Google Docs

Main article: SaaS - History. Philosophy. Development Drivers

The Google Docs service is a cloud version of the text editor, written on the basis of modern web standards. It is cross-platform, that is, you can use it in any operating system in which there is a modern browser. First of all, Google Docs, designed to run on personal computers, allowed you to create, import and edit text documents.

This is web-oriented software, that is, a program that works within a web browser without installing on the user's computer. Documents and tables created by the user are saved on a special Google server, or can be exported to a file. This is one of the key advantages of the program, since access to the entered data can be carried out from any computer connected to the Internet (while access is protected by a password).

Office 365 Confrontation - Google Apps

• Office 365 Confrontation - Google Apps

History

2021

Suspicions of blocking service in Russia due to elections to the State Duma

September 15, 2021 Russia in began to block Google Docs. As the Twitter GlobalCheck project, specializing in monitoring the Russian Internet blocking system, said in its blog, the operation of the site is docs.google.com limited by operators, MTS"" and MegaFon"."Rostelecom

The Roskomsvoboda project (promotes freedom of information dissemination on the Internet and fights against control by the authorities) reports that interruptions are also observed for Tele2 subscribers. It is noted that the operator blocks Google Docs by SNI, an extension of the computer protocol that indicates which host the client is trying to connect to at the beginning of the connection. It allows you to have multiple domains that are bound to the same IP address and port.

Probably, the blocking is associated with the publication of Smart Voting lists on the Google Documents resource, the GlobalCheck said.

In the Russian Federation began to block Google Docs

Smart Voting - Anti-Corruption Fund (FBK; recognized in Russia as a foreign agent, as well as an extremist organization and banned) by Alexei Navalny. It provides for voting in the elections to the State Duma for an alternative candidate who has a better chance of defeating the nominee from United Russia.

On September 16, 2021, Roskomnadzor assured that Google Docs is available in Russia.

These foreign Internet services are available in the Russian Federation. We recommend that the Russian media independently check the information before publication. In addition, the sources of such communications, their whereabouts and their objectives should be verified. We recommend addressing questions about the inaccessibility of foreign resources to their owners, the regulator said.

Earlier, Roskomnadzor warned state-owned companies that in September it will test the blocking of a number of foreign Internet protocols hiding the name of the site, including DoH, which is being implemented by Mozilla and Google. Such protocols can make it difficult to block access to prohibited resources.^[1][2]

Add text placement styles relative to images

On May 25, 2021, it became known that users of editors from Google Docs will have access to additional styles that determine the location of text relative to images. It will now be possible to place images behind the text or bring them to the foreground. Similar features have been available to Microsoft Office users for several decades, as well as presented in domestic office applications.

Previously, the style set was limited to only three elements: On the Same Level with Text, Wrapping with Text, and Split Text.

According to the developers, the function will be available to both ordinary users of Google services and owners of corporate Google Workspace accounts.

In addition to the fact that the change will obviously increase the formatting capabilities of documents, it will also improve the compatibility of Google Docs with the formats of Microsoft office applications: docx, xlsx, etc.^[3].

2020: Vulnerability in Google Documents allowed you to view other people's documents

Vulnerability in Google Documents allowed you to view other people's documents. This became known on December 29, 2020.

Google fixed the vulnerability in its feedback tool used in its services. The vulnerability allowed you to steal screenshots of confidential documents from the Google Documents service, simply by embedding them in a malicious site.

The vulnerability was discovered on July 9 by security researcher Sreeram KL, for which he received $3,133 from Google as part of a program to pay rewards for reporting vulnerabilities.

Many Google services, including Google Documents, are equipped with a feedback option that allows users to send feedback to the company, error reports and wishes for improving the service. Users have the option to include screenshots in their messages that download automatically to illustrate the problem.

However, instead of duplicating the functionality for all services, Google implemented it on its main site (google.com) and integrated it with other domains through an iframe element that downloads pop-up content from feedback.googleusercontent.com. This means that each time a screenshot is included in the Google Documents window, rendering the image requires that the RGB values ​ ​ of each pixel be transferred to the parent domain (google.com), which then redirects these RGB values ​ ​ to the feedback domain, which ultimately creates the image and sends it back in Base64 encoded format.

Security researcher Sreeram KL identified a vulnerability in how these messages were transmitted to the domain feedback.googleusercontent.com. With its help, the attacker could replace the frame with arbitrary external web sites and thus intercept screenshots of Google Documents intended for sending to Google servers.

The reason for the vulnerability is the absence of the X-Frame-Options header in the Google Documents domain, so that the attacker could change the target source of the message and use the connection between the page and the frame contained in it.

