Discuss Dropbox Developer & API
Hi,
I need to test programatically (any language/script) whether a file which has just been changed locally on PC has finished syncing via dropbox.
If it hasn't yet started syncing or hasn't yet finished, my code must wait.
My first stab was examining the dropbox file attributes (https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/sync-uploads/extended-attributes), but having worked out how to get the extended attributes, I can't find any resources to interpret them.
I also considered the API, but I have read that there is not a straightforward check using the API on the status of a local filesystem file.
Any suggestions, or details for the attributes would be appreciated.
Thanks, and Happy 2020!
Unfortunately, Dropbox doesn't offer an official API for checking the status of the local Dropbox desktop client or files like this, but I'll pass this along as a feature request. I can't promise if or when that might be implemented though.
Unfortunately, Dropbox doesn't offer an official API for checking the status of the local Dropbox desktop client or files like this, but I'll pass this along as a feature request. I can't promise if or when that might be implemented though.
That's correct. The Dropbox API operates by communicating with the Dropbox servers, so information about unstarted or incomplete activity from desktop clients wouldn't be available anyway.
I'm afraid I don't have any information to offer about inspecting local file attributes or the local Dropbox client/service. I can't recommend doing so anyway as that's not officially documented for use as a programmatic interface like this, and so is subject to change.
Thanks, Greg.
I have experimented with manually pausing dropbox for the duration of my process, and then un-pausing. This has the desired effect. Therefore I do have one more question which is:
How do I pause/un-pause Dropbox syncing programatically, using a script or command?
Thanks again.
Mark.
Hi Mark, unfortunately Dropbox also doesn't offer an official interface for pausing/resuming the desktop client. I'll pass this along as a request as well, but likewise I can't promise if/when that might be implemented. Apologies I don't have better news for you!
Thanks, Greg!
Mark.
In case anyone else has a simiar challenge, mine was related to a large file in Windows 10 becoming 'locked' by dropbox just after it was changed, which was just when the next process (MS Access) needed to open it, and could not.
The workaround I have adopted is to suspend dropbox using a command in a batch file, run my tasks, and then resume dropbox. I followed this post:
https://superuser.com/questions/693680/pausing-resuming-dropbox-from-the-command-line-windows
using the pssuspend command.
That seems to have worked well.
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