batchUpload - I want to upload one file to 3 or 4 dropbox paths.

Tom A.5

We need to hopefully efficently upload about a single local file into about 3 - 4 locations on a users dropbox. 

 

I am using the objective-c api, but this question is not api version specific.

 

What is the best way to do this?

There is a call that takes a dictionary of localFile paths and some fileCommitInfos, but there is a one to one mapping so I can't upload the same file to two or 3 different locations on a dropbox account. 

 

So I am thinking I upload all the files to one of the locations, then do a bunch of copies from one dropboxPath to another dropboxPath, but it seems clumsy. 

 

What I would like to do is do a batch of uploads, then commit each upload to multiple dropbox paths. 

chirstius

Hello @Tom A.5,

 

There may be a few options for this. Some things for you to try:

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

Will allow the upload once, copy-many process to possibly be consolidated to fewer calls.

 

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

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

Might be interesting to look at especially if you need to replicate the content between more than one user/account. You could upload once, and then replicate across accounts without having to upload again, all replication happens on the Dropbox side so it's pretty efficient.

 

Another option is the upload session mechanism:
https://www.dropbox.com/developers/documentation/http/documentation#files-upload_session-start

https://www.dropbox.com/developers/documentation/http/documentation#files-upload_session-append_v2

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

https://www.dropbox.com/developers/documentation/http/documentation#files-upload_session-finish_batch-check

 

But if I am reading your post correctly - this isn't about one file stored in many places, it's about many files stored in many places (though the same "set" of files repllicated in all areas) - is that correct?

 

If so, then even with upload sessions, you'd need to upload every file to every location before doing the finish batch calls. So if you are talking data efficiency (I assume this is a mobile device?) then upload once, and copy (via whatever method you think works best) might be the best option, despite requiring multiple API calls.

 

Let me know if I am interpreting your question correctly and if any of these options might fit.

 

Thanks,

 

-Chuck