DropBox Odoo Integration v.14

The tool to automatically synchronize Odoo attachments with DropBox files in both ways

394€

The price already includes all necessary dependencies = 149€ (own price) + 245€ (Cloud Storage Solutions) .
Current version: 14.0.2.0.5

Enterprise
Community
Odoo.sh

This is the tool to integrate DropBox features into your Odoo business work flow. The app automatically stores Odoo attachments in DropBox, and it provides an instant access to them via web links. In such a way users work with files comfortably in the cloud storage, while the results are fully available in Odoo.

Automatic regular sync

Synchronization between Odoo and DropBox is based on scheduled jobs. No manual interaction is required

Bilateral DropBox 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

Any Odoo document types for sync

Decide which Odoo document types should be synced. Customers, opportunities, sale or purchase orders, tasks or issues, employees or users, etc. Custom models are also supported

Instant access for DropBox

The tool redefines Odoo attachments boxes to make work comfortable: download files locally without login, open files and folders in DropBox, use standard Odoo previewers

Compatible with Odoo Enterprise documents

Reflect Odoo Enterprise Documents' structure and items in DropBox. All features (including sharing, downloading, and signing) would anyway work

All DropBox tariffs

Synchronization works for any DropBox tariff, including Personal DropBox (Basic, Plus, Family) and business DropBox (Professional, Standard, Advanced)

DropBox sync history

Sync activities might be logged. Control over files and folders creations, moves, name changes and removals. Just turn on the option 'Log sync activities', and you would be able to observe the history through the button 'Sync logs'

Default folders

The tool let generate default directories' structure for this document type during the very first sync of a related object. For example, for all employees you may have pre-defined folders 'Scans', 'Scans/Official', 'Photos', etc.

Integrate DropBox
Odoo attachments as DropBox files

Sync any documents you like

Configuring models to sync

  • To sync a specific document type, you should add it as a model to sync. Any Odoo model might be chosen
  • The app let split models into a few folders based on selected filters. Use any document storable field to distinguish a directory. Have a separate folder for individuals and companies, for European and American opportunities, for quotations and confirmed orders, for each project, etc.
  • Limit also documents by relative periods through using date fields of linked documents. For example, leads registered in the last 3 months or invoices updated the last week
  • Define name expressions to specify titles of documents' DropBox folders. For instance, to include project name to a task directory
  • Prepare hierarchy of default folders to be created when a document directory is synced to DropBox for the first time

Typical use cases

  • Projects: have an own DropBox folder for each customer project
  • Customers: add all partner files in a single directory available both from Odoo and from DropBox. Modify those using default cloud editors and access them when working in Odoo
  • Employees: gather all files by this employee in a single cloud folder: photos, document scans, contracts. Access and upload those from Odoo and DropBox alternatively
  • Opportunities: carefully store all specifications, requirements, any files which would let you make a good offer
  • Orders: keep all printings and contracts in DropBox with instant availability from Odoo
  • Picking operations: save warehouse docs to DropBox.
DropBox documents filtered
Any Odoo model to be synced

How synchronization works

Direct Sync

  • Direct synchronization is based on the scheduled job 'Synchronize attachments with cloud'
  • Direct sync make all synced Odoo attachments change their type to a link (URL), while binary content is removed with a next Odoo cleaner. So, no actual files would be stored on your Odoo server
  • Direct sync checks whether attachments are added or deleted for synced documents. If so, they would be created or removed in DropBox
  • Direct sync checks whether a new document type (e.g. sale orders) is added / renamed / replaced in the to-sync-models configurations. If so, this should be reflected in DropBox
  • Direct sync checks whether a new document (e.g. quotation SO-001) related to a synced document type is generated / updated / unlinked. If so, the connector would make the same changes in DropBox
  • The final goal of direct DropBox integration is to have the structure 'Odoo / Document Types / Documents / Files. For example, 'Odoo / Quotations / SO019 / commercial offer.pdf'

