Google Docs adds folder sharing

Google has improved the collaboration features of Google Docs by introducing the option to share folders with fellow users.

Until now, sharing rights have been assigned on a document-by-document basis. The new feature allows users to drag all the documents they want to share with a particular group into a designated folder, and apply sharing rights to the entire folder.

As with individual documents, the advanced sharing permissions allow you to set different rights for each user, so some people can be given full editing rights, while others are only allowed to view documents stored in the folder.

Google has also made it easier to get items into Docs, with a new multiple uploads tool. This allows you to select the contents of entire local folders, or selected files within a folder, and upload them simultaneously.

The uploader suffered from the odd hiccup in our brief tests this morning, with uploaded files occasionally being duplicated.

The search giant has been adding extra polish to Google Docs in recent months, no doubt inspired by the forthcoming release of Microsoft Office Web Apps.