Download new file from shared folder

[Paweł S.2]

Hello! 
We got chooser in application and we can choose a video to upload to application. Idea is we want that user can choose a folder and if new file appears in specific folder, the new file will upload to our application. 
Is it possible to detect if new file appears and then we should got the download link to this file. Detect is just refresh folder info... But then we got no download link to new file. 

[Greg-DB]

The Dropbox Chooser doesn't currently support folder selection, so it's not possible to get a folder link to monitor for changes, but I'll be sure to pass this along as a feature request. 

[Paweł S.2]

Thank you for the reply. 
Is is possible to do it with API or using something else? 
Example: User paste link to folder (shared or else) and application has permission to download files in this folder? Single file. 

[Greg-DB]

Yes, if you develop a Dropbox API integration (i.e., using the Dropbox API, where the user authorizes the app to connect to their account, as opposed to using the Chooser), your app would get persistent access to the files and folders in the account. The app could in that case monitor for changes and download files as needed. 

For example to download files:

https://www.dropbox.com/developers/documentation/http/documentation#files-download

You could also get information via shared links, though that wouldn't be strictly necessary in this case, via:

https://www.dropbox.com/developers/documentation/http/documentation#sharing-get_shared_link_metadata
https://www.dropbox.com/developers/documentation/http/documentation#sharing-get_shared_link_file

[Alexander P.5]

Gregory, this is good piece of info.

Currently I've managed to get public folder list via V1, then get the contents by v2, last line above.

Thanks!

Still looking for thumbnails of all the stuff in a folder...

[Greg-DB]

Alexander, you can use the /files/get_thumbnail endpoint to get the thumbnail for a file in the authorized user's account:

https://www.dropbox.com/developers/documentation/http/documentation#files-get_thumbnail

The path parameter would be the path to the image you want a thumbnail for in the user's account. E.g., to get a thumbnail for an image named image.jpg inside a folder named Pictures, it would be "/Pictures/image.jpg".

Note that this only works if you're connected to the account that has that file though. That is, won't work if you have user A's link, but are only authorized for user B's account. 

[Alexander P.5]

Gregory,
thanks, but that much is clearly documented.
Yet I need thumbnails inside a public link. Ideally, in bulk.

It's a bit anecdotal--public link is here, original web page has it all... human in browser can see it... yet same is not (?) available through otherwise cool API.

I'm so desperate I'm considering hacking original web interface and getting urls to thumbnails from there.

But am still hoping=bugging you 😉 Maybe there is a way?

I've summed up my current findings here https://github.com/seene-club/seene-shelter/blob/master/dropbox.md

[Greg-DB]

Thanks for following up. If you only have access to the link, and not the account that owns the files, I'm afraid there isn't a good way to programmatically get the thumbnails. 

In either case, there isn't a way to do so in bulk.

We'll consider these feature requests though.

Also I should note that scraping the Dropbox site is against the terms.

[Alexander P.5]

Thanks, Gregory.

I know 😉 And anyway any such hack would be also fragile because Dropbox is evolving and undocumented interfaces change.

Not going to do that.

[maca134]

Any update on an api call to list folders/files in a shared public link?