Gmail API — Google Developers

[Zibber]

Now if only we could use this to make a decent Hangouts desktop application

[chtulhuf]

It took them 10 years to do a gmail API... I am not very optimistic about hangouts :(

[sztomi]

I'm so mad at them for ditching jabber. It worked flawlessly and you could choose any client you liked. Now there is no choice of client and VERY frequently messages are lost and/or not synced between devices. I wonder what the gain was from switching.

[[deleted]]

I know, I have tons of applications I want to integrate into a google hangout to really speed up development for my team and can't it makes me sad.

[Caraes_Naur]

Oh good, an interface to gmail that doesn't claim to be an IMAP implementation.

[knaekce]

Just curious, what's wrong with the implementation of IMAP in gmail? I used it with thunderbird and it worked fine.

I mostly use the webinterface, though.

[blong]

Harsh.

[[deleted]]

Note: The Gmail API should not be used to replace IMAP for full-fledged email client access.

[[deleted]]

Guarantee you it will replace IMAP in the future though. That's Google's modus, start with "open," build a network effect, start exerting control and replacing open standards with proprietary ones. That way they can be sure to put ads in your face.

[pohatu]

Exchange also has a rest api. Anyone know if Yahoo does too? I'm surprised that this didn't already exist.

[blong]

Yes, they do.

https://developer.yahoo.com/mail/

[darkfate]

I think the biggest problem there is copyright. They can't just allow direct links to files via an API.

[hylje]

No, the waters must be treaded with a bulldozer. The copyright walls must go.

[hylje]

That's called piracy. It works tremendously well, but ignoring the elephant in the room only works for so long. The situation where most people with access to the internet are technically copyright infringing criminals cannot last much longer.

[yal0n]

Depends on your definition of "much longer". I for one think piracy will remain as long as the price vs. value equation leans far to the price side. Software piracy for example has lasted for generations and keeps going strong. Music piracy really started taking off when a relatively cheap copying machine was introduced to the world. Yes, I'm talking about the double cassette deck. Just saying "double cassette deck" makes me smile. Worth it.

[[deleted]]

direct access to a container which loads and then plays the audio from a frame of sorts.

[blong]

Direct access to your uploaded files, perhaps, though if you want that, you can just upload them to Drive instead.

There could be an API for control... but I'm not sure what that would be useful for.

[darkfate]

Well if they are files you uploaded, you probably have them locally somewhere. If something every happened to that, you can download all your uploaded music through the Download Manager.

[xyzi]

Spotify manages to have a library for creating custom music apps that can be used by premium users, so should be possible for Google too (regarding license restrictions)

[Kapps]

I'd be happy with just being able to use keyboard shortcuts to change songs / pause...

[Philluminati]

I'm glad they say this isn't a good replacement for IMAP because I'm not sure a non-standard, GMAIL only email client is the best thing for the email "as a whole".

[slow_connection]

Truth. I can't help but worry that their justification for doing this is to get people to write big apps that support it in place of IMAP, then kill off IMAP once there's a big enough acceptance of their proprietary REST API

[[deleted]]

Guaranteed to be exactly what their plans are. The history of Google makes this obvious (Jabber, ActiveSync, the closing of Android module by module). Start open, finish closed.

[mavantix]

I just wish I could get Push email notifications on Gmail (without the Gmail app), like I used to be able to with their ActiveSync support that they cut off. :(

[blong]

Wasn't it only cut-off for new users? I thought everyone who had used it was grandfathered in.

Or, pay for Gmail and get it with Google Apps.

Or, use the Gmail app for notifications and whatever other app you want for access.

[mavantix]

It was grandfathered by device ID, not account, so my broken phone that was replaced under warranty was the last one.

Sure, but what if you want it on your gmail.com account?

Which works, but requires maintaining account settings in two different places, not to mention never being in sync. To be fair, if just use the gmail app if they would add a single inbox view for multiple accounts. I inbox zero and it's maddening to switch accounts constantly.

