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Re: upload/download only differences

upload/download only differences

Ed-
Explorer | Level 4

Hello,

 

I'm working in a desktop application, and I'm working directly with API calls (not using an SDK).

 

I have most of the RPC endpoints already implemented and working, and now started to work with the upload and download endpoints.

 

The problem arises when I find out that Dropbox in the Synch desktop utility seems to use (correct me if I'm wrong) delta comparing and it sends only the differences of two versions of a file: I mean, when a file changes, it doesn't upload or dowload the whole file, but only the differences.

 

Here there is information: https://www.dropbox.com/en/help/8

 

But I don't see any documented API for doing that in https://www.dropbox.com/developers/documentation/http/documentation

 

I found that there is a library for doing the file comparison: https://github.com/dropbox/librsync but I have no idea how to use it.

 

I can't believe that all the other applications besides the Synch desktop utility provided by Dropbox are forced to upload or download the whole file every times a few bytes change.

 

Where can I find information about this?

Thanks in advance.

 

2 Replies 2

Greg-DB
Dropbox Staff
Hi Ed, thanks for the post. That's correct, the Dropbox API doesn't offer delta uploading like that. I'll pass this along as a feature request. Apologies I don't have better news!

Ed-
Explorer | Level 4

Greg K. ha escrito:
Hi Ed, thanks for the post. That's correct, the Dropbox API doesn't offer delta uploading like that. I'll pass this along as a feature request. Apologies I don't have better news!

Thanks for your answer Greg, and yes, please, it is a feature request.

 

The must be a way to do it because the Desktop Synch program does it, but anyway I'm not willing to work with undocumented features that could change at any moment.

 

Need more support?