ANU SRIVASTAVA: Hi, everyone.
I'm Anu Srivastava, and I'm here to tell you
about the new Google Docs API.
As of today, the Google Docs REST APIs are finally here.
You can now automate many of the things
you do manually at Docs at Google.com.
We've got client libraries in many languages such as Java,
PHP, Go, and more, which makes it easy for apps
to integrate with the doc using both user
and system-provided input.
The REST API was designed to help with three broad use
cases that are common in many enterprises, bulk document
creation, content management, and workflow management.
So first up, document creation.
A common example here would be if you find yourself making
invoices, if you make the same invoice each month,
why not make Google do it for you?
Rather than manually creating each one,
you can use the Docs API to programmatically generate
each new invoice from a template.
And if you connect your database or even a Google Sheet,
that creation can already be populating
up-to-date information such as customer contact
info, order numbers, balances due, et cetera.
The doc is still a Google Doc, and can
be opened by an employee, edited, and shared.
We're not disrupting their work, just
trying to do the boring, tedious stuff for them.
OK, so use case number two, content management.
The Docs API allows for easy imports and exports
of document contents.
With this capability, you can let your employees
create content with the powerful collaboration
tools in Docs while still using the existing publishing
and distribution tools that your business relies on.
A great example of this is for a publishing flow
for an internally-managed wiki or blog.
The Docs API makes it easier than ever
to use a Google Doc as a text editor
for bringing internal content management needs
and bringing collaboration back into your communication
processes, from wikis to simple websites and blogs.
Finally, the third universal use case is workflow management.
Workflows power everything, and bottlenecks or broken steps
can carry huge productivity costs,
so use automation to improve steps
that slow your company down or even replace entire workflows.
Consider a basic contract workflow.
Perhaps you need to create a standard contract like a lease
or employment agreement, and send it out for review.
Maybe you're doing this every month, every week,
or even every day.
With the Docs API, you can automate the creation process
by using the API's write capabilities and a custom
template.
Since the API can repeatedly write to the same document,
you can automate approvals and updates.
So for example, you may need to add an appendix or an exhibit
as an action item after one of these reviews.
Even these additions can be automated.
So try it for yourself.
Check out the documentation, run a quick start,
and let me know what you think.
If you've been sitting at your desk
generating the same report over and over again, automate it.
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