In a recent announcement, Internet search biggie Google said that it has launched a new application programming interface (API) which will give developers the ability to bring on real-time collaboration features to Google Drive apps.

According to Google, the Google Drive Realtime API is essentially a new tool for the developers who create apps which depend on Google Drive for storage. The newly-launched API will help these developers in enabling their users to interact as well as work together in real time. As a result, the users of Google Docs, Spreadsheets and Slides will be able to edit a document simultaneously with other users; with each of them also viewing the changes made by collaborators in real time.

For testing and launching the Google Drive Realtime API, Google partnered with three-developer focused tools --- the Neutron Drive collaborative code editor; the Gantter project scheduling tool; and the draw. io diagramming tool. The developers of these three apps have already integrated the new API into their code.

About the new Google Drive Realtime API, Google software engineer Brian Cairns said in a blog post that developers of Google Drive apps can now easily add to their apps some of the same real-time collaboration which powers Google Drive.

Cairns also said in the blog post that the new API "handles network communication, storage, presence, conflict resolution, and other collaborative details so you (developers) can focus on building great apps."