I can't see the files and folders created via code in my Google Drive

Question

I'm a web developer and i'd like to access to the Google APIs from my business software, I've created a Drive account and I'd to create a folders and files via code (VB.NET). I'm following the documentation, I've created a JWT (Json Web Token), I've used a Service Account and I've obtained an Access Token.

Now I'd like to access to the Google APIs. Using a console application, I created some folders, and I can get a list of created folders via code. But I cannot see those folders in my Google Drive account. How is it possible?

Here is the request I send to the server in order to show the folders and files list: https://www.googleapis.com/files/{FILE_ID}?key={API_KEY}

I obtain a JSON string as response, with the informations relating the FILE_ID elements. e.g.:

{ "kind":"drive#file", "id":"FILE_ID", "mimeType":"application/vnd.google-apps.folder"(if is a folder) / "FILE_MIMETYPE"(if is a file), "title":"FOLDER_NAME" / "FILE_NAME", ... }

And here is the code I used to access to Google APIs: (VB.NET)

...

Public Function browseFile(ByVal fId As String) As List (Of FileSourceElement)

  Dim webclient As New WebClient()
  webclient.Headers.Add("Authorization", " Bearer " & _accessToken)
  webclient.Headers.Add("X-JavaScript-User-Agent", "Google APIs Explorer")
  Dim res As String = webclient.DownloadString("https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v2/files?key=" & _apiKey).Trim()

  'res contains the JSON with the informations of the file/folder 
  ...

End Function

Public Sub createContainer(ByVal path As String)
  Dim webclient As New WebClient()
  webclient.Headers.Add("Authorization", " Bearer " & _accessToken)
  webclient.Headers.Add("X-JavaScript-User-Agent", "Google APIs Explorer")
  webclient.Headers.Add("Content-Type", "application/json")
  webclient.UploadString("https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v2/files", _ 
                     "POST", _ 
                     "{""title"":""daEliminare2"", ""parents"":[{""id"":""" & path & """}], ""mimeType"":""application/vnd.google-apps.folder""}")
End Sub

...

In my Google Drive I haven't MANUALLY created a folder and I haven't MANUALLY uploaded a file, i must do all the operation only via code.

As I said to you, I've successfully created a folder and I printed successfully the list of file (via code), but in my GDrive the elements created by UI don't appear. Why?

---

I've read that in the Service Account, in order to get the Access Token it's required a special JSON string called Json Web Token (JWT) composed by an header, a claim set and a signature (base64 string). The string is:

{base64 formatted JWT header}.{base64 formatted JWT claimSet}.{base64 formatted JWT signature}

My JWT is:

Header

{
  "alg": "RS256",
  "typ": "JWT"
}

Claim set { "iss": "[email protected]", // where '0123456789' is the CLIENT_ID. "scope": "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive", "aud": "https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/token", "exp": timeStamp + 3600, //where 'timeStamp' is the number of seconds since 1970-01-01T00:00:00. "iat": timeStamp }

To write a signature I've followed the procedure descripted in this page:

https://developers.google.com/accounts/docs/OAuth2ServiceAccount#computingsignature

Once I've written the JWT I send it to the server and I get a JSON string as response in this mode:

{
  "access_token": "ACCESS_TOKEN", // (e.g.: 1/8xbJqaOZXS...)
  "type_token": "Bearer",
  "expire_in": 3600
}

When I obtain the Access Token (AT), I use it to access to the Google APIs; for example: if I would show all list of files and folders, I send a request that has an header like this:

Authorization: Bearer AT X-JavaScript-User-Agent: Google APIs Explorer

url: https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v2/files?key={MY_API_KEY}

But I underline that in the list there are some items (using the VB.NET console application), while there aren't any in my Google Drive.

So I got the Access Token but I don't succeed to access to the Google APIs.

PS: I need access to the Google APIs without use any browser.

Part second:

I've read that in the Service Account, in order to get the Acces Token it's required a special JSON string called Json Web Token (JWT) composed by an header, a claim set and a signature (base64 string). The string is:

{base64 formatted JWT header}.{base64 formatted JWT claimSet}.{base64 formatted JWT signature}

My JWT is:

Header

{
  "alg": "RS256",
  "typ": "JWT"
}

Claim set { "iss": "[email protected]", // where '0123456789' is the CLIENT_ID. "scope": "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive", "aud": "https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/token", "exp": timeStamp + 3600, //where 'timeStamp' is the number of seconds since 1970-01-01T00:00:00. "iat": timeStamp }

To write a signature I've followed the procedure descripted in this page:

https://developers.google.com/accounts/docs/OAuth2ServiceAccount#computingsignature

Once I've written the JWT I send it to the server and I get a JSON string as respoonse in this mode:

{
  "access_token": "ACCESS_TOKEN", // (e.g.: 1/8xbJqaOZXS...)
  "type_token": "Bearer",
  "expire_in": 3600
}

When I obtain the Access Token (AT), I use it to access to the Google APIs; for example: if I would show all list of files and folders, I send a request that has an header like this:

Authorization: Bearer AT X-JavaScript-User-Agent: Google APIs Explorer

url: https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v2/files?key={MY_API_KEY}

But I underline that in the list there are some items (using the VB.NET console application), while there aren't any in my Google Drive.

So I got the Access Token but I don't succeed to access to the Google APIs.

PS: I need access to the Google APIs without use any browser.

Many thanks and best regards

MP

Answer 1

Since you are using a Service Account, all the folders and files will be created in this Service Account's Drive which cannot be accessed through a web UI and will be limited to the default quota.

To add content in a user's Drive, you will need to go through the regular OAuth 2.0 flow to retrieve credentials from this user. You can find more information about OAuth 2.0 on this pages:

• Retrieve and use OAuth 2.0 credentials.
• Quickstart: it has a quickstart sample in C# that you could use.
• Using OAuth 2.0 to access Google APIs