Google Drive launches new API with realtime-editing functions (Video)

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Google launched a new Google Drive API on Tuesday that allows developers take advantage of realtime-editing functions.

Google Drive is known for its collaborative features, and now third-party app developers can specifically use the service’s new API to collaborate and edit text, spreadsheets, and presentations alongside other web users who can see the changes implement live.

“This new API handles network communication, storage, presence, conflict resolution, and other collaborative details so you can focus on building great apps,” explained Google on the Google Developers blog.

Drive users can notably edit their own work now, while simultaneously viewing real-time comments and changes from other users, and no longer need to download and re-upload entire documents for others to use. The Drive API will also keep track of who is connected and provide events for when collaborators join, leave, or make changes.

Neutron Drive, an online editor for text and source code files stored in Google Drive, recently enabled realtime collaboration and captured a live collaborative example in the video above. Get more details at Google’s Add Realtime collaboration to your app page.