Although the attack requires certain user actions, such as clicking the Send Feedback button, an attacker can easily exploit a vulnerability to capture the URL of the downloaded screenshot and move it to a malicious site. This can be achieved by embedding a Google Documents file in an iframe on a fraudulent site and intercepting a feedback pop-up window in order to redirect its content to the domain controlled by the attacker^[4].

2019

Start full editing of MS Office documents without converting them

On April 11, 2019, it became known that the Google Docs cloud service for editing documents and tables acquired full support for Microsoft Office documents. Now the project allows you to work with Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents without first converting them to another format recognized by Google Docs.

In other words, Microsoft Office files created on the local computer (home or office) and intended for further collective editing in the Google Docs cloud will no longer be converted - now they are downloaded to the server in their original form and uploaded with the originally specified extension and without possible formatting problems.

The Google Docs update brought primarily support for Microsoft Word formats, including standard.doc, more modern.docx format templates.dot. A similar situation with Microsoft Excel spreadsheets - now Google Docs works with documents in the formats xls,.xlsx,.xlsm and.xlt.

Google Docs can also download presentations created in PowerPoint and saved in.ppt,.pptx,.pps, and.pot formats.

The principle of working with documents in the listed formats will remain the same: Google Docs users still have the ability to read and edit them remotely. The simultaneous operation of several users is also supported - they can also make edits and leave comments. Other tools available in Google Docs earlier are also saved in full, and you can still use the service free of charge.

The rules that have emerged for Google Docs to work with Microsoft Office documents, tables, and presentations include only one restriction - they do not apply to ordinary users yet. As of April 11, 2019, the ability to edit documents without prior conversion is available only for corporate users of G Suite. Until the end of spring 2019, access will be open to everyone without exception^[5].

API Output for Process Automation

In February 2019, Google released APIs for Docs to automate processes in the document collaboration service.

The released APIs are designed to be used in three main areas: creating a large number of documents in companies, managing content and work processes. 

In February 2019, the Google Docs document collaboration service received new APIs designed to automate processes

The main idea is that organizations can automatically generate certain types of documents, such as invoices, based on templates and data from Google Sheets spreadsheets.

The new APIs also allow you to export and import documents from CMS to G Suite, ensuring that company employees work together without closing the content management system. Another scenario is the use of functions - making software changes to documents to minimize errors that can occur in them over time.

Some companies have already tested new APIs as part of closed testing. So, the Netflix video service used them to automate the maintenance of developer documentation, and the Zapier application automation platform integrated Google Docs to create enterprise letter templates.

For example, if you are a recruitment manager, you can use the same template for quotation letters. Instead of manually entering information, you can use the Docs API to automatically fill in details in a job offer letter every time a candidate reaches the right stage, "wrote Google Product Manager Adam Tishok and software development engineer Anu Srivastava on his blog.

According to the publication VentureBeat, Google has been offering full-fledged APIs for Slides and Sheets services since at least 2016, so the output of application programming interfaces for Google Docs was long awaited for many users.^[6]

2012

Release of the version with viewing of documents offline

On February 3, 2012, the company Google announced on its corporate blog the release of a version of Google Docs that can work offline on the base. operating system Android True, for its full use, access to the network is still required. Internet You cannot edit documents offline yet - you can only view them.

Offline work with Google Docs on a tablet running Android 

Offline work in the new version of the service is possible with all types of Google Docs files: documents, presentations, tables, downloaded images, as well as.pdf,.doc,.ppt and.xls file formats, Google reported.

Users can put documents offline both when they are connected to the network and when they are not connected. Documents will be updated automatically when the mobile device finds an accessible Wi-Fi network, as well as in manual mode at the request of users.

Stop exporting to legacy doc and xls file formats

Google Apps applications from October 1, 2012 will no longer support exporting documents to outdated Microsoft Office formats. Users of this cloud service from a specified date will be able to export created documents only to the Office Open XML family of formats, such as, for example,.docx.

The new rules will somehow affect all users who interact with the owners of Office packages before the 2013 version, although Microsoft provides an additional package that allows you to open documents of older iterations. But Google Apps users will no longer be able to export Google Docs to.doc,.xls, and.ppt files.

According to the official blog of Google, the new rules will affect both users of home and commercial, and state and educational versions of Google Apps. As for support for exporting to Office Open XML formats, it will be provided in full. This is true for both.docx,.xlsx, and.pptx formats, as well as a number of other options such as rich text,.csv, and others.

2011

New formats and editing of office documents became available

Google Docs has learned to show 12 new file formats. They include.XLS and.XLSX (supported by versions of Excel 2007 and above),.PSD (Photoshop),.PPTX (supported by PowerPoint 2007 and 2010),.DXF (AutoCad),.AI (Adobe Illustrator),.PAGES (Apple) and others. The ability to edit office documents has also become available. You can download various documents to the cloud service, such as.DOC (Microsot Word), or.ODT (OpenOffice.org) and send appropriate links to other people. Documents uploaded to the service are editable, and multiple users can edit the same document at the same time.

