Placing EXE files in a shared Dropbox folder.

Question

Hello all,

I made a small .NET Core app that publishes as an .exe with surrounding files. Its a small client manager that gets database information from a SQLite database (which is already saved in Dropbox) in the project folder. Now, I've been wanting to distribute by app to the rest of my workplace, but I've run into a few issues:

- sending the app as a large .zip file, especially when versioning, is going to get annoyting quick

- since most of the staff isn't computer literate, I'd have to make an installer to place project files in the correct place

- the database should be a MASTER database, which means that anytime someone is adding or removing data, the database should sync up with apps on other computers as well

After thinking about this for a while, one of the ideas I came up with was simply placing the entire app on a shared dropbox folder. Advantages (in my perspective):

- Dropbox will install all the files on everyone else's computers automatically

- Very easy version control: I'd just have to update the .dll files for my project and the exe, without touching the other dependences

- Cross-platform support for people who don't have .NET Core installed on their machines; I can place the runtime inside the Dropbox folder.

- I can just create a shortcut to the exe thatstaff can copy-paste to their desktop

- Data is all kept in one place instead of a "local-copy" and a "Dropbox-copy".

Overall, I see a lot of benefits in this approach, and was wondering if anyone else had implemented this idea with another app. Also, I wanted to know if there were any issues with multiple users accessing the same exe and databases at the same time. If two users are opening the same text file at the same time (from their local dropbox folders), and input data, how does Dropbox respond? Does it create a separate text file for each user, or does it prohibit the second user from changing the file?

Would appreciate any help on this.

Rich · Answer

@AGreenTejada wrote:But what if I used a JSON file, which is very close to a text file, then told the program to read and write to that?

Your problem isn't the type of data storage. It's the location.

Data is all kept in one place instead of a "local-copy" and a "Dropbox-copy".

THIS is your problem. Data isn't kept in one location. The database file, regardless of type, is stored locally on each person's computer. They're not all accessing the same file. They're all accessing a COPY of the same file. As changes are made, the copy is synced back to Dropbox and then back to everyone else's computer.

Any time mutliple people make a change at the same time, or close to the same time, a conflict will be created. Also, what happens if people can't sync (network problem, etc.)? Your program will still be able to read the copy of the file in their local Dropbox, but it may not be the same as the copy on the Dropbox server. Once that computer can sync again, it will create a conflict.

Dropbox is just not a good solution for any files that will be used like a database where the intent is to have multiple people access them simultaneously. It's not a matter of if you'll have a conflict; it's a matter of when.

Rich · Answer