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Forum Discussion
SHow file creation Date using server time
I need to show that a file was not modified since uploaded to dropbox. I mean, i need to show the creation and midifcation date of a file on the server side, because the creation date in windows can...
Thanks Mark for your quick answer.
I want to be able to show to other people that a file has not been modified since it was uploaded to dropbox.
As the file modified time can be set manually in windows, I want to show the timestamp of the file on the server side, a parameter that I can not modify.
I have been reading the API set of dropbox and found that the command "alpha/get metadata" returns something like this:
"client_modified": "2017-05-25T11:21:40Z", "server_modified": "2017-05-25T17:13:19Z", "rev": "a874f899e6c", "content_hash": "101e42861bc47204006ef0a6afdbef8d5e2e4ff75cce321821830a457919dfea"
That information includes a hash of the file, and also a server modified timestamp.
Even more, the command "list_revisions" give that informatio for all the previos version of the file, with several timestamps and hash of the file.
Do you think that those arguments can be used to show, beyond reasonable doubt (but not necesary in legal terms), that the file has not been modified?
Thanks, Jaime
Mark
Super User II
Super User IIAh, if you'd said you were using the API I'd have moved you to the API section of the forums - your current post is in the general area!
Hopefully one of the team will have some ideas from there :)
Hopefully one of the team will have some ideas from there :)
- Greg-DB
Dropbox Staff
The Dropbox API does offer the client_modified and server_modified times, as you mentioned, but it unfortunately doesn't offer the created time. I'll send this along as a feature request, but I can't make any promises as to if or when that would be added.
The list_revisions functionality does show a list of files revisions, but that isn't guaranteed to the full list of revisions that ever existed. It will only list the versions still available, depending on the "version history period" for the account.
- Just a comment about the creation time of a file, in windows 7 that is for me a very important parameter!!. For example, I can order the files for creation instead of modification, and get a more constant ordering than the always changing modification time. Also, it is valuabe information about when i was working on that issue. For example, i have hundreds of pdf, doc, xls files created in my everyday work and knowing the creation date is important for me.
However, a caveat of all cloud services, (not only dropbox) is that they do not keep that info, just uses as creation date the time of sync. For that reason, i use to "move" the files from my home computer to a pendrive, then "Move" again to my work computer. Note that even windows have that problem, just copying the files generates a new creation date, you need to move files or use robocopy tool.
I understand also that operating in that way, you can know which was the "original" file and the "copied" file, lookig at the creation date of each one.
Best regards,
Jaime- Greg-DBThanks for the additional context!
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