Previously, users were prevented from editing files. The advent of this feature greatly increases convenience. For example, you can now continue working on a document on the road, and use the service as a notebook with the ability to later open files on your computer at home or in the office.

Offline Version Launch Plan

The offline version of Google Docs is due to appear in the summer of 2011, Senior Vice President for Chrome Sundar Pichai said during a Google I/O conference:

"We have all been using it internally for some time. The release will take place soon, but we want to make sure that the applications work well, "Pichai told CNET News.

According to the CNet browser, Google's interest in the offline version of Google Docs may be directly related to plans for the release of Chromebooks, whose owners may need such an opportunity.

Previously, Google had already worked on the possibility of offline launching Google Docs applications, but back in 2008 this project was discontinued due to a lack of interest from users. For some time, Google developed Gears technology, which allows you to run online applications offline, but subsequently Gears was also phased out in favor of more standard technologies, among which IndexedDB for storing data and AppCache for managed client-side caching are currently actively developing. The offline version of Google Docs can be indispensable for those users who occasionally get to places where there is no high-quality 3G connection to the Internet, whether it be public transport, aircraft, geographically remote areas, etc. It was originally planned that the possibility of offline launch of Google Docs will appear at the beginning of 2011, but the deadlines have already dragged on somewhat.

Forrester separates Google Docs from ECM solutions

The document storage and editing service from Google is finally separated from ECM products. This conclusion was reached by analysts after comparing Google Docs as part of the Google Apps package with the ECM solution. According to analysts at Forrester Research, today Google Docs is used by 8% of IT departments to improve productivity, and 9% use Google Apps for collaboration. As a justification for the presence of a non-zero share of Google services in the business environment, experts note three trends - consumerization of industrial software, vendor activity as a provider of "cloud" solutions and an external semblance of ECM functionality at a low price. Based on this, Forrester compiled a comparison of Google Docs with ECM systems. With a significant difference between the two solutions, experts note that Google Docs has several functions that relate to the ECM/SED - file exchange and storage, document synchronization, archiving and labeling. At the same time, this system does not have the functions to ensure the protection of corporate documents (only the separation of access rights without special control). Based on this, Forrester Research concluded that in the corporate environment, the use of Google Docs is adequate only for casual content (service non-confidential information that does not require version control of documents and taxonomy).

2010

Basic editing features on smartphones

Google announced the update of the Google Docs service for mobile devices - from now on it supports the ability to edit documents. Now the owners of iPhone, iPod touch and iPad with a version of firmware not lower than 3.0 and smartphones based on Android 2.2 are available basic editing functions, which is quite enough with a small screen of a mobile device. To use the service, it is enough to click on the link in the mobile device browser docs.google.com.

Beta-testing file collaboration on a purchased startup solution

Google has released a beta version of Cloud Connect - a plugin for Microsoft Office, which allows you to collaborate on text documents, spreadsheets and presentations in the Microsoft Office desktop package and the Google Docs cloud service. According to the company's blog, the plugin was posted on November 22. However, the company soon deleted it, citing the fact that the necessary number of testers was recruited in a few hours. All you can do now is fill out a form to get a plugin exit message at the right time. In 2011, Google promises to make it free for all Google account owners, writes eWeek. After installing Cloud Connect, an additional panel appears above the open document window, which contains the synchronization button and the address of the document on the Internet. The plugin is compatible not only with the latest, but also with two previous versions of the package - Microsoft Office 2003, 2007 and 2010. Google regretted that they could not release a version of the plugin for Mac due to the fact that the necessary APIs were closed. Once developers have access to them, this omission will be corrected.

Cloud Connect was made possible by the acquisition of DocVerse in early 2010. According to some estimates, the deal cost Google $25 million. DocVerse was created in 2007 by two former Microsoft employees who wanted to give Microsoft Office more opportunities to collaborate. The developers are located in San Francisco and in 2008 received support in the amount of $1.3 million from venture funds.

When it's convenient to work with documents in Google Docs

Most of us use office applications, but we use only a small part of the capabilities they offer. Of course, any office package is so versatile that it allows you to solve the most difficult tasks, but is it necessary for everyone? Someone creates voluminous documents that include consolidated data, objects from other applications, macros, forms, and entire routines written in an embedded language, however, are there many? Practice shows that a little. Moreover, this applies not only to Microsoft Office, but also to other offices: OpenOffice.org, IBM Lotus Symphony. Most users use them to create text documents and simple spreadsheets, and even resort to the services of postal clients. If you are among them, try to think: is there a point in a cumbersome, complex and not cheap product?

