I often picture these grand documents floating in the cloud, yet I can’t shake the feeling that my files aren’t stored in a typical ‘file’ format. Does Google utilize a unique document format for its services? I suspect they must, perhaps a variation of an existing type like ODF? Can anyone provide insights into what this format is like, any unique features it may have, or the reasoning behind its design?
Google Docs doesn’t use the standard file system. Instead, it uses Google Drive which likely handles a sophisticated distributed storage system. They don’t really store files like we think, more like data objects. This allows for real-time collaboration and robust version history. It’s super efficient and helps with speedy edits!