Google Contacts Data API available for developers

26th March 2008

Google took a step on the way for its online applications to become more accessible to people who use tools for collaborative work. It provided the developers of service API with Google Contacts. Thus, now all professionals with relevant experience will be able to develop client applications, by means of which you can create, update, view and delete Google contacts. The protocol Google Data is based on the standard AtomPub (Atom Publishing Protocol/APP).
Accessibility of API would be useful for such operations as synchronization of Google contacts on portable devices, communication with friends using external applications, e-mail, IM-clients and cell-phones.
Frankly speaking, there are already some problems with Google Contacts Data API. First, it is not compatible with protocols of OAuth and OpenID; secondly, Google contact lists are very much increased, which could cause problems if the program to handle such lists are created. The thing is that when you reply to any message in Gmail, the address of the recipient is automatically added to the list of contacts, and when communicating via Google Talk, the contact is added if you exchanged a few phrases with a person.