This document outlines a concept and development plan for a better Google Drive client app. It proposes building an app that provides a fast and convenient way to manage files and labels through batch processing rather than slow individual operations. The plan includes modifying an open source file manager called Simple Explorer to integrate with Google Drive. It also involves building custom APIs with Google Apps Script and Google App Engine in Go to retrieve file lists with full label hierarchies and handle batch processing changes efficiently. The current progress includes a prototype of the Google Apps Script component, while work continues on integrating with Simple Explorer and building the remaining APIs.

1. Better
Google Drive
Client
Concept & Dev. Plan
Ingu Kang
Kookmin Univ.
2014. 6. 10. Tue

2. Table of Contents
1. Concept
a. Google Drive
b. Problem
c. Solution
2. Development Plan
a. Objectives
b. Outputs
i. File Manager for GDrive
ii. Custom filelist API
iii. Batch Processing API
c. Reason Why I Chose it
d. Current Progress

3. 1. Concept
a. Google Drive
A cloud workspace
which offers
● Cross-device
Storage & Office
● Real-time
Collaboration
● …
● and File Organizing
in Label Structure
(like GMail, internaly)

4. 1. Concept
b. Problem
Problems:
● Too slow
● Does not have
convinient way to
organize & manage
files in either of web
& app client
● Multi-labeling is not
fully supported by
Android / iOS App

5. 1. Concept
b. Solution
Let’s make a
“Better” Client App
for Google Drive
… so, how?

6. 2. Development Plan
a. Objectives
● Building a App provides
Fast & Convinient Way
to Manage Files and
Lables (or folders)
○ Batch Processing rather
than slow “on-the-fly”
● Full support for label
structure of GDrive
○ Multi-labeling
○ Searching

7. 2.b. Outputs
i. File Manager for GDrive
● The name of base
project is
“Simple Explorer”
● I’ll make a GDrive client
app based on this well-
built open source
project.
● With HTTP, JSON,
SQLite libraries
Project URL: http://git.io/MI30iA

8. 2.b. Outputs
ii. Custom filelist API
● Official Google Drive API doesn’t
support for retrieving filelist with
“full parent list” (= label list)
● so I’ll write a custom API with
Google Apps Script

9. 2.b. Outputs
iii. Batch Processing API
● After manipulating files locally, the changes have
to be placed on GDrive account. If it is processed
on phone, it will be Slow, Lossy, and Unstable.
● I’ll build up an API service on GAE, written in Go.

10. 2. Development Plan
c. Reason Why I Chose it
● Simple Explorer
○ Well designed, neat code
● Google Apps Script
○ Quata Limit of Other APIs
- with offical APIs, full filelist with full parent list
retrieving cannot be done because of the daily limit
● Google App Engine + Go
○ Faster speed
○ Funny new language

11. 2. Development Plan
d. Current Progress
● Built Prototype
○ Google Apps Script
● Work-In-Progress
○ Simple Explorer
● Not Yet
○ Google App Engine + Go

12. Thank You