Connecting to Dropbox

Dropbox uses the OAuth authentication standard.

Dropbox OAuth Scopes

You need to choose between using CData's embedded OAuth app or Create a Custom OAuth App.

The embedded app includes the following scopes:

• account_info.read
• file_requests.read
• files.content.read
• files.content.write
• files.metadata.read
• sharing.read
• sharing.write

Desktop Applications

CData provides an embedded OAuth application that simplifies OAuth desktop Authentication. Alternatively, you can create a custom OAuth application. See Create a Custom OAuth App for information about creating custom applications and reasons for doing so.

Get and Refresh the OAuth Access Token

After setting the following, you are ready to connect:

• InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken.
• OAuthClientId (custom applications only): Set this to the client Id assigned when you registered your app.
• OAuthClientSecret (custom applications only): Set this to the client secret assigned when you registered your app.
• CallbackURL (custom application only): Set this to the redirect URI defined when you registered your app. For example: http://localhost:33333

When you connect, the connector opens Dropbox's OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application. The connector then completes the OAuth process:

1. The connector obtains an access token from Dropbox and uses it to request data.
2. The OAuth values are saved in the location specified in OAuthSettingsLocation, to be persisted across connections.

The connector refreshes the access token automatically when it expires.