Location-independent links to content at online content management systems

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating access to content, comprising:

responsive to receiving, at an online content management system, a content item associated with a user account:

storing the content item at a location within the online content management system,

creating a mapping of an identifier of the content item to the location, wherein the mapping comprises an entry within a table of a relational database of the online content management system,

wherein the online content management system is configured to synchronize the content item with one or more client devices;

tracking the content item at the online content management system by updating the mapping based on a change to the content item; and

using the identifier to provide a link to the content item, wherein the link enables access to the content item from an electronic device regardless of a change to the location of the content item within the online content management system, and wherein the location comprises a file path within a data store of the online content management system;

wherein tracking the content item at the online content management system comprises: responsive to a particular request, by the electronic device, to access the content item:

using the identifier to obtain the mapping from the table; extracting the file path from the mapping; and using the file path to provide, to the electronic device, access to the content item;

responsive to determining that the content item has been moved to a new file path:

writing the mapping to a previous version of the mapping; writing the new file path to the mapping; and

moving the content item to the new file path within the data store; and responsive to a subsequent request, by the electronic device, to access the content item:

using the identifier to obtain the mapping from the table; extracting the new file path from the mapping; and

using the new file path to provide, to the electronic device, access to the content item.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the change to the content item comprises at least one of:

renaming the content item;

moving the content item;

deleting the content item; or

copying the content item.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein using the identifier to provide the link to the content item comprises:

attempting to access the content item using the identifier and the mapping; and

upon detecting a failure to access the content item using the mapping, using the previous version of the mapping to access the content item.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein storing the identifier on the electronic device comprises:

encrypting the identifier using a key associated with a user of the electronic device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the link is provided based on user input associated with the content item.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the user input specifies at least one of:

enabling of the link; or

disabling of the link.

7. An online content management system for facilitating access to content, comprising:

a write apparatus configured to:

responsive to receiving a content item associated with a user account;

storing the content item at a location within the online content management system,

creating a mapping of an identifier of the content item to the location wherein the mapping comprises an entry within a table of a relational database of the online content management system,

wherein the online content management system is configured to synchronize the content item with one or more client devices;

tracking the content item at the online content management system by updating the mapping based on a change to the content item; and

a read apparatus configured to use the identifier to provide a link to the content item, wherein the link enables access to the content item from an electronic device regardless of a change to the location of the content item within the online content management system, and wherein the location comprises a file path within a data store of the online content management system;

wherein tracking the content item at the online content management system comprises: responsive to a particular request, by the electronic device, to access the content item:

using the identifier to obtain the mapping from the table;

extracting the file path from the mapping; and

using the file path to provide, to the electronic device, access to the content item;

responsive to determining that of the content item has been moved to a new file path:

writing the mapping to a previous version of the mapping;

writing the new file path to the mapping; and

moving the content item to the new file path within the data store; and

responsive to a subsequent request, by the electronic device, to access the content item:

using the identifier to obtain the mapping from the table;

extracting the new file path from the mapping; and

using the new file path to provide, to the electronic device, access to the content item.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the change to the content item comprises at least one of:

renaming the content item;

moving the content item; or

deleting the content item.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein updating the mapping based on the change comprises:

writing the mapping to a previous version of the mapping; and

writing the change to the mapping.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein using the identifier to provide the link to the content item comprises:

attempting to access the content item using the identifier and the mapping; and

upon detecting a failure to access the content item using the mapping, using the previous version of the mapping to access the content item.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the link is provided based on user input associated with the content item.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for facilitating access to content, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving, at an online content management system, a content item associated with a user account:

storing the content item at a location within the online content management system, creating a mapping of an identifier of the content item to the location, wherein the mapping comprises an entry within a table of a relational database of the online content management system,

tracking the content item at the online content management system by updating the mapping based on a change the content item; and

using the identifier to provide a link to the content item, wherein the link enables access to the content item from an electronic device regardless of a change to the location of the content item within the online content management system, and wherein the location comprises a file path within a data store of the online content management system;

wherein tracking the content item at the online content management system comprises: responsive to a particular request, by the electronic device, to access the content item:

using the identifier to obtain the mapping from the table; extracting the file path from the mapping; and using the file path to provide, to the electronic device, access to the content item;

responsive to determining that the content item has been moved to a new file path: writing the mapping to a previous version of the mapping; writing the new file path to the mapping; and

moving the content item to the new file path within the data store; and

responsive to a subsequent request, by the electronic device, to access the content item:

using the identifier to obtain the mapping from the table; extracting the new file path from the mapping; and using the new file path to provide, to the electronic device, access to the content item.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the change to the content item comprises at least one of:

renaming of the content item;

moving the content item; or

deleting of the content item.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein tracking the content item at the online content management system using the identifier further comprises:

updating the online content management system with the change after the mapping is updated.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein updating the mapping based on the change comprises:

writing the mapping to a previous version of the mapping; and

writing the change to the mapping.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein using the identifier to provide the link to the content item comprises:

attempting to access the content item using the identifier and the mapping; and

upon detecting a failure to access the content item using the mapping, using the previous version of the mapping to access the content item.