Google Desktop API Released

aarbear writes "Airbear Software has just released an API to Google Desktop, a free tool from Google to search your own computer. In short, the API allows access to Google Desktop through the command line. Results are outputted to a file formatted with either XML, CSV, or custom formatting. The API is implemented through Airbear Software's popular Google Desktop add-on, gdSuite, so the API also adds advanced search options to Google Desktop. Google Desktop Search allows you to instantly find emails (from Outlook and Outlook Express), chats (in AOL and AOL Instant Message [AIM]), and web pages you've viewed in Internet Explorer. In addition, you can find any file by filename and can search inside Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files. However, before gdSuite and this API, users could only search from their web browsers."

It's only a matter of time...

[G-Licious!]

...before spyware becomes Google Desktop enabled!

Re:Spyware?

[0x461FAB0BD7D2]

The spyware would then need to be bundled with this API, which would increase the size of the spyware, making it more susceptible to detection. Of course, it would make coding spyware a lot easier, but it would limit the spyware to those who have Google Desktop installed, which is a small minority of all Windows owners. Most spyware is written to reach as large a population as it can, so I don't believe major spyware vendors will limit themselves to Google Desktop. Script kiddies, on the other hand, will m

Re:Spyware?

[aarbear]

It's a good point, but if someone really wants to write spyware for Google Desktop, they would do it regardless of whether there is an API.
Also, any developer with any common sense will realize that the APIs as I have them on the web site ...
a) cannot legally be redistributed
b) have a number of pesky dependencies built in that make it harder to redistribute and increase the file size.
c) To actually work, the API must show a wizard to configure it. This is almost certainly not sneaky enough for spyware or a

Slashvertisment

[zemoo]

Isn't this just a plug for the Airbear product? Look at the submitter!

Who would realistically use this API for anything serious? Google will probably break it on the next program update anyways (GMail notifiers, anyone?)

Re:Slashvertisment

[aarbear]

First of all, even though this is self-promotion, it is still news, no matter who says it. That's the whole idea of press releases! If the slashdot editors thought it was inappropriate to post this because it was self-promotion, they wouldn't have posted it. It's that simple. Plus, the API is freeware, so I'm not making money on this.

Who would use this API? I devloped this API mainly because a handful of developers asked me to. They want to use this API to extend Google Desktop farther than I did. Plus,

Re:Slashvertisment

[zemoo]

Actually, I realize I was a bit too hasty - at first glance, it definitely looked like you were charging for the product, or at least inciting developers to use the API so you could install your own product at the same time.
Now it looks like you don't charge for the API? Then why not release the source?

Re:Slashvertisment

[aarbear]

I am not charging for the API because I, as a poor, frugal student, hate having to pay for products and don't want to be a hypocrit by charging for my own. At the same time, however, I don't want to release soure because I want to keep control of my work and who uses it, just like most other freeware developers who don't release source. Also, if I released source, spyware/malware developers could capitolize on it, as other have pointed out.

Re:Slashvertisment

[no soup for you]

Google will probably break it on the next program update anyways (GMail notifiers, anyone?)

Google has a GMail notifier utility [google.com]. Or are you talking about something else?

Kudos to the creator. Google hired the guy who wrote a POP interface to GMail. congats, I think its a great idea

Spyware Aspects - Google desktop only searches what it has access to. In a windows environment, if you can get to a file/data, then a process on your behalf can. Solve THAT problem, and this won't be a problem.

Fulltext search in 2005

[vbouret]

I cannot believe we are in 2005 and that it still takes 2 minutes to find 20 messages out of 2000 with the standard Outlook search.

I still cannot get why Microsoft has to buy another company (Lookout Software) to be able to do something as simple as fulltext search on file formats they all mostly own.

Re:Fulltext search in 2005

[superpulpsicle]

I can't believe we are in 2005. And M$ Outlook can only integrate 1 hotmail account at a time.

Re:Fulltext search in 2005

[Anonymous Coward]

I can't believe we are in 2005, and certain people still use outlook (express)...

Re:Fulltext search in 2005

[Mr. Byaninch]

I guess I'm late with this, but I'm really happy with all my Hotmail accounts (8 of 'em) and the way they all come together in Outlook Express. I have searched them a couple of times, and it took a minute or so to search 80 or 90 megs of messages... what do I care? Faster than I could do it on my own.

Now I know the poster above said just "Outlook', but I've got to think Outlook Express is at least as accommodating as the full Outlook.

And I'm not even mentioning how spam-free they (Hotmail accts) are, co

Re:Fulltext search in 2005

[aarbear]

That would be the whole point of Google Desktop and the API: to let users and now developers search emails, files, etc. instantly.

Microsft, Google, and the search wars

[drakethegreat]

Both have failed in my mind. Its not like google has released a tool to the unix world either, which shows that they still put the market above the glory. Microsoft has always sucked at producing its own quality software and its nothing new but it is sad. When the biggest company in the world with thousands of programmers can't create an efficient indexing tool for searching, you have some problems. I just wonder about the quality of longhorn and I will continue to use linux for years to come most likely. I

Re:Microsft, Google, and the search wars

[0x461FAB0BD7D2]

Why would Google release a Google Desktop Search for Linux or Mac OS X, when both have applications which already provide an equivalent service? Windows was clearly the best choice because Windows' Indexing service is horrendous, and thus Windows would benefit from such a service.

'Do no evil' is not equivalent to 'Do for those that also do no evil'.

Re:Microsft, Google, and the search wars

[cyber0ne]

Its not like google has released a tool to the unix world either, which shows that they still put the market above the glory.

First and foremost, Google is a business. What you call "put[ting] the market above the glory" they call "turning a profit." I won't pretend to know their business in any way, but it's safe to say that targetting the 90% marketshare over the 10% is a better idea.

Note also that other OSes already have, and have had for years, excellent search tools. An avid *nix user who has

Re:Microsft, Google, and the search wars

[xigxag]

I don't know what ever happened to that "innovation" and I've never heard of anyone doing such a thing in Windows.

Of course Windows has symlinks. Whether or not you want to actually use them is another story [shell-shocked.org].