Listary: A Developer Spotlight on Dropbox Datastores
Listary, a fast and simple iOS list-making app, was built on top of Dropbox's Sync and Datastore SDK. The app leverages both shared datastores for collaborative lists and local datastores to function without requiring a Dropbox login upfront. The developers behind Listary recently shared their experience with the Datastore API.
Rebuilding from Scratch
The team rebuilt Listary from the ground up with a focus on speed, simplicity, and reliability. When they learned about Dropbox Datastores, they committed to using it for syncing. At the time, they weren't certain whether sharing would be supported, though they suspected it would be. Looking back, they are pleased with that decision.
The core appeal for the developers was how straightforward the system proved to be. They described the overall design as simple and praised the quality of the provided SDKs.
Enabling Sharing
Implementing support for shared lists required a substantial modification to their syncing layer and data architecture. Despite the scale of the change, the team completed the work in just a couple of days. They were particularly impressed with how shareable datastores were designed.
For Listary, sharing is as simple as sending a link to another user. When that user opens the link in Listary, the shared list is available for use immediately—no complex invite flows or permission management required.
