Dropbox Odoo Integration
by faOtools
| Technical name | dropbox |
| License | LGPL-3 |
| Website | https://faotools.com/apps/17.0/dropbox-odoo-integration-840 |
| Included Dependencies | Cloud Storage Solutions |
This is the tool to integrate Dropbox features with Odoo folders and files. The app automatically stores Odoo attachments and directories in Dropbox and provides instant access to them via web links.
Automatic folders' structure
Decide which Odoo document types should have their own folders trees and synchronize those to Dropbox
Automatic regular sync
Rely on auto-synchronization between Odoo and Dropbox based on scheduled jobs. No manual interaction is required
Bilateral sync
Odoo sends attachments to Dropbox and retrieves files from there. Binary content is kept in clouds, while Odoo provides direct access to synced items
Cloud synchronization history
Control Dropbox sync logs right in Odoo. Export and share those in case of any issues. Be notified of any client disconnections
File manager interface
Manage synced folders and attachments from a single Odoo view. Comfortably navigate by directories. Search and download files one by one or in batch. Upload and move attachments to folders
Attachment box
Organize files of any Odoo object in a set of subfolders. Instantly access folders and files in the attachment box and in Dropbox.
How synchronization works
Automatic two-sided sync
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Configure sync for one or multiple Dropbox instances
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Integration is based on scheduled jobs and is fully automatized. The app regularly checks changes in systems and runs sync operations
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Synchronization is bilateral. Updates in Odoo are reflected in Dropbox (direct sync); changes in Dropbox modify Odoo folders and attachments (backward sync)
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Cloud connection with Dropbox might be reset. In this way, the app assumes getting back all items back to Odoo (reverse sync)
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Odoo folders and attachments might be re-attached to a new cloud client from Dropbox. Hence, items will be first taken back to Odoo (reverse sync) and then put will be put into the new cloud storage (direct sync)
Queue-based synchronization
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Once in 15 minutes, the app examines updates in Odoo and Dropbox to prepare a synchronization queue
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Folders' checks follow the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) principle. So, directories that have not been examined for the longest will be processed first
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Once in 15 minutes, the sync queue is run by the special scheduled job. Firstly, the most important (blocking) tasks would be done
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Control planned jobs and their fulfillment in the special Odoo logs interface (Cloud Storage > Configuration > Sync Logs). Subscribe for particular cloud clients notifications
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If the app faces sync failures, it will re-try operations afterward. Sync queue processing would not be stopped if there are items not blocked by such failures
Odoo attachments for Dropbox: direct sync
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Direct sync prepares the folders' hierarchy and uploads Odoo attachments for Dropbox
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Direct sync checks whether attachments are added or deleted for synced directories. If so, they would be created or removed in Dropbox. In particular, it means that any file added to a folder-related Odoo object (e.g. Quotation), would be automatically moved to a linked cloud client
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Direct sync makes all synced Odoo attachments change their type to a link (URL), while binary content is removed with one of the next Odoo cleaners. So, no actual files would be stored on your Odoo server
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Direct sync checks whether a new folder is added. Disregarding whether it is done manually or automatically, the app would generate a peer directory in Dropbox
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Direct sync checks whether there are any updates in folders. If so, such changes are reflected in Dropbox
Dropbox files and folders for Odoo: backward sync
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Backward sync checks whether any files or subfolders are added to Dropbox folders. If so, the app would create URL attachments/subdirectories inside linked Odoo directories (and hence Odoo objects if any)
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Backward sync checks whether there are any updates in folders or attachments. Such updates would be then reflected in Odoo
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Backward sync checks whether any files are deleted/moved in a Dropbox document folder. If so, a linked Odoo attachment would be also unlinked or moved
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If you deleted a Dropbox folder related to a folder rule / Odoo object, their child files would be deleted as well. Thus, Odoo would remove related attachments. The folders, however, will be recovered with a direct sync
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In case of conflicts, direct sync changes are in general considered more important than backward updates.
Resetting or changing Dropbox: reverse sync
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In case you decided to reset the connection with Dropbox, files would be moved back to Odoo
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In case you decided to change the cloud client of a folder rule or a folder, files would be first taken back to Odoo, and then direct sync for a new client would be done
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Reverse sync operations are prioritized to direct and backward sync operations
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Not all items can be correctly reversed to Odoo due to cloud client peculiarities. For example, there are documents that may exist only in cloud storage environments. The app would try to convert such documents, but in some cases, it would require manual interactions.
Dropbox URLs
Dropbox has a specific way to generate links for existing files and folders. In particular, there are no concepts of internal or private URLs. Instead, each Dropbox item might get so-called shared URLs. Such shared links are either public or team-only. Moreover, the latter feature is available only for the Dropbox business account.
This tool relies upon shared links' mechanics. It means, that each attachment link is either public (all personal Dropbox accounts) or team-only (all business Dropbox accounts).
