Datastore API Marks Its First Milestone Since DBX Launch
Since the Datastore API was introduced in beta at DBX, Dropbox's first developer conference, the platform team has been steadily maturing the service. The API was designed to give developers a way to store and sync structured data—settings, to-do lists, contacts, game saves, and more—in a user's Dropbox, complementing the file-sync capabilities the platform already offered.
Datastores function as an embedded database for an app, similar in concept to SQLite, but with the distinction that each datastore is owned by a user and stored in their Dropbox. Because datastores sync across platforms just like files do, developers can work with the same data from web sites, web servers, mobile devices, and desktop computers.
Expanding the Reach of the API
The initial beta release covered iOS, Android, and JavaScript. In the months following DBX, Dropbox made three significant updates:
- The API was stabilized and removed from beta, making it an officially supported part of the platform.
- HTTP endpoints and a Python SDK were launched, enabling server-side communication with datastores.
- OS X support was added to the Datastore API.
Community adoption also contributed to the ecosystem. Developers built open source tools that brought datastore support to Xamarin, AngularJS, and Core Data, broadening the available integration points.
Real-World Usage
Production apps have begun relying on datastores for cross-platform synchronization. Diaro syncs journal entries between Android and the web, while Planner Plus synchronizes calendars and reminders across iOS devices.
Dropbox says more updates for datastores are planned, and the company encourages developers to share feedback, apps, and open source projects on the developer forum.
