Copying single files to Dropbox from Android, best approach?

Question

Hi, I built an Android app for a client that controls a ground-based drone. The vehicle moves back and forth across an area and the app collects data from a sensor as it goes. When complete, the data is saved into a file. That file, along with a couple of others are zipped into a small zip file and uploaded somewhere. The idea is that as one of my client's customers uses the app and the vehicle, the client can see the incoming "missions" and check to make sure they're getting the correct data. The client and I agreed that Dropbox would be ideal for this.

So I have the Dropbox SDK integrated into the app, and uploads are working properly. In order to do this, I had to define an app in Dropbox, and the files I upload are confined to my app's folder under "/Apps". I'm currently in "Development" status, and so I can't share this folder with my client so he can actually see the files. I assumed this is because my Dropbox "app" is in "Development" status. So I applied for "production" status and was told that I can't because production status is meant for something like 500 (or was it 50?) users to link to it. In my case, one person needs to link to it.

So am I doing this all wrong? It seems like a pretty simple thing to do, but I also appear to be stuck. If this were a desktop app, I could just copy output files wherever I want, including a Dropbox folder. But since this is Android, there is no Dropbox folder on the device that I can find. Can anyone lend insight into how I can do this?

Thanks,

Kelly

Greg-DB · Accepted Answer

The development/production status of an app affects how many different Dropbox accounts can connect to it. If you don't need to have more than 50 different accounts connect to it, say, if it's just for one or two people, you don't need production status. That doesn't affect the functionality or content that the app can access.

The functionality and content that the app can access is determined by its permissions and access type. It sounds like you registered your app for the "app folder" access type, so it only has access to the special app folder that gets created for it automatically when it's connected to an account. If you just need to upload files to the connected account(s), then using app folder access is a good option. Note that each account that connects the app gets its own app folder though, and app folders in different accounts don't sync with each other. Also, app folders can't be shared as a shared folder with other users.

So, it sounds like you have the app registered for app folder access and have the app connected to your own account, with the app folder consequently existing in your own account, but your client doesn't have access to that folder. There are a few things you may want to do to address that:

* if the client doesn't need to be able to edit the content of the folder, share the app folder with them as a shared link
* have them connect the app to their own account instead so that they get their own app folder which the app will upload to
* register another version of your app with the "full Dropbox" access type instead, so that you can have it upload to a shared folder which you share with your client