You might see that the Dropbox Community team have been busy working on some major updates to the Community itself! So, here is some info on what’s changed, what’s staying the same and what you can expect from the Dropbox Community overall.
Forum Discussion
can't find "File Requests API"
not yet?
I too have this need. I've put together a working example of an IOS api to originate a file request. You can find it at: https://github.com/tjdhome/DropboxFileRequester.git.
It's a bit of a hack (uses a hidden webview), but it gets the job done. I have automated the second part (actually, the easier part) and will post that code in a day or so.
The repo has now moved to bitbucket. Find it at https://tjdhome@bitbucket.org/tjdhome/dropboxfilerequester.git.BTW, this solution is deployed in an IOS app in the store.
Steve M. I would be glad to go into further detail about how it would be useful for us but for not sufice it to say: This would be a huge improvement for us and our ability to utilize Dropbox. it would increase our ability to work with clients and their submission of documents much more efficiently and securely.
Another +1 from me. Our company wants to provide our clients with the ability to securely collect documents from their clients within an App without us having to run a central server where everything gets passed through (matters of privacy).
With a file request API this would be extremely easy. With the existing API on the other hand we would need a different App for every client which contains their own Oauth credentials. Also everyone would get full access to all uploaded files which must be denied.
This is just one of the scenarios where a file request API would be really helpful.
a BIG +1 from me.
Steve M I just don't want to manage authenication of a dropbox account on several distributed embedded system, a lot of them which I don't have physical access. A filerequest API seems as the easiest method for anyone or any device to add data to my managed dropbox account without the authentication hassle. I understand the security risks that someone not authenticated will add data to my dropbox without my conscent, but I am willing to take that risk and manage it when or if it happens.
- Greg-DB
Dropbox Staff
The Dropbox API now offers the ability to get, list, create, and update file requests:
https://www.dropbox.com/developers/documentation/http/documentation#file_requests
If you're using an official SDK, there will also be corresponding methods for these endpoints.
Note that this does not include the ability to programmatically submit files to file requests however.So, still can't do what many on this thread want.
Adding +1. Very much need the ability to anonymously submit files to the File Request programatically by whatever means. Be it a REST thing or a .Net API thing.
I've begun trying to reverse engineer the request response stream from the upload page so we could emulate it, but we shouldn't have to do that.
This would be incredibly useful for collecting support data from client locations with a single string. (File Request URL) being the only setting and no credentials required.
- Greg-DB
Thanks for the feedback! I'll be sure to record your request for this too.
- Greg-DB
Thanks for the feedback everyone! It's very helpful in determining how to prioritize features like this.
Steve M.Steven, I think I understand the use cases for programmatically creating a file request, but I haven't heard many requests yet to programmatically upload a file to an existing file request.
Would you mind describing your use case?
I have the same request to be able to programmatically upload files to a File Request. My use case: I've written a GUI that receives radio beacons from a satellite in orbit and decodes the telemetry into human readable things (onboard voltages, currents, temperatures, etc), displays it, and is supposed to automatically forward the binary to the satellite team (me). HAM radio operators around the world use this GUI and I want the data they receive so I can fold it into our automatic processing. Right now, they have to manually drop their binary files into the File Request, which is an annoyance and a barrier, so I don't get all the data.
Steve, thanks for the response, and sorry for the delay.
It would be useful in some of our internal applications to offer file uploads to a shared folder without requiring that users fully authenticate first. There are certainly other ways to accomplish the same thing (on Amazon S3 or an FTP server), but it would be preferable to keep everything in Dropbox (for all the same reasons we use Dropbox for Business in the first place). If you'd like, I can open a support ticket and provide more specifics.
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