Cloud sync APIs for mobile developers

APIDays Berlin, May 6, 2014
http://berlin.apidays.io/

Transcript

1. Cloud sync APIs for mobile developers Leah Culver, Dropbox APIDays Berlin 2014
2. Dropbox “Your [digital] stuff everywhere”
3. Wherever you are
4. Safe and secure
5. Share with friends
6. • Filesystem that just works • “The magic folder” Then
7. • Multi-device world • Mobile filesystem? Now
8. Dropbox APIs for mobile apps
9. 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
10. • 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
11. Core API is great. So what now?
12. • Cross-platform support • Sync across devices • Offline access (bonus!) Mobile API challenges
13. Sync API
14. Sync API • Just like Core API • Filesystem for mobile apps • Store and sync photos, videos, etc.
15. • iOS, Android, OSX • Handle offline caching and syncing • Notifications of changes • Updates in real time Sync SDKs
16. Image Grid Sample
18. Image Grid Sample code iOS
19. Initialize the filesystem
20. Listen for changes
21. Display thumbnail
22. Great for files… but what about data?
23. Sync API file system-like interface Datastore API structured data Mobile APIs
24. Datastore API • Storage for structured data • Like a NoSQL database • Stored in the user’s Dropbox • Not files!
25. Store data in user’s own Dropbox ! • User owns their data • Access to files/data outside your app • Free for developers
26. account→datastore→table→record→field→value Datastore API
27. Why not files? Monolithic → inefficient syncing Opaque → conflicts
28. Why not files? • Clearly defined structure • More efficient syncing • Advanced conflict resolution
29. Similar to Sync SDKs … • iOS, Android, OSX, JavaScript, Python • Handles offline caching and syncing • Notifications of changes • Updates in real time
30. Click the Box
32. Click the Box code JavaScript
33. level current_level 3 state table single record field value
34. Initialize datastore
35. Click listener
36. Listen for changes
37. Display level
38. Offline
40. • Local changes cached when offline • Syncs changes with server when online • Automatically merge changes Offline / online syncing
41. • Conflicts resolved by the client • Handled by Dropbox SDKs Conflict resolution
42. More… dropbox.com/developers/blog
43. github.com/dropbox opensource.dropbox.com
44. • Cross-platform SDKs • Both files and data • Users’ own Dropbox • Handles offline access, sync, and conflict resolution TL;DL
45. Questions? dropbox.com/developers leah@dropbox.com We’re hiring!
46. Photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/kky/704056791/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/eulothg/5906431611/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/2844515466/ 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/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/swisscan/2514879116/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/10018150113/