If your code currently uses the Google Cloud Storage API, sometimes referred to as the Files API, the migration to the GCS client library is straightforward, as the client library supports very similar functionality. The one exception is bulk deletes, which are only available in the Google Cloud Storage API. The client library does not support bulk deletes. Instead, you will need to specify each file to be deleted in a separate call.
The following table compares the functionality provided by the deprecated Files API and the new client library:
| Feature | Cloud Storage API (Files API) | Client Library | Differences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distribution | google.appengine.api.files package in the SDK. |
Download the library into your project. | client-side only library |
| Imports | from google.appengine.api import files |
import cloudstorage |
|
| Create | files.gs.create() |
No longer needed. | Client library combines create/open in one call, cloudstorage.open(). |
| Open | files.open() |
cloudstorage.open() |
supports everything in old open. |
| List bucket Contents | files.listdir() |
cloudstorage.listbucket |
Same options and behavior; cloudstorage.listbucket() returns an iterator object, GCSFileStat. However, the new listbucket also has a directory emulation mode. |
| Delete File | files.delete() |
cloudstorage.delete() |
Client library doesn't support bulk deletes. |
| File metadata | None | cloudstorage.stat() |
Client library returns last-modified time, header-length, content type for the specified file. |
| Read/write/tell/seek/close | files.File.write(),files.File.read(), files.File.tell(), files.File.seek(), files.File.close() |
Standard Python write, read, tell,seek, and close. |
Direct replacement. |
| Finalize | files.File.finalize() |
No longer needed. | (Standard Python close finalizes the file.) |
| Buffering | BufferedFile() class |
"Built-in" buffering | Client library buffers all reads, and includes a prefetch buffer that gets filled while your app processes from the read buffer. |