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I want to create a web page that uses Google Drive Realtime API that allows users to anonymously edit several text fields. Because more than one user may be accessing the page simultaneously, I want to prevent someone's edit from being overwritten by another user without the first editor knowing that his edit is overwritten.

However, from the quick start, it seems that authorization using Google Account is needed for people to start editing. Is it possible to let arbritrary user edit my realtime model, without the need of logging in? Something similar to letting a Google Docs Spreadsheet be edited by the public.

Randy Sugianto 'Yuku'
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  • Have you found a solution to this yet? I also need to allow people without a Google account to work on the realtime model. – fkoessler Jul 01 '13 at 08:25

3 Answers3

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Right now only psuedo-anonymous mode is available. You can make files available publicly, or to anyone with a link. However, the user will need to log in with a Google account in order to edit.

They appear as an anonymous user to the other users in the document. This is where isAnonymous is currently used.

Cheryl Simon
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  • Is this anonymous mode available to allow people to view the file? If so, is there a good place in the docs to educate myself about it? Thanks! – Venkat D. Mar 30 '14 at 20:21
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I have confirmed that this is possible. Right click the document in Google Drive, and click Share... In the dialog that opens, click the drop down and select Anyone with the link can edit. Give the shareable link to whomever you need and they will be able to edit.

reformed
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From a brief look at the documentation it may be available however I was unable to find anything allowing anonymous users (it seemed to require oAuth 2.0 with G+ to work). In regards to your second part, controlling users editing parts based on consent is going to get very quickly and I am unsure if you would be able to do it easily. If you want features as complex as these you may just have to implement your own realtime editing features (or try and leverage the google realtime api in some indirect way.

Benjamin Kaiser
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  • Wow, yes, there is a isAnonymous field. But still, I wonder how to let users access it... – Randy Sugianto 'Yuku' May 20 '13 at 09:39
  • I was going to suggest reaching out to Google in some way, but the support for the drive sdk page just starts a question on stackoverflow (like yours). So although the isAnonymous field is there, I don't have a clue how to add anonymous users either. – Benjamin Kaiser May 20 '13 at 13:52