcuts app, it is transparent which underlying storage is used and it should not matter.
• This is issue is a lead and not the actual pinpointed problem yet.
• As mentioned in the feature request #662, this problem likely is the cause why the iOS Shortcuts app does not work with the Nextcloud file provider.
• Selecting a subfolder in the Nextcloud file provider domain does not cause the Shortcuts app to crash. It always results in an error of the action that the file cannot be accessed no matter the selected location and entered file path.
• Based on past experience with file providers, I suspect that there might be something not 100% correct with the returned metadata when the root container is requested by the system.

Logs

Not applicable.

Reasoning or why should it be changed/implemented?

As described in #662, this is the show stopper for the whole Shortcuts app integration. This should work and other services actually do work with the steps to reproduce above. Once fixed, it will open up the vast possibilities for automation which come for free with iOS (or even additional ones provided by third-party apps). Also, this is a requirement for implementing custom Shortcuts actions for service specific tasks like the creation of a Nextcloud Talk conversation.

Environment data

iOS version: e.g. iOS 18.2 (though it occurred already on previous iOS 18 releases)

Nextcloud iOS app version: see More > Settings

Server operating system: Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS

Web server: Whatever latest Nextcloud All-in-One uses

Database: Whatever latest Nextcloud All-in-One uses

PHP version: Whatever latest Nextcloud All-in-One uses

Nextcloud version: Nextcloud Hub 9 (30.0.4)

Examples

Here is a screenshot of an iPad Simulator demonstrating the test shortcut in split view with the Files app.

Start by reproducing the issue through the iOS Shortcuts app, the Files app, and the Nextcloud file provider, focusing on selecting the provider's root folder. Inspect the returned root-container metadata and compare it with the behavior for subfolders; done means the shortcut no longer freezes and the action variable updates with the file provider domain name.