Backward Sync

  • Backward synchronization is based on the scheduled job 'Synchronize attachments from cloud'
  • Backward sync checks whether any items are added to a DropBox document folder. If so, the app would create URL attachments for that items in a linked Odoo object
  • Backward sync checks whether any items are deleted / moved in a cloud document folder. If so, a linked Odoo attachment would be also unlinked or moved
  • Backward sync checks whether any item is renamed in DropBox. If so, a chained Odoo attachment should be also renamed
  • In DropBox folders you can put not only files but also child folders. In that case a link for this folder (not its content) would be kept in Odoo attachments
  • If you deleted a folder related to this document type or this document, their child files would be deleted as well. Thus, Odoo would remove related attachments. The folders, however, will be recovered with a next direct sync

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 DropBox business account
  • This tool relies upon share 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 links generation is not super fast and might make a 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 type https://www.dropbox.com/home/Odoo/[PATH]. Such links will not work in quite a many cases. Thus, if you need to open DropBox files / folders from Odoo, be careful with the setting 'No links to DropBox from Odoo'

Misc notes

  • The connector works on a queue (first in - first out) principle: it tries to firstly reflect the oldest changes
  • Each sync, especially the very first one, might take quite a long. It is not recommended to make sync too frequent: once an hour seems reasonable frequency
  • File names and content should be managed in DropBox: each backward sync would recover DropBox names, Odoo is here less important
  • Try to avoid the following symbols in folders' and files' names: *, ?, ", ', :, <, >, /, +, %, !, @, \, /,. Direct sync will replace such symbols with '-'. It is done to avoid conflicts with file systems.

Odoo Enterprise Documents

  • The special add-on 'Cloud Sync for Enterprise documents' is introduced to synchronize DropBox with the Odoo app 'Documents' (the latter is distributed under the Odoo Enterprise license)
  • Based on that add-on the Odoo documents' hierarchy would be reflected within the folder 'Odoo / Odoo Docs'
  • Each Odoo folder would have a linked DropBox folder. Take into account that folders created in the cloud storage will be synced as Odoo attachments. The key principle is: folders are managed by Odoo, files are managed by the cloud client
  • All files are synced with the same logic as usual attachments. Files created in Odoo will be added to the cloud storage and will be replaced with links in Odoo. Files created in cloud storage will generate URL attachments within a paired documents directory
  • Standard DropBox sync and integration with Enterprise Documents are done within the same jobs. Avoid the scenarios when a single file is synced as a simple Odoo attachment and as an Odoo document simultaneously
  • Odoo spread sheet files are not synced by the connector: so, they are still manageable in Odoo
  • Please do not name synced models as 'Odoo Docs'. This is the reserved name for Odoo Enterprise Documents.
Odoo documents sync interface
Direct link to DropBox

Configuration and Installation Tips for DropBox Odoo Integration Odoo v.14

Python dependency

The tool depends on external libraries 'dropbox'. Install this library for your Odoo server through the command:

pip3 install dropbox

Configuration and log in

  1. Follow the url https://www.dropbox.com/developers/apps/create
  2. Choose an API as 'Scoped access'
  3. Choose the type of access as 'Full Dropbox'
  4. Select any suitable name for the app and push the button 'Create app'
  5. Add the redirect URI as [YOURODOOSITENAME]/dropbox_token (e.g. https://faotools.com/dropbox_token). A valid SSL certificate (https) is required
  6. 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.
  7. Submit App
  8. Go to Odoo general settings - DropBox
  9. Copy App Key, App secret, and redirect URI to the Odoo configuration page
  10. For team DropBoxes only
    1. Check the box 'DropBox Team'
    2. Set an email of DropBox user. Inside this user folder all Odoo related items would be created and only after that they are shared to all other users. Under this user all files and folders are created, changed, moved, and deleted
  11. Choose a suitable name for the root Odoo folder, e.g. 'Odoo' or 'ERP'
  12. Press Save
  13. Press 'Login and Confirm'

Create a DropBox app

DropBox API app to connect to Odoo

Set up DropBox App: redirection URL

Dropbox app settings

DropBox permissions for personal accounts

Odoo Dropbox app personal permissions

DropBox permissions for business accounts

Odoo Dropbox app business permissions

Set up Odoo for DropBox integration

Odoo settings for DropBox

Odoo server configuration and cron job configuration

To make sure the synchronization works correctly apply proper timeouts to the Odoo configuration file: LIMIT_TIME_CPU, LIMIT_TIME_REAL, LIMIT_TIME_REAL_CRON should be more than 900 seconds.

