Sharing unmanaged content using a content management system

Abstract

In some implementations, a subscriber to an online content management system can share content items that are external to the subscriber's content library. A computing device can include managed content items associated with the subscriber's content library. The computing device can include unmanaged content items that are stored externally to the subscriber's content library. The subscriber can provide input associated with an unmanaged content item to generate a link (e.g., URL, file path, location reference, etc.) for the unmanaged content item. When generating the link, the unmanaged content item can be uploaded to the online content management system and stored separately from the subscriber's content library. The generated link can be shared with recipient user (e.g., subscriber or non-subscriber). The generated link can be used by the recipient to access the unmanaged content item uploaded to and stored by the online content management system.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a client device of an online content management system, a user input to generate a link for a content item that is not managed by the online content management system;   in response to the user input, generating, by the client device, a copy of the unmanaged content item;   storing, by the client device, the copy of the unmanaged content item in cache on the client device;   transmitting, by the client device, the cached unmanaged content item to the online content management system; and   receiving, from the online content management system, a link for accessing the unmanaged content item stored at the online content management system.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting a description of the unmanaged content item, including a directory path identifying where the unmanaged content item is stored on the client device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating one or more first hash values based on content of the unmanaged content item;   transmitting the one or more first hash values to the online content management system;   receiving one or more second hash values from the online content management system that correspond to a portion of the one or more first hash values; and   transmitting, to the online content management system, content of the unmanaged content item corresponding to the one or more second hash values.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the link is a URL that references metadata associated with the unmanaged content item stored at the online content management system. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating a copy of the unmanaged content item includes determining that there is enough memory available on the client device to store a copy of the unmanaged content item. 
     
     
         6 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a server device of a content management system, a description for an unmanaged content item;   generating a metadata entry in an external content database of the content management system based on the unmanaged content item description;   generating a link for accessing the metadata entry; and   transmitting the link to a client device of the content management system.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 receiving one or more first hash values corresponding to content data of the unmanaged content item;   comparing the first hash values to hash value indexes of a content data store of the content management system;   based on the comparison, determining which of the one or more hash values do not exist in the content data store; and   transmitting to the client device one or more second hash values corresponding to the one or more first hash values that do not exist in the content data store.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 receiving content data corresponding to the one or more second hash values; and   storing the content data in the content data store.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , where the metadata entry includes a directory path that represents a location of the unmanaged content item on the client device, where the location is external to a content library managed by the content management system. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , where the metadata entry is associated with a hidden namespace. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause:
 receiving, by a client device of an online content management system, a user input to generate a link for a content item that is not managed by the online content management system; 
 in response to the user input, generating, by the client device, a copy of the unmanaged content item; 
 storing, by the client device, the copy of the unmanaged content item in cache on the client device; 
 transmitting, by the client device, the cached unmanaged content item to the online content management system; and 
 receiving, from the online content management system, a link for accessing the unmanaged content item stored at the online content management system. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause:
 transmitting a description of the unmanaged content item, including a directory path identifying where the unmanaged content item is stored on the client device.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause:
 generating one or more first hash values based on content of the unmanaged content item;   transmitting the one or more first hash values to the online content management system;   receiving one or more second hash values from the online content management system that correspond to a portion of the one or more first hash values; and   transmitting, to the online content management system, content of the unmanaged content item corresponding to the one or more second hash values.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the link is a URL that references metadata associated with the unmanaged content item stored at the online content management system. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions that cause generating a copy of the unmanaged content item include instructions that cause determining that there is enough memory available on the client device to store a copy of the unmanaged content item. 
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause:
 receiving, at a server device of a content management system, a description for an unmanaged content item; 
 generating a metadata entry in an external content database of the content management system based on the unmanaged content item description; 
 generating a link for accessing the metadata entry; and 
 transmitting the link to a client device of the content management system. 
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause:
 receiving one or more first hash values corresponding to content data of the unmanaged content item;   comparing the first hash values to hash value indexes of a content data store of the content management system;   based on the comparison, determining which of the one or more hash values do not exist in the content data store; and   transmitting to the client device one or more second hash values corresponding to the one or more first hash values that do not exist in the content data store.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause:
 receiving content data corresponding to the one or more second hash values; and   storing the content data in the content data store.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , where the metadata entry includes a directory path that represents a location of the unmanaged content item on the client device, where the location is external to a content library managed by the content management system. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , where the metadata entry is associated with a hidden namespace.