Dropbox API

Features
1

Can I use the available API to access notes, folders and resources from the Dropbox?

I am currently using @foxmask joplin-api Python library to access notes locally. I use Dropbox to sync notes across devices. I am wondering if I can use joplin-api (or the native API) to access these notes?

2

That’s an interesting question! Unfortunately the API is just for accessing local notes.
You can get around it by using the CLI, this will allow you to initiate a sync from the CLI and the access all the up-to-date notes using the API.

If you’re familiar with JavaScript it might be possible to extract out the Dropbox access stuff and make your own API, or it could be possible to write your own in another language (but there is no spec so maintanaince would be a burden). If you go that route please let me know, I’d like to try it out!

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3

joplin-api is an api to acces your notes, wherever they are. The API does not know if you’re using a cloud storage or another. All go through joplin.
If you want to access to your notes at Dropbox, Dropbox provides Python API, I already worked with (for Dropbox paper with another project). But beware that altering your notes on the storage may be a problem when syncing.

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4

I didn’t know this about joplin-api. That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing @foxmask. I’ll give this a go.

Good think that I’m only interested in reading, rather than writing.

5

@foxmask

I was thinking of the Dropbox / Joplin-API implementation. I want to run something by you.

What I was thinking is this.

  1. Create a Django application with dropbox authentication. Once the user logs in, I have access to their files.
  2. I use joplin-api to interact with those files on dropbox.

What I don’t understand it the use of Authorisation token. Usually to use joplin-api (locally) I need to have Joplin turned on, so that the server is up. With dropbox integration, my goal was to be able to “scrape” joplin notes without having it on. In other words, if user logs in with dropbox account I can access his joplin notes any time, even if joplin is off. However, the problem is that there is no Authorisation token associated with joplin notes hosted on dropbox. This means I can’t use joplin-api, right? would have to write a script that will parse all those notes, manually, right?

Thanks for the help.

6

hi,

point 1 : I suppose you want to use Django because of Django all Auth project Which handles Auth w/ Dropbox.

point 2 is false
joplin-api is only able to interact with Joplin notes without knowing where
are stored the files. the API does not know what files is.

if you modify stuff on Dropbox, you don’t need Joplin server to be on, nor its Auth token.

so, once back in your "Joplin desktop " just sync and that’s all.
no need to use joplin-api at all

if stuff is not on a desktop, then, once back on a “server” (a computer without the client “,jolplin desktop”), run Joplin sync , and that’s all
no need to use Joplin API too.

if the goals is to use a cloud file provider to create Joplin notes (in the synced directory of Joplin) without using Joplin, you will fail.
you can just modify or drop stuff, not create them, because there are specific meta data in the Joplin notes files.

I understand you expected to use joplin-api for that, but it’s not the way it’s

hope I answered your questions.
regards
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