Using Dropbox with Node-RED

Transcription

1 Overview Often when using Platform services, you need to work with files for example reading in a dialog xml file for Watson Dialog or feeding training images to Watson Visual Recognition. While you can pull such files from many places such as http servers Dropbox is a very convenient way to store and access file. In this lab, you will see how to setup your Dropbox account such that you can store and retrieve files using Node-RED. This lab assumes you already have a Dropbox account. Note: some of the tasks below contain a shortened link to the Bluemix dashboard that opens the US South Region. If you wish to use the UK region instead then substitute the link below US South: UK: These links also open the new Bluemix dashboard (the classic dashboard is still available through a link on the web page). Task 1. Configure Dropbox In this task, you will configure your Dropbox account so that Node-RED can access it. This is achieved by creating a virtual application in Dropbox with access credentials. In the next task you will add Dropbox to your Node-RED flow and use those same access credentials. 1. Open Dropbox a. In a web browser, navigate to Dropbox and login 2. Create an App: a. Scroll to the bottom of the page and locate the Privacy link b. Click the three dots next to Privacy and click Developers: c. Click Create your app: Copyright IBM Corp. 2017

2 d. Select Dropbox API: e. Select App folder Access to a single folder created specifically for your app: f. Name your app Watson IoT Platform Alternatively name the App after the corresponding IoT Platform application you are developing. Each virtual App will have its own separate folder in your Dropbox account g. Select I agree to Dropbox API Terms and Conditions h. Click Create app: Using Dropbox with Node-RED - 2 Copyright IBM Corp. 2017

3 i. Note that the app allows access to a folder that has the name you gave to the app: j. Make a note of the App key and the App secret: Copy them into a text file you will need them in a few minutes k. Underneath Generated access token, click Generate: l. Record the generated value in your text file: Copyright IBM Corp Using Dropbox with Node-RED - 3

4 Task 2. Configure Node-RED In this task, you will configure your Node-RED application first adding the Dropbox node to the Node- RED instance and then configuring a Dropbox configuration with the credentials you recorded in Task Add Dropbox to Node-RED: a. In your Node-RED flow editor, click the burger menu at the top right hand corner of the page and select Manage palette: b. In the Manage palette sidebar, click the Install tab: Using Dropbox with Node-RED - 4 Copyright IBM Corp. 2017

5 c. In the search modules field, type dropbox: d. In the node-red-dropbox result, click Install:: 2. Click Install: Copyright IBM Corp Using Dropbox with Node-RED - 5

6 When the node has installed the button changes from Install to Installed. b. Click Done to close the Manage palette sidebar c. Note the new nodes in the palette: If the nodes do not immediately appear, refresh the web page Task 3. Test the Node In this task, you will configure the new Dropbox Node and test it in your flow. 1. Add a new Dropbox node: a. From the palette, drag on a dropbox output node: Using Dropbox with Node-RED - 6 Copyright IBM Corp. 2017

7 b. Double-click the new node to edit it c. Drag a Dropbox output onto the flow: d. Double-click the new node to edit it e. Next to the Dropbox field, click the pencil: f. Enter the three values you copied into your text file when setting up the app in Dropbox Developer: g. Click Add You only need to configure the node once you can then use it in any Dropbox node in your flow. To view / change the configuration, go to the flow menu and select Configuration nodes Copyright IBM Corp Using Dropbox with Node-RED - 7

8 2. Create a file: a. In the Filename box, type test.txt If you are running Node-RED locally then you can pass in a filename as the payload that file will then be copied to Dropbox. Alternatively, the content of the file will be created from the payload b. Click Done 3. Test the node: a. Add a new Inject node that delivers a string: b. Wire it to the Dropbox output node 4. Deploy and Test: a. Click Deploy b. Activate the Inject node c. Verify the new file was created in dropbox (and if you are using it synchronized to your local machine) The file is created in folder Dropbox > Apps > NameOfYourApp Using Dropbox with Node-RED - 8 Copyright IBM Corp. 2017

9 5. Read a file: a. Add a Dropbox input node: b. Double-click the node to edit it c. Note the Dropbox field is set automatically to the Dropbox configuration you made earlier You could have multiple Dropbox configurations for different apps that is folders in Dropbox. d. In the Filename field, type test.txt: e. Click Done f. Add an inject node (name it Get File ) and a debug node and connect them together as shown below: 6. Deploy and Test a. Click Deploy b. Activate the Get File inject node. c. Note the output in the debug window: Copyright IBM Corp Using Dropbox with Node-RED - 9

10 Using Dropbox with Node-RED - 10 Copyright IBM Corp. 2017