Managing Files in Google Cloud Storage

[jweststrate]

Hello,

I have created an Integration using Stores > Google Cloud Storage. it connects to the specified bucket successfully, and I am able to create an AppSheet app using that location as a file storage location.

The app I've created allows users to manage files in that Google Cloud Storage Bucket, however, it does not appear to delete files when they are deleted in the app.

All of the information is retained correctly in the Google Sheet. I.e., newly uploaded files are added, and when the user deletes a file in the app it is also removed from the Google Sheet and app interface, however, the file is never removed from the Google Cloud Storage Bucket.

Is there a setting that allows files to be removed from the Google Cloud Storage Bucket when they are deleted using the app?

Thanks!

[Suvrutt_Gurjar]

This is not a solution because your files are stored on Google Cloud storage. Just sharing what is applicable/useful to the many AppSheet app creators who store files on the G drive. If your files were stored on G drive folder , you could have explored the below mentioned approach. This is so because AppSheet allows a G drive folder to be configured  as a table in the app.

https://www.googlecloudcommunity.com/gc/Tips-Tricks/Delete-app-images-or-files-in-an-app-record-from...

[jweststrate]

Thanks for the response.

What is the purpose of integrating with Google Cloud Storage other than dropping files there (perhaps that is the purpose). Are there specific use-cases where people use Google Cloud Storage Buckets?

Thanks!

[Suvrutt_Gurjar]

You are welcome. You may wish to take a look at the discussion threads in teh past on Google Cloud Storage in the community. I have so far not explored that option, so someone else may chime in, if you are looking for more details.

https://www.googlecloudcommunity.com/gc/forums/searchpage/tab/message?advanced=false&allow_punctuati...

[jweststrate]

Thanks again Suvrutt_Gurjar for the earlier replies. I wanted to post a quick summary for others working in the same context. 

It appears that an AppSheet Integration using Stores > Google Cloud Storage allows you to create an app where you drop objects (most file types) into a specified GCS Bucket using the instructions found here. GCS Buckets are not intended for direct interaction with the underlying data tables or App you create in AppSheet, but rather as an Object Store as described in that link.

You can do fairly robust file management in AppSheet using Google Drive as described here in the link Suvrutt_Gurjar provided earler.

Our goal as an enterprise is to build an App (hopefully using AppSheet) allowing non-technical business users to manage files (insert/update/delete) in specific GCS Buckets. Next step for me is to try an integration with a PostgreSQL database in Cloud SQL, then use Google technology such as Cloud Functions or Cloud Dataflow automation to extract data from that database and move it to GCS.

Alternatively, there is some "hacky" automation we can build between Google Drive and GCS using colab or other external tooling, but hoping to not have to do this.

If that doesn't work, we'll just train and give users access to the GCP Console where they can drop files into the appropriate GCS Bucket. Really hoping AppSheet will work for this use case though. 😀

[NotARobot_Mark_]

Not familiar with buckets. 

But don’t forget the google drive /sheets etc. have App-script integration which can access the spreasheet and do deletions in the drive. 
it should be a simple matter of the app-script detecting changes, doing a compare on the file list and deleting the ones not in the spreadsheet

https://developers.google.com/apps-script

[Suvrutt_Gurjar]

Thank you @jweststrate for a detailed update on your intended roadmap and your analysis around using Google Cloud Storage. Such posts definitely help community content become richer.