title: Could Google Sheets be a database service?
body: <p>First of all, GIVE IT A CHANCE. I know that spreadsheets and databases are not the same thing. However, Google Sheets may be an anomaly.</p>
  
  <p>In Google Sheets, a single file can contain multiple sheets. For example, I can create the file <code>Spreadsheet</code>, and then within it I can create <code>Sheet 1</code>, <code>Sheet 2</code>, and <code>Sheet 3</code>. <code>Spreadsheet</code> has its own unique access ID used for sharing and access, but each sheet within must be accessed differently.</p>
  
  <p>In Google Apps Script, one can access <code>Spreadsheet</code> with the following code:</p>
  
  <pre><code>var spreadsheet = SpreadsheetApp.openById('id');
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Now, the reason I ask whether or not Google Sheets could be considered a database service is that in order to read/write data, one must first access a specific sheet within that file. That is done with the following code:</p>
  
  <pre><code>var sheet1 = spreadsheet.getSheets()[0];
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>That call would retrieve the first sheet in the file, <code>getSheets()[1]</code> would retrieve the second, etc.</p>
  
  <p>Like a database, a GS file contains multiple sheets, just like a database would contain multiple tables. Accessing data in the file is similar to accessing data in a database.</p>
  
  <p>In the case of accessing data by JavaScript or Google Apps Script, is Google Sheets a pseudo-database?</p>