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Dropbox has announced a new advanced syncing API for developers that uses Dropbox technology to sync app data across devices.

The Datastore API is an extension of the existing Dropbox Sync API that allows developers to save files on Dropbox. With Datastore, developers can sync databases -- game saves or custom levels, for example -- across multiple devices and platforms, saving developers from needing to develop their own sync platforms.
Today, we're excited for you try out the beta release of the Datastore API -- simple databases for your apps with Dropbox sync built-in! Use datastores to save your app's data -- settings, contacts, or any other content that users create -- and Dropbox will take care of all the syncing for you. People who use your Datastore-enabled app can be sure their information will always be up-to-date and available, no matter what device or platform they use.
Dropbox CEO Drew Houston said during a Q&A with reporters that there is no plan to change its business model, and it doesn't want to charge developers to use its sync platform.
"We've never taken money from developers and we don't have any plans to," Houston said. That doesn't necessarily mean that Dropbox will never, ever do it ("It's conceivable that there would be services in the future where there would be some cost associated with the developer"), but he added, "Because we have a strong core business model, I don't think that monetizing developers will be an important thing for us for the foreseeable future."

Article Link: Dropbox Announces Sync API for Third-Party Developers
 

Born Again

macrumors 601
May 12, 2011
4,019
5,211
Norcal
Great news

Cross platform functionality and will no doubt work better than iCloud.


iCloud has been a failure for app makers.
 

JGIGS

macrumors 68000
Jan 1, 2008
1,817
2,073
CANADA!
Great now finish creating an android app and mac app or web based app (prefer web based) so I can consider going back to an Android device again. Ooops was that out loud?
 

donutbagel

macrumors 6502a
Jun 9, 2013
932
1
Nice pressure on iCloud so it gets into shape. When I first heard of Dropbox when it first came out, I thought it was too good to be true. Dropbox is the king of cross-platform! It's saved me so much time over using flash drives that I feel a little bad for using the free version.
 

Razeus

macrumors 603
Jul 11, 2008
5,348
2,030
Great now finish creating an android app and mac app or web based app (prefer web based) so I can consider going back to an Android device again. Ooops was that out loud?

Dropbox already has an Android app.
 

ValSalva

macrumors 68040
Jun 26, 2009
3,783
259
Burpelson AFB
IMHO, over the past five years the biggest advances in desktop computing have been Dropbox, Quad-core processors, and SSDs. Dropbox has changed the way I manage my data in a profound way. It's great to see them succeed.
 

HiRez

macrumors 603
Jan 6, 2004
6,250
2,576
Western US
Confused on how this works. Is it using the developer's account, or the user's account? How do you (the user of my app) sign in to use it? Is the user required to download the Dropbox app? Do they need a Dropbox account? What about multiple users on the same device?

This sounds great if it's something that works transparently with no user action, but somehow the user needs to be identified so you can sync their stuff across devices, right? With iCloud, that's pretty easy since pretty much everyone using an iOS device has an iCloud account which is logged in full-time on the device.

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iCloud has been a failure for app makers.
Well, it depends on what you're doing with it. I found iCloud works very well for storing and syncing simple game data. It's when you're trying to use it to sync CoreData-enabled databases that things fall apart.
 

nutmac

macrumors 603
Mar 30, 2004
6,043
7,285
It is worth noting that app can store up to 10MB data and 1,000 entries on each Dropbox user's datastore. Data will count toward user's storage limit and user can remove and clear app's data as desired.

And their new drop-in API should help developers use Dropbox as a file system, although I find search to be rather lacking.

All in all, Dropbox's datastore API seems cleaner than iCloud (while being cross platform), but it remains to be seen how much more reliable it will be.
 

Skika

macrumors 68030
Mar 11, 2009
2,999
1,246
Great now finish creating an android app and mac app or web based app (prefer web based) so I can consider going back to an Android device again. Ooops was that out loud?

Am i missing something but doesn't Dropbox already have all of those for quite a while :confused:
 

BlaqkAudio

macrumors 6502
Jun 24, 2008
495
23
New York

kirky29

macrumors 68000
Jun 17, 2009
1,608
786
Lincolnshire, England
IMHO, over the past five years the biggest advances in desktop computing have been Dropbox, Quad-core processors, and SSDs. Dropbox has changed the way I manage my data in a profound way. It's great to see them succeed.

Couldn't agree anymore with Dropbox. Couldn't imagine not having it.
 

SilverWiz

macrumors newbie
Jul 22, 2010
10
0
It is worth noting that app can store up to 10MB data and 1,000 entries on each Dropbox user's datastore. Data will count toward user's storage limit and user can remove and clear app's data as desired.

Where did you find the information about those limits? It's interesting, but I can't find it on their website...
 

JGIGS

macrumors 68000
Jan 1, 2008
1,817
2,073
CANADA!
Already exists.

Already exists.

Already exists.

These have all existed for years. Maybe you should do basic research before you complain.

My bad. Could have sworn this article was originally about their mailbox app now being able to attach directly from your Dropbox account which came out today. I was referring to the Mailbox app.
 

ThunderSkunk

macrumors 68040
Dec 31, 2007
3,782
3,990
Milwaukee Area
I love dropbox, but man is the iOS app ever useless.

And if they're gonna disable sharing links to your files once you actually start using the service, I wish there were an intermediate purchase option.

But I look forward to seeing this API implemented.
 

Terrin

macrumors 6502
Apr 5, 2011
430
1
IMHO, over the past five years the biggest advances in desktop computing have been Dropbox, Quad-core processors, and SSDs. Dropbox has changed the way I manage my data in a profound way. It's great to see them succeed.


I honestly do not see it being much different than Apple's original iDisk minus the automatic syncing. IDisk allowed you to share files among multiple platforms.
 

ValSalva

macrumors 68040
Jun 26, 2009
3,783
259
Burpelson AFB
I honestly do not see it being much different than Apple's original iDisk minus the automatic syncing. IDisk allowed you to share files among multiple platforms.

I used to exclusively use (and still do for backups) Amazon S3 and Jungle Disk. It's like iDisk in a way except it's faster and more reliable.

But when faster, almost completely reliable, and push syncing are combined in Dropbox, it is truly transformative. At least it is for me.
 

numlock

macrumors 68000
Mar 13, 2006
1,590
88
I honestly do not see it being much different than Apple's original iDisk minus the automatic syncing. IDisk allowed you to share files among multiple platforms.

that description of dropbox is about as vague as the ones found in apples patents
 

bpcookson

macrumors 6502
Apr 6, 2012
484
90
MA
This is really exciting. The last thing I need, as a noob developer, is to have to figure out how to set up a server.

I'll be curious to know if the data stored through this API can be communicated between unique Apple ID accounts, or if it is only available to the data owner.
 

skippymac

macrumors 6502a
Jun 9, 2010
592
3
Hampshire, UK
I am under the (possibly incorrect) impression that currently I can't set up a dropbox folder on my headless raspberry pi running raspbian (ARM debian). Am I right in thinking that this may make it possible/easier?
 

roadbloc

macrumors G3
Aug 24, 2009
8,784
215
UK
Too bad iCloud dropped the ball. Dropbox, Google Drive and SkyDrive are all lightyears ahead.
 
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