How to access files in shared box folder via Python Box SDK

Question

I have been shared a Box folder via the following link:

https://asmodeeuk.app.box.com/v/HobbyOrder

I would like to programatically access these files in python or at least download them locally.

I have set up a developer box account and I am just using the developer token for now.

TOKEN = 'DEV_TOKEN'
auth = OAuth2(None, None, access_token=TOKEN)
box = Client(auth)

I have also added this to my favourites in Box.

favourites_id = 8166214818
items = box.collection(collection_id=favourites_id).get_items()
for item in items:
    print(item.id)

I can use the above code to see that the folder is in my favourites collection

{'etag': '0',
          'id': '20105505368',
          'name': 'Asmodee Box',
          'sequence_id': '0',
          'type': 'web_link',
          'url': 'https://asmodeeuk.app.box.com/v/HobbyOrder'}

However I cannot figure out how to use the above to open the folder and list / download the items within.

Can anyone help with this next step? :)

Answer 1

Have you created an app in Box at developer.box.com? You need to create an app there and then have it authorized by the admin of that Box instance. You need to provide the client ID to the admin and they need to authorize your app.

Answer 2

So HobbyOrder shared with you a web_link. In Box these types of object behave similar to the File and Folder object with some limitations, but for this purpose it works fine.

The first step is to get the shared link as an object from the URL provided:

auth = JWTAuth.from_settings_file('.jwt.config.json')
auth.authenticate_instance()
client = Client(auth)

web_link_url = "https://asmodeeuk.app.box.com/v/HobbyOrder"

user = client.user().get()
print(f"User: {user.id}:{user.name}")

shared_folder = client.get_shared_item(web_link_url,'' )
print(f"Shared Folder: {shared_folder.id}:{shared_folder.name}")
print("#" * 80)

I'm using JWT but it is the same, and we get:

User: 20344589936:UI-Elements-Sample
Shared Folder: 69272724281:GBP Order Forms
###################################################################

From here you can immediately list the files and folder with something like:

items = shared_folder.get_items()
for item in tems:
    print(f"{item.type}\t{item.id}\t{item.name}")

Resulting in (abbreviated version):

file    719978593854    Pre-Order Form.xlsx
file    1069687190434   Sale List 18.11.22.xlsx
file    690926384396    Special Order List.xlsx
file    416472888263    Stock List.xlsx
file    790892691217    Upcoming Restock lines.xlsx

There is a way to download a zip file with all the content, but I couldn't get it to work (need to research why). So we need to download the files one by one, and since it does have folders inside, we need to do it recursively. Here is the full example:

import os
from boxsdk import JWTAuth, Client


def main():
    auth = JWTAuth.from_settings_file('.jwt.config.json')
    auth.authenticate_instance()
    client = Client(auth)

    web_link_url = "https://asmodeeuk.app.box.com/v/HobbyOrder"

    user = client.user().get()
    print(f"User: {user.id}:{user.name}")

    shared_folder = client.get_shared_item(web_link_url,'' )
    print(f"Shared Folder: {shared_folder.id}:{shared_folder.name}")
    print("#" * 80)

    print("Type\tID\t\tName")
    os.chdir('downloads')
    items = shared_folder.get_items()
    download_items(items)
    os.chdir('..')

def download_items(items):

    for item in items:
        if item.type == 'folder':
            os.mkdir(item.name)
            os.chdir(item.name)
            download_items(item.get_items())
            os.chdir('..')

        if item.type == 'file':
            print(f"{item.type}\t{item.id}\t{item.name}",end='')
            with open(item.name,'wb') as download_file:
                item.download_to(download_file)
            print("\tdone")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()
    print("Done")

And the full output:

User: 20344589936:UI-Elements-Sample
Shared Folder: 69272724281:GBP Order Forms
################################################################################
Type    ID              Name
file    1105897541070   New Releases GBP 04.01.2023.xlsx        done
file    1084864744961   New Releases GBP 07.12.22.xlsx  done
file    1111312196308   New Releases GBP 11.01.2023.xlsx        done
file    1090798714731   New Releases GBP 14.12.22.xlsx  done
file    1067855890770   New Releases GBP 16.11.22.xlsx  done
file    1116899009477   New Releases GBP 18.01.2023.xlsx        done
file    1073707745044   New Releases GBP 23.11.22.xlsx  done
file    1102088360194   New Releases GBP 28.12.22.xlsx  done
file    1079316674927   New Releases GBP 30.11.22.xlsx  done
file    1038085481617   CMON Pricing Update - from 7th November. GBP.xlsx       done
file    1019510777741   Looney Labs Pricing Update GBP -  from 01.10.22.xlsx    done
file    1038092739093   Modiphius Pricing Update - from 7th November. GBP.xlsx  done
file    945109278794    Pricing Update Steamforged Games and Gale Force 9 - From 1st May .xlsx  done
file    944590782277    Pricing Update Wise Wizard Games - From 1st May .xlsx   done
file    940408186248    Pricing Update WotC- From 19th April.xlsx       done
file    1120889985645   Marvel Champions and Marvel Licensed Sale 23.01.23 GBP.xlsx     done
file    719978593854    Pre-Order Form.xlsx     done
file    1069687190434   Sale List 18.11.22.xlsx done
file    690926384396    Special Order List.xlsx done
file    416472888263    Stock List.xlsx done
file    779991903042    Upcoming Allocations Expected.xlsx      done
file    1081028856094   Upcoming Releases Pricing Update 02.12.22.xlsx  done
file    790892691217    Upcoming Restock lines.xlsx     done
Done