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Download File

Downloads a file from Dropbox to the local filesystem.

Common Properties​

  • Name - The custom name of the node.
  • Color - The custom color of the node.
  • Delay Before (sec) - Waits in seconds before executing the node.
  • Delay After (sec) - Waits in seconds after executing node.
  • Continue On Error - Automation will continue regardless of any error. The default value is false.
info

If the ContinueOnError property is true, no error is caught when the project is executed, even if a Catch node is used.

Inputs​

  • Client ID - The client identifier returned from the Connect node.
  • Dropbox Path - Path to the file in Dropbox to download (without leading slash).
  • Local Path - Local filesystem path where the file will be saved.

How It Works​

The Download File node retrieves a file from Dropbox and saves it to your local filesystem. When executed, the node:

  1. Validates the required inputs (Client ID, Dropbox Path, and Local Path)
  2. Retrieves the access token using the provided Client ID
  3. Prepends "/" to the Dropbox path as required by the Dropbox API
  4. Opens a download stream from Dropbox
  5. Reads the file data in chunks (1024 bytes at a time)
  6. Writes the file data to the local filesystem
  7. Sets file permissions to 0644 (read/write for owner, read for others)

Path Format​

Dropbox Path:

  • Should be provided without a leading slash
  • The node automatically adds the leading "/" for Dropbox API compatibility
  • Examples:
    • Input: documents/report.pdf → API uses: /documents/report.pdf
    • Input: photos/vacation.jpg → API uses: /photos/vacation.jpg

Local Path:

  • Can be an absolute or relative path
  • Should include the filename
  • Parent directories must exist
  • Examples:
    • /home/user/downloads/report.pdf
    • C:\Users\User\Documents\report.pdf
    • ./downloads/report.pdf

Requirements​

  • A valid Dropbox connection (using the Connect node)
  • The file must exist in Dropbox
  • Read permissions for the Dropbox file
  • Write permissions for the local directory
  • Sufficient local disk space for the file
  • The local directory must exist (create it first if needed)

Error Handling​

The node will return specific errors in the following cases:

  • Empty or invalid Client ID
  • Empty Dropbox Path
  • Empty Local Path
  • File does not exist in Dropbox
  • Insufficient permissions to read from Dropbox
  • Cannot write to local path (directory doesn't exist, no permissions, etc.)
  • Insufficient local disk space
  • Network connection issues during download
  • Dropbox API errors

Usage Notes​

  • Files are downloaded in chunks to handle large files efficiently
  • The local file will be overwritten if it already exists
  • File permissions are set to 0644 by default
  • Large files may take time to download depending on network speed
  • The download is buffered in memory before writing to disk
  • Binary files (images, videos, etc.) are handled correctly

Example 1: Download a Report​

Download a PDF report from Dropbox:

Inputs:

  • Client ID: (from Connect node)
  • Dropbox Path: reports/2024/monthly_report.pdf
  • Local Path: /home/user/downloads/monthly_report.pdf

Result: The file is downloaded from /reports/2024/monthly_report.pdf in Dropbox to the local path

Example 2: Download to Working Directory​

Download a file to the current working directory:

Inputs:

  • Client ID: (from Connect node)
  • Dropbox Path: data/customers.csv
  • Local Path: ./customers.csv

Result: The file is downloaded to the current working directory

Example 3: Download with Dynamic Filename​

Download a file using a variable for the local path:

Inputs:

  • Client ID: (from Connect node)
  • Dropbox Path: exports/data.xlsx
  • Local Path: ./downloads/data_${date}.xlsx (where date is a variable)

Result: The file is downloaded with a date-stamped filename

Common Use Cases​

  • Downloading backup files for local processing
  • Retrieving data files for analysis
  • Fetching configuration files
  • Downloading reports generated in the cloud
  • Pulling images or media files for processing
  • Synchronizing files between Dropbox and local storage
  • Downloading log files for review

Best Practices​

  • Always verify the Dropbox file exists before downloading (use FileStat)
  • Ensure the local directory exists before downloading
  • Use absolute paths for clarity in production environments
  • Handle disk space issues with appropriate error handling
  • Consider file size before downloading to avoid memory issues
  • Use descriptive filenames for downloaded files
  • Clean up downloaded files after processing if they're temporary

Performance Considerations​

  • Large files are downloaded efficiently using chunked reading
  • Network speed affects download time
  • Multiple simultaneous downloads may impact performance
  • Consider implementing retry logic for network failures
  • Monitor disk space when downloading large files

Example 4: Download and Process Workflow​

A complete workflow for downloading and processing a file:

FileStat (check if file exists in Dropbox)
  ↓
If file exists
  ↓
DownloadFile
  ↓
Process file locally (Excel, CSV, etc.)
  ↓
DeleteFile (remove local file after processing)

Example 5: Batch Download​

Download multiple files from a folder:

ListFiles (get files in folder)
  ↓
Loop through each file
  ├─ Extract filename from file info
  ├─ DownloadFile
  └─ Process downloaded file

Tips​

  • Use variables for dynamic paths based on dates or user input
  • Implement progress logging for large file downloads
  • Test with small files first before automating large downloads
  • Consider using temporary directories for intermediate files
  • Verify file integrity after download if critical
  • Use appropriate error handling for network issues
  • Clean up temporary files to prevent disk space issues

Handling Special Characters​

  • File paths with spaces should be properly quoted
  • Special characters in filenames may need escaping
  • Use UTF-8 encoding for international characters
  • Test with actual filenames from your Dropbox account

Error Recovery​

If a download fails:

  • Check if the Dropbox file exists using FileStat
  • Verify local directory exists and has write permissions
  • Check available disk space
  • Verify network connectivity
  • Review Dropbox access token permissions
  • Check for API rate limits
  • Consider implementing retry logic for transient failures

Security Considerations​

  • Downloaded files may contain sensitive data
  • Ensure local storage is secure
  • Clean up temporary files after processing
  • Use appropriate file permissions
  • Consider encrypting sensitive files after download
  • Implement audit logging for compliance requirements

File Permission Details​

Downloaded files are created with permissions 0644:

  • Owner: read and write (6)
  • Group: read only (4)
  • Others: read only (4)

Adjust permissions after download if different access levels are needed.