Brief overview of Google Apps Script

1. Google Apps Script Overview
@fckey

2. Focus of this document
This document more focuses on what you
can do in GAS rather than how to.
You can use this doc to get to know about
GAS in very high level. Please google how
you can actually achieve something you
want to.

3. What is GAS?
Integrated with G Suite apps and enable us to
• Manage data from program
• Create extension/add-on and publish
All on a JavaScript platform in the cloud
Official movie

4. How to start GAS?
1. Go to Google Drive in Chrome
2. Click "Apps Script” in the “New” button
• If Apps Script doesn’t exist, click
“Connect More Apps” then add it

5. Web based editor
Once you start GAS, editor page will be
shown in the browser.
• Play around with myFunction
https://script.google.com/home

6. Form
Form can be defined and auto-generated
by GAS
Official movie
https://developers.google.com/apps-
script/reference/forms/form-app

7. Form (cont.)
Form can be associated with
spreadsheet
When submitting the form, the
results can be modified before
saving them by using Trigger
(explain later)

8. Trigger
Trigger runs specific function when
specific event is happened
There are two types of trigger which are
“Simple Trigger” or “Installable Trigger”
https://developers.google.com/apps-
script/guides/triggers/

9. Trigger (cont.)
Simple Trigger
• Predefined trigger for editing, opening
Installable trigger
• Defied by user function for form
submittion or batch processing

10. Spreadsheet
GAS can interact with Google Spreadsheet
Form’s response is stored in Spreadsheet
by default, but also can be associated with
specific sheet
https://developers.google.com/apps-
script/reference/spreadsheet/
spreadsheet-app

11. Spreadsheet (cont.)
Macro can be created by GAS. You can
use it as formula, or create menu button
to call it

12. Web Page
GAS allow us to host static web page
Sever is provided by Google so it’s free
Data in Docs can be fetched by GAS and it
can be imported in the Web page by
creating HTML file

13. Work locally
GAS is executed in the Web based editor,
but scripts can be downloaded via clasp
clasp is command line tool provided by
Google.
Editing and version control from local PC
can be done

14. Sample Use-case
Automate to collect and summarize baseball game results
https://github.com/fckey/gas-baseball-tool

15. Sample Use-case (cont.)
Architecture
Used only resources in GAS which are all free
Results
Spreadsheet
User
Form
Common
Resource
Spreadsheet
Results
Web page

16. Useful Links
Official web page
Official Samples
Official Resources