Experiments with using Google Docs from pure Javascript.

Accessing the Spreadsheets API

Have some code in spreadsheet.html but the problem is CORS - Google GData API does not support CORS AFAICT. Given this various options:

• Create a CORS proxy - e.g. a simple piece of backend code to forward requests back and forth
• Move to a Chrome Extension
• Do not bother with write ...

Links:

• https://developers.google.com/google-apps/spreadsheets/#creating_a_spreadsheet
• https://developers.google.com/google-apps/documents-list/#creating_or_uploading_spreadsheets

Authentication - Logging in and all that

Working example in login.html - just a distillation of the Google instructions referenced below.

Google now use OAuth. This is normally a PITA to support (witness the hassle to get login to github via oauth) but Google specifically support client side stuff:

The Google OAuth 2.0 Authorization Server supports JavaScript applications (JavaScript running in a browser). Like the other scenarios, this one begins by redirecting a browser (popup, or full-page if needed) to a Google URL with a set of query string parameters that indicate the type of Google API access the application requires. Google handles the user authentication, session selection, and user consent. The result is an access token. The client should then validate the token. After validation, the client includes the access token in a Google API request. 1

To find out we need the Google Docs on OAuth for Client Side Apps

Links:

• Using OAuth 2.0 to Access Google APIs
• Using OAuth 2.0 for Client-side Applications