Sometimes it is considered to be not fully safe. Although website URLs will be hardly known by external users, there is a slight chance that they become available as a result of some user actions. Besides, sharing link generation is not super fast and might make the sync process slower. That is why the feature to switch off sharing URLs is introduced.
If checked, all Dropbox URLs in Odoo will be of the type https://www.dropbox.com/home/Odoo/[PATH]. Such links will not work in many cases. Thus, if you need to open Dropbox files/folders from Odoo, be careful with the setting 'No links to Dropbox from Odoo'.
The tool depends on the external library 'dropbox'. Install this library for your Odoo server through the command:
pip3 install dropbox- Turn on the option 'Dropbox Sync' (cloud Storage > Configuration > Configuration). The optional add-on Dropbox Odoo Integration is required
- Follow the URL https://www.dropbox.com/developers/apps/create
- Choose an API as 'Scoped access'
- Choose the type of access as 'Full Dropbox'
- Select any suitable name for the app and push the button 'Create app'
- Add the redirect URI as [YOURODOOSITENAME]/dropbox_token (e.g. https://faotools.com/dropbox_token). A valid SSL certificate (https) is required
- Grant permissions to the app: 'Account Info (Read)', 'Files and folders Metadata (Write)', 'Files Content (Write)', 'Collaboration (Write)'. For team DropBox assign also 'Team Data Members', 'Members (Read)'. Make sure no other permissions are assigned.
- Submit App
- Go to Odoo Cloud Storage > Configuration > Cloud Clients press 'Create'
- As a reference, introduce any name which would be clear to all users
- As a Cloud client, choose 'Dropbox'
- As a Root folder name, enter a title that will be used as the parent Dropbox directory for all synced folders. For example, 'Odoo' or 'OdooERP'
- Copy 'App key' to the 'App key'
- Copy 'App Secret' into the field 'App secret'
- Insert previously generated redirect URL
- If you use Dropbox team drives
- Check the related box
- Set an Dropbox user email. Inside this user folder, all Odoo-related items will be created, and only after that, they will be shared with all other users. Under this user, all files and folders are created, changed, moved, and deleted
- Press 'Confirm'. Odoo redirects you to the Dropbox login page. Check in the system, agree with all conditions, and grant all permissions asked
- After login, Dropbox redirects you back to Odoo. Dropbox - Odoo synchronization is ready to be done
- Apply the newly created cloud client to folder rules and/or manual folders which should be synced to that Dropbox instance
- Await the sync scheduled job to be started. For testing purposes only: trigger integration manually from Cloud Storage > Configuration > Configuration > the button 'Launch sync'.
Watch also the configuration video
Register a new Dropbox app
Set up Dropbox App: the redirection URLs
Dropbox permissions for personal accounts
Dropbox permissions for business accounts
Set up Odoo for the Dropbox integration
The app assumes that the binary content of attachments is kept in Cloud Client instead of the Odoo server. So, such attachments in Odoo become of the URL type, and you may any time access them either from the attachments box or from the Cloud Client.
After the setup, no manual actions are required, as the synchronization is fully automatic. Just decide which Odoo document types should be synced and set up a related model to sync for each of those (Customers, Sale or Purchase Orders, Tasks, Projects, etc.).
Yes, you can. To that goal, prepare a rule for each, and then those apply filters: for example by type of a project.
Try to make filters self-exclusive in order a document can be definitely assigned. For instance, 'customer but not supplier', 'supplier but not customer'. Otherwise, a specific document folder would jump from one model to another.
No. We have strong reasons to avoid real time sync:
Performance issues. In case a sync is real time, each file upload will result in the loading screen.
Conflict issues. If 2 users simultaneously change an item, it might lead to unresolved situations. In case of regular jobs we can fix it afterwards, while in case of real time we would need to save it as some queue, and it will be even more misleading for users.
Functionality issues. In particular, renaming and restructuring of items. In the backward sync the tool strictly relies upon directories' logic, and during each sync 100% of items are checked. In case it is done after each update, it will be thousands of requests per second. If not: changes would be lost.
Yes, depending on your cloud client configuration.
Yes, although in case of many folders / attachments to sync, the process might be slow. Simultaneously, our clients reported to us the environments with >10k partners and ~5k product variants to be synced, and the processes were acceptable.
A few points to emphasize:
The sync is constructed in such a way that anyway any item will be synced and will not be lost, although it might be not fast. It is guaranteed by first-in-first-out queues and by each job commits.
The number of objects might be limited logically. The models' configuration let you restrict sync of obsolete items (e.g there is no sense to sync archived partners or orders which are done 2 years ago).
According to the current Odoo Apps Store policies:
- every module bought for version 12.0 and prior gives you access to all versions up to 12.0.
- starting from version 13.0, every module version should be purchased separately.
- disregarding the version, purchasing a tool grants you a right to all updates and bug fixes within a major version.
