Tag Archives: Developer

Ability to create spaces, memberships, group chats, and more using the Google Chat API is now generally available

What’s changing 

Last year, we announced that developers could use the Google Chat API to programmatically create new spaces and add members to those spaces through the Google Workspace Developer Preview Program. 

Today, those features are generally available for all Google Workspace developers, along with the ability to use Chat API to: 


Who’s impacted


Admins and developers


Why you’d use it 

These features enable developers to build solutions that integrate into workflows and pull contextual data right into the conversation. Using the new API functionalities, you can set up new spaces that focus on a specific topic, team, or project. You can also use the new APIs to encourage collaboration and outreach with users in your organization. For example, LumApps, a leading intranet platform, enables you to start a direct message in Google Chat from its user directory. Those who are trying to find others based on job titles, roles, departments, and other attributes, can quickly start messaging each other.




Additional details

To ensure you are aware that a Chat application has performed an action on behalf of a user, Chat web and mobile apps will display the app name for system messages and Chat messages. 




Getting started

  • Admins: Admins can use the API controls in Admin Console if they want to restrict access to Google Chat data.
  • Developers: Access the new Chat APIs through the Google Chat API. 


Rollout pace


  • This feature is now available.

Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers.

Launching in beta: programmatically write working locations with the Calendar API

What’s changing 

Available now in beta through our Developer Preview Program, you can write a user’s working location using the Calendar API. 


Using the API to write a Calendar user’s working location values can help you synchronize users' working location with third-party tools. You can easily update users’ working location based on: 
  • When they book a hot desk via a hot desk booking tool 
  • Schedule a trip via a travel booking tool 


Reading of working locations is already available through the Developer Preview Program. 

Getting started 


Rollout pace 

  • This feature is available now for all eligible Google Workspace editions. 

Availability 

All developers can use the API, however the working location feature is only available for eligible Workspace editions: 
  • Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, Education Standard, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade and Nonprofits customers

Resources 

Launching in beta: manage working locations with the Calendar API

What’s changing

Available now in beta through our Developer Preview Program, you can read working location data using the Calendar API and get notified when those working locations change. Previously, we said this functionality would be available through a separate API. However, in order to provide a more streamlined experience, this functionality will be instead available in the Calendar API. 

Using the API to read a Calendar user’s working location values can help you:

  • Analyze the flow and volume of people through physical campuses, helping you adapt on-site resources to the needs of your employees.
  • Share whereabouts across other internal or third-party surfaces, making it easier to enable tasks such as hot desk booking or schedule in-office or remote working days.

We anticipate write support for the API to become available in Q3 2023 — we’ll share an update here on the Workspace Updates Blog at that time.

Getting started


Admins and Developers: 

Admins: 

Availability

While all developers will be able to use the API, the working location feature is only available for eligible Workspace editions:

  • Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, Education Standard, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade and Nonprofits customers, as well as legacy G Suite Business customers 
  • Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Frontline, G Suite Basic customers 

Resources


Introducing Trusted Types in Google Workspace

What’s changing

We’re improving the client-side security of Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Sites, Jamboard, Drawings, and Drive with Trusted Types. This will provide an extra layer of protection around Document Object Model (DOM) APIs that are used by the apps listed above or third-party extensions. 

This new enforcement mode will require third-party extensions to use typed objects instead of strings when assigning values to DOM APIs, and will begin rolling out on March 23, 2023. Once Trusted Types are fully enforced, the Trusted Types directive will be present in the Content Security Policy (CSP) header: 

Who’s impacted

Developers (relying on any Chrome extensions that modify DOM APIs.) 


Why it’s important

Trusted Types is a feature that further enhances our advanced data protection controls to keep users and data safe across more of the apps they use everyday. 


Additional details 

Screen readers, braille devices, and screen magnification will not change with Trusted Types. However, we recommend admins and developers check third party extensions for Trusted Types violations. Visit the Help Center to learn more about Accessibility for Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, & Drawings. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • Developers: 
    • To make code Trusted Types compliant, signal to the browser that data being used within the context of these DOM APIs is trustworthy by creating a Trusted Type special object. 
    • There are several ways to be Trusted Types compliant, such as removing the offending code, using a library, or creating a Trusted Types policy. To ensure a seamless experience for users, these techniques can be employed before Trusted Types enforcement is rolled out. 
    • Visit the Chrome DevTools engineering blog to learn more about implementing CSP and Trusted Types debugging in Chrome DevTools. 
  • End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers 
  • Available to users with personal Google Accounts 

Resources 

Manage all Google Workspace API activity from a single location

What’s changing

Within the Google Cloud Console, you can now view and manage all Google Workspace API activity. Here, you’ll find a centralized view of which APIs are currently running and their associated requests. You can also easily perform common actions such as:


  • Monitoring aggregated metrics for APIs, including traffic, errors, and latency.
  • Viewing and adjusting quotas as needed.
  • Managing API credentials.
  • Finding other available APIs, tutorials and documentation.



This unified experience will eliminate the need to search for APIs manually, making it easier to manage your existing projects and build out your API ecosystem with new integrations. 


Getting started

  • Admins and Developers: From the navigation menu in the Google Cloud console, navigate to View all products > Other Google Products > Google Workspace. Visit the Help Center to learn more about enhancing Google Workspace Apps.

Rollout pace

  • This feature is available now.

Resources


Use the Cloud Search Query API to set Suggest Filters to enhance Cloud Search results

What’s changing

It’s now easier to configure and use Cloud Search search filters and facets with multiple enhancements to our existing functionalities. With this launch, you can use the Cloud Search Query API to configure new additional capabilities: 
  • Faceting support for integer type fields, such as priority levels for support tickets or the number of pages in a document 
  • Out of the box Faceting support for document size, document creation, and custom date fields 
  • New default reserved operators for document size and created date fields
  • Simplified Query API response with filters being directly provided in the response 

Expanding filter options creates a more user friendly search experience, making it easier and faster to narrow search results to the most relevant documents. 


