With Google Spreadsheets, you can easily create, share, and edit spreadsheets online. The Google Spreadsheets APIs provide a framework for developers to programatically interface with and extend Google Spreadsheets.
The Spreadsheets Data API lets you access the data stored within a worksheet from an external application or webpage. Google Spreadsheets also works closely with the Google Documents List API and the Visualization API. The Documents List API provides a list of documents stored within Google Docs, including Google Spreadsheets. Spreadsheets Gadgets lets you graphically display and embed multiple sources of structured data, including existing worksheets.
First, you should decide which of our APIs best suits your needs and skills. More information on the different APIs available is provided below.
The Spreadsheets Data API allows a program to programatically access the data contained within a spreadsheet. Using this API, it is possible to read data contained within a spreadsheet. Authenticated sessions can insert and modify data, as well as manage the worksheets contained within a spreadsheet.
If you are curious about how the Google Data APIs work at the basic level using XML and HTTP, you can read the Protocol Guide. This guide details the requests and responses that the Data API servers expect and return. To learn more about the structure of these requests and responses, read the Reference Guide. This guide defines the API's feed types, HTTP request parameters, HTTP response codes, and XML elements. You may also want to read about the Google Data Protocol and the Atom Publishing Protocol, which are the standards upon which the Data API is built.
To make working with the API easier, we have a number of client libraries that abstract the API into a language-specific object model. These client libraries are open source and can be used and modified under the Apache License 2.0. There are Developer's Guides for Java, .NET, PHP, and Python as well as sample code.
New! We recently released the Tables and Records Feeds for the Spreadsheet Data API, which adds new API features and simplifies application development. Read the API v3 Release Notes to learn more.
The Documents List Data API provides a single point of access for all of your Google Documents data. It allows you to search for and download documents from your account, as well as upload new files into Google Documents. It's also the preferred mechanism for locating spreadsheets that you want to access using the Spreadsheets Data API. The Documents List API is part of the Google Data family of APIs, which means it also uses the same protocol as the Spreadsheets Data API.
The Google Visualization API lets you display and compare multiple sources of structured data, choosing from a large selection of visualizations. You can create reports and dashboards as well as analyze and display your data through the wealth of available visualization applications. The Google Visualization API also provides a platform that can be used to create, share and reuse visualizations written by the developer community at large.
Spreadsheets Gadgets allow the Visualization API to use Google Spreadsheets as a datastore, allowing you to graphically view your spreadsheets anywhere on the web. You can even embed custom visualizations within your Google Spreadsheets documents, creating a real-time, interactive environment for data analysis.
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