I’m using the Google Drive Android API to store my app data in the Google Drive App Folder. I’ve noticed a problem when trying to load the data back.
Here’s what happens:
- I upload a file with checksum 12345.
- When I search and download it, the checksum matches.
- I update the file with a new checksum 67890.
- When I search again, I find the file with the new name, but the content still has the old checksum 12345.
I’ve tried using Drive.DriveApi.requestSync(), but it often fails with a ‘Sync request rate limit exceeded’ error.
Even when requestSync works, I still get outdated content. I’m pretty sure it’s returning cached data because:
- The download progress shows 0 bytes downloaded.
- Using the Google Drive REST API on desktop gets the correct content.
- Uninstalling and reinstalling the app fixes the issue.
I’ve made a demo app to show this problem. It saves two files: ‘123.TXT’ with content ‘123’, then ‘456.TXT’ with content ‘456’. When loading the last saved file, it finds ‘456.TXT’ but reads the old content ‘123’.
Has anyone found a reliable way to make sure Google Drive always gives us the latest data? This caching issue is causing problems for my app users.
I’ve dealt with this frustrating issue in my own projects. One approach that’s worked well for me is implementing a custom caching layer in the app. Instead of relying solely on Google Drive’s caching, I store a local copy of the data and its last modified timestamp.
When fetching data, I first check if the local cache is still valid (within a certain time threshold). If it’s outdated, I force a fresh download from Google Drive using the REST API, which seems more reliable for getting the latest version.
Additionally, I’ve found it helpful to implement exponential backoff for sync requests to avoid hitting rate limits. This involves increasing the delay between retry attempts if a sync fails.
While not perfect, these strategies have significantly improved data consistency for my users. It does require more complex code, but the improved reliability is worth the effort in my experience.
I’ve encountered similar issues with Google Drive caching in my own Android app development. One workaround I’ve found effective is implementing a version control system within your app’s data structure.\n\nHere’s what I do:\n\n1. Include a version number or timestamp in your file metadata.\n2. When saving, increment this version/timestamp.\n3. On retrieval, compare the local version with the one stored in Drive metadata.\n4. If they don’t match, force a fresh download using the REST API instead of the Android API.\n\nThis approach has significantly reduced sync conflicts for my users. It’s not perfect, but it’s more reliable than relying solely on Google’s caching mechanisms.\n\nAnother tip: implement a manual ‘force sync’ option in your app settings. This allows users to trigger a full sync when they suspect data discrepancies, giving them more control and reducing frustration.\n\nRemember, Google Drive’s caching is designed for performance, but sometimes it conflicts with real-time data needs. Balancing these concerns is an ongoing challenge in cloud-based app development.
hey, i’ve run into this too. super annoying! what worked for me was using the REST API instead of the android one. it’s a bit more work to set up, but way more reliable.
Also, try adding a ‘last modified’ field to ur files. then u can check if the local version matches the server. if not, force a new download.
hope this helps!