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Forum Discussion
Javascript to Run Download Function on My Files?
Greetings, In a previous discussion, I solved how to upload files to pages in my app via a web form. Now I need to dynamically provide a "download" link to the file that was previously attached ...
Hi Matthew, the filesDownload method is the right way to directly download a file from a Dropbox account using the JavaScript SDK.
What do you have so far and what's giving you trouble in particular? There's a sample of using sharingGetSharedLinkFile available here for reference. When using filesDownload you would pass in a path (instead of a URL), but handling the response is the same.
For example, switching in the method, it would look something like this:
dbx.filesDownload({path: '/test.txt'}) .then(function(response) { var downloadUrl = URL.createObjectURL(response.fileBlob); var downloadButton = document.createElement('a'); downloadButton.setAttribute('href', downloadUrl); downloadButton.setAttribute('download', response.name); downloadButton.setAttribute('class', 'button'); downloadButton.innerText = 'Download: ' + response.name; document.getElementById('results').appendChild(downloadButton); }) .catch(function(error) { console.error(error); });- Yes, you can download with the shared link. For example, my version in my last post using filesDownload only requires the path, and not shared link.
Greg-DB
Dropbox Staff
Dropbox StaffHi Matthew, the filesDownload method is the right way to directly download a file from a Dropbox account using the JavaScript SDK.
What do you have so far and what's giving you trouble in particular? There's a sample of using sharingGetSharedLinkFile available here for reference. When using filesDownload you would pass in a path (instead of a URL), but handling the response is the same.
For example, switching in the method, it would look something like this:
dbx.filesDownload({path: '/test.txt'})
.then(function(response) {
var downloadUrl = URL.createObjectURL(response.fileBlob);
var downloadButton = document.createElement('a');
downloadButton.setAttribute('href', downloadUrl);
downloadButton.setAttribute('download', response.name);
downloadButton.setAttribute('class', 'button');
downloadButton.innerText = 'Download: ' + response.name;
document.getElementById('results').appendChild(downloadButton);
})
.catch(function(error) {
console.error(error);
});
Greg,
Yes, that's the code I used, and it does get me to the file. However, the problem is, the user will not know the "shared link." The way this app works is, people upload a file for a page, then come back to that page to see the file that was uploaded to it. As far as I can tell, the only way to see the shared link is to go to the DropBox page.
Is there a way to get the file another way, without the shared link?
Thanks,
Matthew
- Greg-DBYes, you can download with the shared link. For example, my version in my last post using filesDownload only requires the path, and not shared link.
Hi Greg,
Got it! It's working now.
After using the DropBox API for a while, I have come to really like the Javascript elements. I just find it challenging to locate examples. There is a pattern to the API calls, but each one is different enough that I need to see specific code.
Now I can upload a file to a specific page, and can also download the file that was uploaded on that page. I may need to return later for deeper methods: delete the file from the page, or overwrite an existing file with a newly uploaded one.
As I confirm the methods for each action, I'm planning to document them, either here or on jsfiddle.
Thanks,
Matthew
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