Desktop app integration: where Dropbox stands
Dropbox currently has no official API support for desktop applications. Development efforts so far have gone toward improving the API for mobile and web apps. A formal desktop API is planned for the long term and, when it ships, should make Dropbox integration considerably easier. Until that work is complete, desktop developers have two viable paths for adding Dropbox to their applications.
Authenticate through the OAuth web flow
Any client outside of a mobile app authenticates using OAuth. For desktop apps, the recommended route is standard OAuth 1.0 libraries, which Dropbox supports fully. Details, including the relevant endpoints, are in the Dropbox Web App API documentation. This method is the most reliable and safest way to access Dropbox from a desktop app.
Work directly with the Dropbox folder
As a fallback, desktop apps can skip the API entirely and read and write files straight to and from the local Dropbox folder, leveraging the sync capabilities of the Dropbox desktop client. This approach is only intended for users running Dropbox desktop client version 1.2 or earlier and will likely be deprecated once a more sophisticated Desktop API is introduced.
Questions about desktop integration can be directed to [email protected].
