I m confused about google API and android platform SDK API. are they same ? if not, What are the each used for?
Android is developed by Google, but can also be used without any Google services. So the Android platform SDK can be used for developing Android applications. If you however want to use any Google services in your Android Application, you should use the Google API Java Client library.
Google api is used for using google specific services like google map or google admob or google fusion. These generally contact google server to fetch data.
However, android platform sdk api is not google specific. It provides interface for application development. These may or may not require internet(depending on what you use it for)
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I am working on an application for which I need to upload/download files from the user's Google Drive account. I came across two documentation from Google about using Google Drive API on Android Platfrom:
REST API
Google Drive API Android
I have following questions:
What is the difference between these two options?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option?
Which is a more suitable option for Android application development?
I would appreciate any suggestions and thoughts on this topic. Thank you.
Google Drive Android API is a native Android API which utilises the Google Play Services to communicate.
Whereas the rest API is a HTTP API - Which can be used in any platform - Web, Android, iOS. REST api is implemented using REST approach.
The Android API is an abstraction layer with certain optimisations. So your choice of API would depend on your use case.
Is it possible to run the google maps native app inside of my app, or does it have to be launched separately? I want to give the appearance of only one app running, mine. If the first answer is yes, what sort of control or method could I look up and use?
You cannot embed the Google Maps app into your app. You can embed native Google Maps into your app via the Play Services SDK.
You need to integrate the Google Maps SDK into your app. Here's a link to that SDK:
https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/ios-sdk/start
I would recommend installing via CocoaPods. Here's a tutorial on how to get started with CocoaPods:
http://www.raywenderlich.com/97014/use-cocoapods-with-swift
Once you've installed the Google Maps SDK via CocoaPods, you'll need to get an API key and integrate it into your app:
To use the Google Maps SDK for iOS, you must register your app project on the Google Developers Console and get a Google API key which you can add to your app. Note: There are various types of API keys. You need an iOS key, not a browser key.
If you're using the standard API, you need an iOS key set up in a project of your choice.
Here's more information on that:
https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/ios-sdk/get-api-key
I have gone through some of the links that difference between the Google API and android API.I have not got clear explanation.Anyone Can you help me please?
Answer for your question is below
The google API includes
->Maps and other Google-specific libraries.
The Android one only includes
->core android libraries.
There is a huge set of google apis for using all google web services !
google maps
google search
google app engine
google signin
... (see google products: https://developers.google.com/products/?csw=1)
Android API is part of the Android SDK (software development kit) and is to develop android applications.
You can note that Android API may be considered as a part of google APIs because it authored by google.
Google API is for developing Google-based services such as Google Maps.
Android API is for developing Android apps.
google API:-
it uses all google specific libraries like google map,search engine,sign in.
Android API:-
it is also a part of google API.
it uses all core android libraries.
Android sdk holds Android API.
refenter link description here
So I have downloaded source code(AOSP) for Android 4.4.2, built it and of course there is no Google APIs or Google Play Servicies, but I want to include there Android app using Google App Engine Cloud Storage and Google Account authentification system.
Is it somehow possible?
Or is it possible to get Android 4.4.2 source code (for personal use only) with Google APIs from google inc.?
Do you know about Auth with Endpoints? https://developers.google.com/appengine/docs/python/endpoints/auth
I hope this help you.
Can you explain more about "personal use only"
I have been searching but couldn't find the difference between both of these things. I have read other questions in which people have said that we should use Google Apis as build target when we want to integrate Google Maps Api or use other Google apis.
The problem is that i am using maps on projects that were build on simple Android 4.4 not Google API (platform 4.4) and the maps are working just fine on my Galaxy s3.
How are they possibly working?
And if they are working then what is the difference between Google APIs and SDK platform?
Or is the difference only related to emulators?
It is really pointless to use the Google API's now because most if not all things included in that have been deprecated and moved to google play services. Selecting Google API will not do anything except maybe increase the size of your program. The difference being is in addition to the 4.4 SDK you would also get all the Google API stuff with it
You don't need (but it won't hurt you) to use Google APIs if you use Google Maps Android API v2. Google APIs is for when you work with deprecated Google Maps Android API v1 or you program USB.
The google API includes Google Maps and other Google-specific libraries. The Android one only includes core android libraries.
As for which one to choose, I would go with the Android API until you find that you need the Google API; such as when you need Google Maps functionality.
http://code.google.com/android/add-ons/google-apis/index.html is a link to the Google API page.