Using Google Drive API to List All Files Not Folders
Managing files in Google Drive can be a daunting task, especially when you have a large number of files and folders. One of the most common tasks is to list all files that are not folders. Google Drive API provides a powerful tool to accomplish this task. In this article, I will guide you through the process of using the Google Drive API to list all files not folders, covering various aspects such as prerequisites, setup, and implementation.
Prerequisites
Before you start using the Google Drive API, you need to ensure that you have the following prerequisites in place:
| Prerequisite | Description |
|---|---|
| Google Cloud Account | Create a Google Cloud account if you don’t have one. This account will be used to create a project and enable the Google Drive API. |
| Project in Google Cloud Console | Create a new project in the Google Cloud Console. This project will be associated with the Google Drive API. |
| Enable Google Drive API | Enable the Google Drive API for your project in the Google Cloud Console. |
| OAuth 2.0 Credentials | Generate OAuth 2.0 credentials (client ID and client secret) for your project. These credentials will be used to authenticate your application with the Google Drive API. |
| Google Drive API Client Library | Install the Google Drive API client library for your preferred programming language. This library will simplify the process of interacting with the Google Drive API. |
Setting Up the Development Environment
Once you have met the prerequisites, you need to set up your development environment. This involves installing the necessary software and configuring your project.
1. Install the Google Drive API client library for your preferred programming language. For example, if you are using Python, you can install the library using pip:
pip install --upgrade google-api-python-client google-auth-httplib2 google-auth-oauthlib
2. Set up your project in the Google Cloud Console. Go to the “APIs & Services” > “Dashboard” section and click on “ENABLE APIS AND SERVICES.” Search for “Google Drive API” and enable it for your project.
3. Generate OAuth 2.0 credentials for your project. Go to the “APIs & Services” > “Credentials” section and click on “CREATE CREDENTIALS.” Select “OAuth client ID” and choose “Web application” as the application type. Set the authorized redirect URIs to your application’s URL. After creating the credentials, note down the client ID and client secret.
Implementing the API Request
Now that you have set up your development environment, you can start implementing the API request to list all files not folders. Here’s an example in Python:
import osfrom googleapiclient.discovery import buildfrom google_auth_oauthlib.flow import InstalledAppFlowfrom google.auth.transport.requests import Request Define the scope for the API requestSCOPES = ['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.file'] Set up the credentialscreds = Noneif os.path.exists('token.json'): creds = Credentials.from_authorized_user_file('token.json', SCOPES)if not creds or not creds.valid: if creds and creds.expired and creds.refresh_token: creds.refresh(Request()) else: flow = InstalledAppFlow.from_client_secrets_file('credentials.json', SCOPES) creds = flow.run_local_server(port=0) with open('token.json', 'w') as token: token.write(creds.to_json()) Build the service objectservice = build('drive', 'v3', credentials=creds) List all files not foldersresults = service.files().list(q="mimeType != 'application/vnd.google-apps.folder'").execute()items = results.get('files', [])if not items: print('No files found.')else: print('Files:') for item in items: print(u'{0} ({1})'.format(item['
