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Cloud sync APIs for mobile developers
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Leah Culver
May 30, 2014
Programming
1
150
Cloud sync APIs for mobile developers
APIDays Mediterranea, Barcelona, May 30, 2014
http://mediterranea.apidays.io/
Leah Culver
May 30, 2014
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Transcript
Cloud sync APIs for mobile developers Leah Culver, Dropbox APIDays
Mediterranea 2014
Dropbox “Your [digital] stuff everywhere”
Wherever you are
Safe and secure
Share with friends
• Filesystem that just works • “The magic folder” Then
• Multi-device world • Mobile filesystem? Now
Dropbox APIs for mobile apps
Core API • REST-ish, OAuth 2.0, JSON • SDKs for
Android, iOS, OS X, Python, Ruby, Java, PHP • Community-supported libraries for C#, JavaScript, Perl, etc. HTTP API for files
• List files /metadata/<root>/<path> • Upload file /files_put/<root>/<path> • Get
a thumbnail /thumbnails/<root>/<path> • Share via a link /shares/<root>/<path> Core API
Core API is great. So what now?
• Cross-platform support • Sync across devices • Offline access
(bonus!) Mobile API challenges
Sync API
Sync API • Just like Core API • Filesystem for
mobile apps • Store and sync photos, videos, etc.
• iOS, Android, OSX • Handle offline caching and syncing
• Notifications of changes • Updates in real time Sync SDKs
Image Grid Sample (demo)
Sample code
Great for files… but what about data?
Sync API file system-like interface Datastore API structured data Mobile
APIs
Datastore API • Storage for structured data • Like a
NoSQL database • Stored in the user’s Dropbox • Not files!
account→datastore→table→record→field→value Datastore API
Why not files? Monolithic → inefficient syncing Opaque → conflicts
Why not files? • Clearly defined structure • More efficient
syncing • Advanced conflict resolution
Similar to Sync SDKs … • iOS, Android, OSX, JavaScript,
Python • Handles offline caching and syncing • Notifications of changes • Updates in real time
Store data in user’s own Dropbox ! • User owns
their data • Access to files/data outside your app • Free for developers
Dropbox 2048
None
2048 • JavaScript game (now mobile too) • High score
and game state saved via cookies • Very fun (and addictive!)
Dropbox 2048 • Save data in user’s Dropbox • Top
3 high scores • Current game state • Syncs between different browsers
None
pretty blue colors high scores
None
None
github.com/leah/2048 Code
Sync and Datastore API Version 3.0 • New datastore properties
• Named datastores • Batching file-system operations • Better error handling • And more…
Local datastores (preview feature)
• Cross-platform SDKs • Both files and data • Users’
own Dropbox • Handles offline access, sync, and conflict resolution TL;DL
Questions? dropbox.com/developers
[email protected]
Photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/kky/704056791/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/eulothg/5906431611/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/povertybarn/5144441939 http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/10018150113/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/mager/2659619029/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/ben_grey/4582294721/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/adactio/12674602864/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/coofdy/11492948263/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/arts/42217172/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drachmann/327122302/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/evergreenkamal/395448039/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/aliaholle/5888906660/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/vinothchandar/5148046888/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/shandilee/5062466679/