Content Server – Google Drive synchronization through REST APIs

A couple of weeks ago I posted about my experiments with Content Server REST Services. For those of you who might have missed them, the posts are available here:

• Content Server REST Services: a practical introduction
• Content Server REST Services – further explorations: handling FORMS

Yesterday I managed to find some time to dedicate to my explorations and decided to try to channel my previous experience into something new, but with an immediate practical use. Having had a chance to give a close look at Google Drive REST APIs lately, I fancied of an application capable of synchronizing contents between Google Drive on one side, and Content Server on the other.

The app I had in mind should have been able to keep in synch two different spaces, one on Content Server and its corresponding space on GDrive, and:

• provide basic search functionalities on both locations;
• keep track of the connection between corresponding documents on the two repositories;
• provide fast feedback on the status of the document: if new versions where added since last synch, surface that information to the user and prompt for action;
• be capable of instantly re-synchronizing contents (in both directions);
• allow easy drag&drop of new contents in the repositories.

The standalone application I came up with is a Chrome App based on Angular JS and derived directly from the REST Services playground I shared earlier this month (available here as a .zip archive).

The app consumes Google Drive REST Services and Content Server REST Services, the latter enriched by Content Script powered new APIs, that allow, for example, to search for documents and …

I think that a brief video is more effective than lots of words here.