For Odoo.sh this should not be done, since timeouts are predefined and are not configurable.

Then, timeout should be entered to your Odoo. To that goal find the section 'Settings' on the app configuration page and copy the number there.

Afterwards, it is needed to make the cron jobs suit the applied timeouts. In the debug mode go to the Settings > Technical > Automation > Scheduled Jobs:

  • Set up the job 'Synchronize attachments with cloud' as (a) frequency - 2*timeout; (b) the next execution as the next hour +timeout. For example, for 900seconds timeout: frequency - as 30minutes; the next execution - at 08:15
  • Set up the job 'Synchronize attachments from cloud' as (a) frequency - 2*timeout; (b) the next execution as the next hour + timeout*2. For example, for 900seconds timeout: frequency - as 30minutes; the next execution- at 08:30.

Reconnection

Reconnection might be required for the case a refresh token is expired and when you migrate the app from previous versions. In such a case:

  1. Press the button 'Reconnect'
  2. Press the button 'Login and confirm'

Frequently Asked Questions about DropBox Odoo Integration Odoo v.14

Yes, you can. To this end:

  1. Turn on debug mode

  2. Go to technical settings > Automation > Scheduled jobs

  3. Find the jobs 'Synchronize attachments with cloud' and 'Update attachments from cloud'.

Take into account that you should not make them too frequent. It is preferable this job is finished until a new one is started. Thus, the configuration should depend on how many items you to sync you have. Usually, the frequency is set up between 15 minutes to 4 hours.

Make also sure that you have set up enough time limits in your Odoo configuration file. Thus, LIMIT_TIME_CPU and LIMIT_TIME_REAL parameters should be equal or bigger than planned cron job time. Starting from the version 13 consider also the parameter LIMIT_TIME_REAL_CRON.

An import notice for Odoo.sh clients: the maximum time for cron job might be set up as 15 minutes only.

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.).

No, this feature is available only from version 15. Prior to that version, the module works with the pre-defined structure of folders:

  1. Odoo - a core folder for sync

  2. Models - folders for each Odoo document type. For example, 'Projects', 'Partners'. Distinguished by domain there might be more specific folders: e.g., 'Customer 1 Projects', 'Projects of the Customer 2', 'Internal Projects', etc.

  3. Objects - folders for each document, e.g. 'Project 1' or 'Customer 1'

  4. Files and folders related to this Odoo document to be synced.

As a result you may have for instance:

  • Odoo / Projects / Project 1 / files and folders related to the  project 1

  • Odoo / Customer 1 Projects / Project 1; Odoo / Customer 2 Projects / Project 3, ...

  • Odoo / Customers / Customer 1 / files and folders related to the customer 1

This structure is always flat, meaning that there are only those levels of hierarchy. Thus, it is correct that various document types can't be done within the same structure. Within the folder 'Customer 1' we can't keep the files related both to sale orders, invoices, and projects. Each of those document type has an own (or a few own) folders. Otherwise, we will not have a chance to make backward synchronization, since there would be no criteria to rely upon.

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, the tool relies upon a single user end point. It means that all sync processes are done under a single cloud admin (app). Access rights for created folders / files are not automatized. You should administrate those rights in your cloud storage solution.

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.

No, the tool is only a technical core. You also need the connector for your cloud client.

For models' directories (sale orders, opportunities, suppliers, etc.): you may assign your own name for any document type.

For objects' folders (SO-001, John Smith, etc.): the tool relies upon the Odoo 'name_get' method for this document type. However, you can change that by defining name_expression. The same syntax as for Odoo email templates is used. 

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:

  1. 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.

  2. 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).

No, this feature becomes available only from version 15.

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.

  1. Unzip the source code of the purchased tools in one of your Odoo add-ons' directories;

  2. Re-start the Odoo server;

  3. Turn on the developer mode (technical settings);

  4. Update the apps' list (the apps' menu);

  5. Find the app and push the button 'Install';

  6. 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).

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 demonstration databases (live previews)

For this app, we might provide a free personalized demo database.

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.

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.

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.

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