Smart Sync Sync CLI or AppleScript

[ChrisGrahamMast]

 When I move an "Online only" file into a "Local" folder, the file stays "Online Only", and the folder changes to a "mixed" state. Is there a way with Smart Sync to force anything I move from an "online only" folder to a "Local" folder to changes the state of the file to local?

We're looking for an automated way, via the command line, an applescript, whatever- that forces files to download to a "local" state when a script runs that moves online only files into a local "to do" folder.

[Greg-DB]

Dropbox unfortunately doesn't provide any sort of programmatic interface for managing these Smart Sync settings, but I'll pass this along as a feature request.

[warpedgeoid]

Consider this a +1 to the request for some sort of command-line interface for controlling SmartSync.

Not only is Dropbox's GUI client lacking MANY sorely needed features (I assume using usability as an excuse, like everyone else), but the lack of decent CLI tools means that I can't even work around these missing features using my own scripts. I know that the majority of DB users are probably syncing a handful of Word documents, a few images, and maybe a video or two, but a few of us are using DB to store hundreds of thousands of files in complex directory structures. It'd be great to run a few scripts to mark files as cloud-only instead of having to go through and do it using the Finder/Explorer integration.

[Greg-DB]

Thanks for the feedback @warpedgeoid! I'll send it along to the team.

[DBalling]

Can I just chime in and "Me Too" this request?

I've got a number of automated scripts which create sizeable files which - once created and put in the dropbox folder - I no longer need sitting on the local machine. It'd be great to add something to the script which, after moving it into dropbox, followed up with a command of some sort to set that file to "Cloud Only" instead of "Local".

[Greg-DB]

Thanks!

[DavidHuey]

+1 for us as well.

[StevenTammen]

+1 for me too.

Several other companies using an "only sync to local when you need to" model (e.g., ODrive) have a setting that enables you to have files get automatically set from local to cloud if they have not been accessed within a timeout period (a week, say).

Even more than this would be excellent though, particularly if there was CLI integration. Making all files of extension X online only, or all files matching a particular regular expression, all files in folder Y with Z characteristics, etc. would make this feature significantly more useful. Having to manually set files back to online only obviates most of the advantages, in my opinion. You have to constantly remember to manually remove local files you no longer need rapid access too.

This strikes me as a problem that would easy to automate, and for that reason I think it would be worth implementing sooner rather than later.

[Greg-DB]

Thanks for the detailed feedback!

[tekacs]

+1 to this request - using developer tooling (e.g. code editors, git, search, etc.) is made very difficult by being unable to manipulate Smart Sync programmatically.

Really all that would be required would be the ability to switch files/folders to/from Online Only, whether through a command line tool, extended attributes or otherwise.

Thanks!