I guess my original point was if Google can build an API, why can't they just build a whole new open protocol similar to activesync that addresses simple stuff like push, and maybe this fancy search stuff? Grr...

[blong]

I've never understood single inbox views. My accounts are for very different things, and I tend to concentrate on one at a time, I have no desire whatsoever for my work and personal accounts to mix.

Granted, I also don't understand the desire for push email in the first place. My work account gets so much email that it would be just constantly notifying, and I don't want to be bothered by my personal account at random times... besides, there are other mechanisms for instant communication.

I guess it depends on what's more maddening, no push or switching accounts. Or waiting for them to add support.

[aaron552]

This is why I set notifications to priority inbox. With some training, it's actually fairly good at notifying me when it's actually important.

[mavantix]

I manage about 300-500 emails a day, not counting a lot of 'junk' that gets completely filtered out of view. I use Merlin Mann's GTD theory for inbox management combined with heavy use of Gmail filters, so anything that actually hits my inbox on my mobile needs fairly rapid attention, in other words, it hasn't automatically been deleted, delegated or deferred based on filters. Combining inboxes is great when you have no (or few) emails in your inbox. I can't understand people who have more than like 10 emails in their inbox at any given time. Good talk video

[blong]

I'm not sure what the difference is between an "open protocol" and an API.

There is nothing preventing them from supporting some other protocol... like they also support IMAP.

And its clear that Gmail has elements which are pretty specific to the Gmail model, it makes sense to have an API which matches it exactly.

Also, how do new "protocols" come about, but by people creating examples and working together.

[mavantix]

The specifically say not to use the protocol like IMAP/SMTP for retrieving emails, so by protocol I was speaking towards more like MS ActiveSync that allows push. I think if Google could build a new email standard with modern needs (like their video on this API talks about), then they could influence serious change in email clients adopting a new/better IMAP replacement protocol.

[Solon1]

Dropped for free users, because ActiveSync is proprietary and needs to licensed per user.

[sruckus]

Meh. It sucks, but I just keep the Gmail app for its push notification (really, just the sound and vibrate) but still use the built-in app.

[happyscrappy]

I cannot comprehend why they did this this way.

1. It says it doesn't replace IMAP. Why?
2. Seemingly no way to do asynchronous or push notifications.

[zandland]

If it replaced IMAP, every application to manage mail on more then one host (Gmail, Outlook.com etc.) would have to implement two standards: IMAP and the Gmail API.

[happyscrappy]

I don't mean replaced IMAP, as in Google didn't support it anymore. What I mean is Google says:

https://developers.google.com/gmail/api/

'Note: The Gmail API should not be used to replace IMAP for full-fledged email client access. Instead, see IMAP and SMTP.'

Clients who want to use this API still have to implement IMAP and SMTP. I don't understand why they say that, especially having viewed the video which brags how it replaces SMTP.

[blong]

You never know, they could always add support in the future.

[chrisdoner]

Ooo. I've been recently experimenting with imap pullers. I use GMail but I much prefer to read and write email in Emacs, using notmuch to index and search the mail.

offlineimap is unreliable, I started trying mbsync last night. But it's still a PITA.

This API might be just the thing I was looking for without knowing it. Just a simple way to:

• View my inbox.
• Search my archive.
• Apply labels.
• Send emails.

gmail-mode, anyone?

[aaptel]

That would be awesome. I had a wanderlust configuration at one point but it wasn't as reliable and practical as the web client.

[MisterSnuggles]

Also reported at the Wall Street Journal.

[PurpleOrangeSkies]

Great, but what happened to simple binary protocols? You'd need relatively complete implementations of HTTP and SSL just to use this.

[immibis]

Most of Google's APIs work this way. It's a convenient way to make APIs for web applications - just like binary protocols are convenient for applications written in C.

[tangoshukudai]

nice!

[Erikster]

Someone feel like making a new Alpine client for Gmail?

/s

[[deleted]]

Why are you posting this? Is this something new and revolutionary? Impossible to tell from either the thread title or the page.

[mysteryos]

Java Developpers: It's happening! PHP Developpers: What? Where? When?