Getting started 

  • Admins and developers: See our developer documentation for more information about using new facet enhancements
  • End users: There is no end user action required. You will automatically see new filter options once your admin has configured them 

Rollout pace

  • This feature is available now for all users. 

Availability 

  • Available to Google Cloud Search Customers

Resources 

Create and manage AppSheet databases, available in public preview

What’s changing 

AppSheet is Google’s platform for building and deploying end-to-end apps and automation without writing code. As we continue to enhance and streamline app creation, we’re introducing a built-in structured database in public preview. 



Within the database editor, you can set the same column types as in the AppSheet editor for your data. 




Easily create and customize databases starting from AppSheet's My Apps page. 


Who’s impacted 

Admins, developers and end users 


Why it’s important 

AppSheet databases make it easy for you to organize and manage the data that power your apps directly inside AppSheet. See our Developer Blog for more information. 


Additional Details 

Note that during preview: 
  • Access to AppSheet databases will be enabled by default for everyone. There will be no impact on existing apps. Users can connect a database to both new and existing AppSheet apps. 
  • Databases will be limited to 10k rows per table, 20 tables per database and 20 databases per user. These limits may change when this feature becomes generally available. 


Getting started 

  • Admins and Developers: You can create a blank database from the My Apps page. 



Rollout pace 

  • This feature is available now for all users. 

Availability 

  • Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus customers, as well as those with an AppSheet license. 

Resources 

#WeArePlay | Meet Sam from Chicago. More stories from Peru, Croatia and Estonia.

Posted by Leticia Lago, Developer Marketing

A medical game for doctors, a language game for kids, a scary game for horror lovers and an escape room game for thrill seekers! In this latest batch of #WeArePlay stories, we’re celebrating the founders behind a wonderful variety of games from all over the world. Have a read and get gaming! 

To start, let’s meet Sam from Chicago. Coming from a family of doctors, his Dad challenged him to make a game to help those in the medical field. Sam agreed, made a game and months later discovered over 100,000 doctors were able to practice medical procedures. This early success inspired him to found Level Ex - a company of 135, making world-class medical games for doctors across the globe. Despite his achievements, his Dad still hopes Sam may one day get into medicine himself and clinch a Nobel prize.


Next, a few more stories from around the world:

  • Aldo and Sandro from Peru - founders of Dark Dome. They combine storytelling and art to make thrilling and chilling games, filled with plot twists and jump scares.


  • Vladimir, Tomislav and Boris from Croatia - founders of Pine Studio. They won the Indie Games Festival 2021 with their game Cats In Time. 


  • Kelly, Mikk, Reimo and Madde from Estonia - founders of ALPA kids. Their language games for children have a huge impact on early education and language preservation.


Check out all the stories now at g.co/play/weareplay and stay tuned for even more coming soon.


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Calendar User Availability API launching to beta soon, sign-up now and preview documentation in advance

What’s changing 

Coming soon to beta, the Calendar User Availability API will be used to programmatically access the working location feature in Google Calendar. You can gain access to the beta through the Google Workspace Developer Preview Program. 


You can preview the API documentation now to prepare in advance and share your initial feedback as we move closer to beta.




Who’s impacted 

Admins and developers 


Why you’d use it 

The working location feature is an easy way for users to share where they’ll be working for any given day or period of time. Up until now, only end users could create these calendar entries. Now, this information can be read and written using an API to manage and accommodate the needs of your employees. 


Customers rely on other applications to set their location context, such as booking a desk with hot desk booking tools or requesting and setting “work from home” days in HR management tools. This creates duplicative work for end users. With the API, a user’s working location can be programmatically set or accessed directly from the user’s calendar to any other third-party application. 


Additionally, by surfacing working location context into other systems and tools like internal team directories, customers can optimize the flow of people in their physical office locations. Or you can use the API to prepare for the demand of dining services, conference rooms, and more, based on this data. 


Getting started 


Availability 

While all developers will be able to use the API, apps created using the API are only accessible to those on eligible Workspace editions: 
  • Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, Education Standard, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade and Nonprofits customers, as well as legacy G Suite Business customers 
  • Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Frontline, G Suite Basic customers 

Resources

#WeArePlay | Meet Sam from Chicago. More stories from Peru, Croatia and Estonia.

Posted by Leticia Lago, Developer Marketing

A medical game for doctors, a language game for kids, a scary game for horror lovers and an escape room game for thrill seekers! In this latest batch of #WeArePlay stories, we’re celebrating the founders behind a wonderful variety of games from all over the world. Have a read and get gaming! 


To start, let’s meet Sam from Chicago. Coming from a family of doctors, his Dad challenged him to make a game to help those in the medical field. Sam agreed, made a game and months later discovered over 100,000 doctors were able to practice medical procedures. This early success inspired him to found Level Ex - a company of 135, making world-class medical games for doctors across the globe. Despite his achievements, his Dad still hopes Sam may one day get into medicine himself and clinch a Nobel prize.


Next, a few more stories from around the world:
  • Aldo and Sandro from Peru - founders of Dark Dome. They combine storytelling and art to make thrilling and chilling games, filled with plot twists and jump scares.

  • Vladimir, Tomislav and Boris from Croatia - founders of Pine Studio. They won the Indie Games Festival 2021 with their game Cats In Time. 

  • Kelly, Mikk, Reimo and Madde from Estonia - founders of ALPA kids. Their language games for children have a huge impact on early education and language preservation.

Check out all the stories now at g.co/play/weareplay and stay tuned for even more coming soon.


How useful did you find this blog post?