Take into account that the faOtools team does not control those policies. For all questions, please contact the Odoo Apps Store representatives directly.
The easiest approach is to use the Odoo store built-in workflow:
1. Open the module's page and click the button Deploy on odoo.sh
2. After that, you will be redirected to the GitHub page. Login to your account and click 'Create a new repo' or use the existing one. Please, make sure, that your repository is private. It is not permitted to publish the apps under the OPL-1 license. If necessary, create a new repo for your Odoo.sh project
3. Then, go to odoo.sh and click on the deploy button, submit the decision in the pop-up window and click 'Continue'. The action will trigger the installation process.
These steps would install the app for your project production branch. If you wanted to deploy the apps for other branches or update the module, you should undertake the following actions:
1. Upload the source code for the app from the Odoo store
2. Commit the module to a required GitHub repository. Make sure that none of the app folders/files are ignored (included in the .gitignore of your repo). Repositories are automatically created by odoo.sh, which might add by default some crucial items there (e.g. /lib). You should upload all module directories, subdirectories, and files without exceptions
3. Deploy a target branch of the odoo.sh project or wait until it is automatically built if your settings assume that.
Unzip the source code of the purchased tools in one of your Odoo add-ons' directories;
Re-start the Odoo server;
Turn on the developer mode (technical settings);
Update the apps' list (the apps' menu);
Find the app and push the button 'Install';
Follow the guidelines on the app's page if those exist.
Yes, sure. Take into account that Odoo automatically adds all dependencies to a cart. You should exclude previously purchased tools.
A red/orange warning itself does not influence features of the app. Regretfully, sometimes our modules do not pass standard automatic tests, since the latter assumes behavior which is in conflict with our apps goals. For example, we change price calculation, while standard Odoo module tests compare final price to standard algorithm.
So, first of all, please check deployed database features. Does everything work correctly?
If you still assume that warning influences real features, please contact us and forward full installation logs and the full lists of deployed modules (including core and third party ones).
No, we distribute the tools only through the official Odoo apps store
Regretfully, we do not have a technical possibility to provide individual prices.
No, third party apps can not be used on Odoo Online.
Yes, all modules marked in dependencies are absolutely required for a correct work of our tool. Take into account that price marked on the app page already includes all necessary dependencies.
The price for our modules is set up in euros. The Odoo store converts prices in others currencies according to its internal exchange rate. Thus, the price in US Dollars may change, when exchange rate changes.
Odoo file manager: Dropbox synced
Odoo objects' folders in Dropbox
Odoo attachment box synced to Dropbox
Odoo folder structure in Dropbox
The root folder is in Dropbox
Odoo demonstration databases (live previews)
For this app, we might provide a free personalized demo database.
To demand such a database, press the button "Live Preview" on the top of this page or copy the link https://faotools.com/s/ldpq57
No phone number or credit card is required to contact us: only a short email sign up which does not take more than 30 seconds.
By your request, we will prepare an individual live preview database, where you would be able to apply any tests and check assumptions for 14 days.
Bug reporting
In case you have faced any bugs or inconsistent behavior, do not hesitate to contact us. We guarantee to provide fixes within 60 days after the purchase, while even after this period we are strongly interested to improve our tools.
To send us a bug report: press the "Website" link on the top of this page and push the button "Bug Report" (the tab Support). Alternatively, copy the link https://faotools.com/s/3vqsjh
No phone number or credit card is required to contact us: only a short email sign up which does not take more than 30 seconds.
Please include in your request as many details as possible: screenshots, Odoo server logs, a full description of how to reproduce your problem, and so on. Usually, it takes a few business days to prepare a working plan for an issue (if a bug is confirmed) or provide you with guidelines on what should be done (otherwise).
Public features requests and module ideas (free development)
We are strongly motivated to improve our tools and would be grateful for any sort of feedback. In case your requirements are of public use and might be efficiently implemented, the team would include those in our to-do list.
Such a to-do list is processed on a regular basis and does not assume extra fees. Although we cannot promise deadlines and final design, it might be a good way to get desired features without investments and risks.
To share ideas: press the "Website" link on the top of this page and push the button "Share Features Ideas" (the tab Support). Alternatively, copy the link https://faotools.com/s/o4tipr
No phone number or credit card is required to contact us: only a short email sign up which does not take more than 30 seconds.
Questions and misc issues
Feel free to contact us with any other concerns, doubts, or questions: press the "Website" link on the top of this page and push the button "Raise Question" (the tab Support). Alternatively, copy the link https://faotools.com/s/pr1vg1
About the team
faOtools (faotools.com, former odootools.com) is the team of developers and business analysts to help you extend Odoo's potential. We have been communicating with end users to whom the software became the main business tool since 2012. As a result, we are proud of dozens of successful Odoo apps developed. We are open for new ideas and challenges to create the best Odoo apps for business needs all over the world.
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