Perhaps your tasks have enough of a "cloud" environment from web applications that requires nothing to work except a browser and Internet access. There are several such offers: Office 365 from Microsoft, iWork.com from Apple and Google Docs. It only remains to be determined whether you have good reasons to switch to^[7].

Let me list these reasons:

• You do not create complex documents;
• You often change the workplace (PC at home, laptop or tablet on the road, PC in the office, Internet cafe);
• You need a cross-platform environment (different platforms and operating systems)
• you often need to work together on documents with several co-authors, to quickly make changes to texts;
• you are not ready to part with a large amount of money to pay for licensed software, and use pirated software does not allow persuasion;
• you want to save hard disk space and minimize the number of available software products.
• you can't stand it when several separate programs are running on the computer, but quietly put up with dozens of tabs in the browser;
• You are annoyed by the long download time of the office package or the opening time of a small document;
• you constantly forget to press the "Save" button, which is why you often lose the entered information;
• You have to deal with different document formats on a regular basis, causing difficulties and delays;
• you are tired of constant problems with the mail server, the loss of important letters, the sea of ​ ​ spam and other troubles;
• and finally, you dream about getting a versatile work environment that allows you to have access to all office functions with a single product.

This list can be continued, but even this list (or rather, any of its items) is enough to switch to the "cloud" document flow. For example, I have the need to write articles, blog notes and reviews to various sites, store my own notes, create simple spreadsheets, view presentations, sometimes draw explanatory pictures for my articles and other records. All this I do in the Google Docs environment. Although in fairness I add that on the hard drive "lives" and OpenOffice.org - just in case.

What are the features of Google Docs

Spreadsheets, text editor, mail, Internet communicator, newsreader - and all this fit in the browser. Even the calendar-scheduler, organizer, calculator and clock-alarm-timer in the same place. In short, the entire office set.

The main feature of the Google office is working with documents in the browser. You do not need to install anything on your PC: if you have a Google Chrome browser and a postal account on @ gmail.com, you can immediately start working and do this without restrictions - just enter a postal address and password. However, you can use any other browser. For example, if you are more familiar with Internet Explorer, use it, and for convenience, install the Google panel.

Documents are accessed and uploaded and structured on the home page

The second feature is autosave of documents. All actions with them are automatically saved in the "cloud" and even a sudden breakdown of communication or blackout will not damage the document: after restoring communication, you will continue your lesson from the place where you stopped. But be careful! If you still work with other (stationary) office packages, the habit of not controlling the preservation process will serve a bad service (and you get used to the good quickly, as it turned out!).

The third feature is working with documents of widespread formats: Google Docs understands the standard types of documents and knows how to convert them for storage on a hard disk to the required format (up to PDF). This is very convenient when you have a lot of different types of documents. However, the developers warn that when converting, formatting failures may occur, but there were no such problems in my memory.

Editing text in full-screen mode is not much different from the usual interface - except for smaller functions.

And finally, the fourth feature is collaboration. By default, a document is created privately and is only available to you; but if necessary, you can give it access to other people. To do this, there are two modes: the "Editor" allows you to make corrections to documents, and the "Reader" provides rights to view.

Spreadsheets, even in the cloud, are a powerful tool. And for such simple tablets - and completely irreplaceable.

There are other features: integration with other services, the ability to publish documents directly on web resources, translating the text (and quite correct) into many languages, inserting formulas and drawings, automatically checking spelling, as well as sending the document by e-mail to addressees (groups, on the list selectively) in any of the supported formats. In addition, documents stored in Google Docs format do not consume disk space.

What are the limitations of Google Docs

Of course, the main limitation of the product is functionality. Only basic features specific to office products are available.

Do not forget about security: if your documents contain valuable data, it is dangerous to post it in a public place (albeit protected). As the events of the last year showed, information leakage is possible even from a (seemingly) closed resource - any Internet storage does not protect you 100% from such excesses.

Another limitation is the amount of information available for storage. By default, it is 1 GB (free). If this resource is not enough, you can switch to a paid option and expand it to 16 TB (although it is unlikely to be useful to anyone), but an additional 20 GB will cost only $5 per year, and 80 GB - $20.

However, there are other restrictions, such as an unusual interface, the lack of punctuation checking, a vertical line and other functions familiar for stationary office products, as well as the inability to perform right-click copy/paste operations. And, of course, you can't work without registering a postal address in the system.

2006: Purchase of Upstartle startup and service launch

Google Docs was launched in 2006 after the acquisition of Upstartle, which developed the online text file editor Written.

In functional terms, Google Docs is significantly behind Microsoft Word, however, it has a number of advantages. Firstly, it is free, and secondly, it allows you to access documents and continue working on them anywhere in the world, where there is access to the Internet.

Subsequently, Google Docs was adapted for mobile screens.

Notes