In what ways can utilizing external tools like Google Docs for collaborative data management complement PHP development for web applications?

Collaborative data management can be enhanced by utilizing external tools like Google Docs alongside PHP development for web applications. Google Docs allows multiple users to work on the same document simultaneously, making it easier for teams to collaborate on data management tasks. By integrating Google Docs with PHP, developers can create seamless workflows for updating and accessing shared data in real-time.

// Example PHP code snippet for integrating Google Docs API with PHP

// Include the Google API client library
require_once 'vendor/autoload.php';

// Set up authentication credentials
$client = new Google_Client();
$client->setAuthConfig('credentials.json');
$client->addScope(Google_Service_Drive::DRIVE);

// Create a new Google Drive service object
$service = new Google_Service_Drive($client);

// Retrieve a list of files from Google Drive
$files = $service->files->listFiles();

// Process the list of files
foreach ($files->getFiles() as $file) {
    echo "File name: " . $file->getName() . "\n";
}