Intro to Google Apps Script

Google Apps ScriptIntroduction

ModMonstR.com

01-17-2013

What is Google Apps Script?

● A Google Cloud-based scripting technology used in the Google Apps/Drive ecosystem

● Write code in JavaScript and HTML● Has native APIs to most Google services,

except Google+, Blogger, and YouTube● Has Web Service support● Has App Engine integration support

Script Execution

● Invocation Methods:○ Google Drive○ Google Spreadsheet○ Web (Sites or Web App)

● Scheduling Capabilities○ By Specific Times○ By Time Interval

● Quotas○ Goes against the executor's Google Account

Container-Bound vs Standalone

● Container-Bound scripts○ Resides within a Google Spreadsheet○ Goes away with the spreadsheet

● Standalone scripts○ Resides in Google Drive○ Can be scheduled to execute○ As a Web App, it can be deployed to the Chrome

App Store

Default and Experimental Google APIs

Google API Support

Default Google APIs

● Blob● Browser● Buttons● Cache● Calendar● Charts● Contacts● Content● DocList● Document● Domain

● Finance● Gmail● Groups● Html● Jdbc● Language● Lock● Logger● Mail● Maps● Properties

● Script● ScriptDb● Sites● Soap● Spreadsheet● Ui● UrlFetch● Utilities● Xml

Experimental Google APIs

These APIs need to be enabled by going to the Resources>Use Google APIs menu

● AdSense● Analytics● BigQuery● Prediction● Tasks● UrlShortener

Good Morning World

Sample

1. Gathers Calendar events for the current day2. Write them in a Google Document3. Shorten the URL of the Document via goo.gl4. Email the shortened URL5. Schedule the script

About Good Morning World

Create the Script

1. Go to Google Drive2. Click Create>More>Script3. Click Blank Project 4. Rename Untitled project to your

project's name 1

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Initializefunction myFunction() { //Get current Date and format as a string var today = new Date(); var todayString = today.getFullYear().toString() + lPad(1+today.getMonth())+lPad(today.getDate());}function lPad(i){ return i<10?"0"+i:i;}

● The current date is obtained and saved as a string in yyyymmdd format for file naming

● The lPad function pads a zero to the left if the input is a single-digit number

Step 1. Gather Today's Calendar Events

var cal = CalendarApp.getDefaultCalendar().getEventsForDay(today);● CalendarApp is used to reference the end-

user's Calendar● getDefaultCalendar() obtains the end-

user's default calendar● getEventsForDay(Date) obtains all

events for the specified date● today is the current date from previous slide

Step 2. Write them in a Document//Create a Google Document,//filename starts with the current datevar doc = DocumentApp.create(todayString+'-Good Morning');

● Create the Google Document● The filename begins with the current date in

yyyymmdd format● Doing so enables the Document filenames to

sort naturally

Step 2. Write them in a Document//Header part of the documentdoc.appendParagraph("Good Morning World");doc.appendParagraph("Below are the activities for today, " + today);doc.appendHorizontalRule()

● The header is composed of three parts:○ A greeting○ Language to indicate today's events○ A horizontal rule to delineate the Calendar Events

from the header

Step 2. Write them in a Document//Iterate through the Calendar and write to the Documentvar i = 0;for(i = 0;i<cal.length;i++){ doc.appendParagraph(basicTime(cal[i].getStartTime()) + ' to ' + basicTime(cal[i].getEndTime()) + ' - ' + cal[i].getTitle() + ' in ' + cal[i].getLocation());}

● The Calendar events are stored as an array of CalendarEvent objects

● Iterate via a for loop● Inside, add a paragraph to the Document

with the time range, title, and location of the event

Step 2. Write them in a Documentfunction basicTime(t){ var output = lPad(t.getHours()) + ":" + lPad(t.getMinutes()); return output;}

● basicTime formats the input time in hh:mm format

● This function is called in the previous slide to format the Start and End time of the calendar event

Step 2. Write them in a Document

//Save and close the Documentdoc.saveAndClose();● We are done with the Google Document● Save changes and Close it

Step 3. Shorten Document URL // Get the URL of the documentvar url = doc.getUrl();// Shorten the URLvar toShorten = UrlShortener.newUrl().setLongUrl(url)var shortUrl = UrlShortener.Url.insert(toShorten);

● getUrl() gets the Document's URL● toShorten gets a url object by converting

from getUrl's output (string)● shortUrl contains the shortened Url

Step 4. Email the shortened URL// Get the email address of the active user - that's youvar emailAddress = Session.getActiveUser().getEmail();// Send yourself an email with a link to the documentGmailApp.sendEmail(emailAddress, 'Today\'s Calendar Events', 'Attached is a link to Document containing ' + 'today\'s activities ' + shortUrl.getId());

● emailAddress contains the end-user's email address

● sendEmail sends the email● the \' results in a ' character

Step 4. Email the shortened URL

● We need to enable the URL Shortener API● Click Resources● Click User Google APIs...

Step 4. Email the shortened URL

1. Set URL Shortener API to on2. Click OK

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Step 5. Schedule

1. Go to Resources2. Click Current script's triggers...

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Step 5. Schedule

1. Click No triggers set up. Click here to add one now.

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Step 5. Schedule

● Run - Pick the main function in the script● Events - Configure the scheduling● Click Save

Step 5. Schedule

● Authorization is similar to Android apps● Each Google service accessed by the script

is listed in the authorization request

Step 5. Schedule

● Click Grant access

Step 5. Schedule

● Confirmation of authorization

To Run

1. Select the goodMorningWorld function2. Click on the play button to run

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Output

● Email sent containing the shortened URL

Output

● Google Document generated by the script

Resources

● This Presentation:○ http://goo.gl/2dGhW

● Sample Source Code:○ http://www.modmonstr.com/search/label/Apps%20Script

● Google○ http://script.google.com ○ https://developers.google.com/apps-script/articles○ https://developers.google.com/apps-script/videos

● Stack Overflow○ http://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/google-apps-

script

Next Time

● Container-bound Apps Script● Web App● Chrome Web Store deployment