I’m making a Chrome extension that lets users save highlighted text to their Google Docs. The plan is to show a list of their recent docs or let them search for one.
I’ve looked at the Chrome identity API, Docs API, and Drive API. They all say you need the doc’s ID to access it. This ID is part of the doc’s URL.
Is there a way to list docs without knowing their IDs? Would that be a security risk? Or am I missing something?
I think I found an answer. It looks like you can use the Drive API’s ‘files.list’ method. This lets you get a list of files, including Google Docs, without knowing their IDs first.
Has anyone used this method before? How well does it work for listing Google Docs?
yea, i’ve used the Drive API for something similar. files.list works great for getting doc IDs. you can filter results to only show Docs too. just remember to get proper auth scopes from users. it’s not a security risk since it only shows docs the user has access to anyway.
I’ve actually implemented something similar in my work. The Drive API’s ‘files.list’ method is indeed the way to go. It’s reliable and gives you a lot of flexibility.
One tip from my experience: cache the results locally if possible. This can significantly speed up your extension, especially for users with tons of docs. You can update the cache periodically or when the user takes certain actions.
Also, don’t forget to handle potential API errors gracefully. Google’s APIs are generally stable, but network issues or rate limits can still cause problems. A good error handling strategy will make your extension much more robust and user-friendly.
Lastly, consider adding a ‘create new doc’ option. I found users often want to start fresh rather than searching for an existing doc. The Drive API supports this too, making it a nice feature to round out your extension’s functionality.
You’re on the right track with the Drive API’s ‘files.list’ method. I’ve implemented this in a project before, and it’s quite effective for retrieving Google Docs without prior knowledge of their IDs. The method allows you to set parameters to narrow down your search, such as file type and modification date. This can be particularly useful for showing recent docs.
One thing to keep in mind is performance. If a user has a large number of documents, you might want to implement pagination or limit the number of results to ensure your extension remains responsive. Also, make sure you’re clear about the permissions your extension requires in the Chrome Web Store listing to avoid user concerns about data access.