1. Enterprise Workflow with
Apps Script
Claudio Cherubino
Google Apps Developer Relations
http://plus.claudiocherubino.it

2. What is Apps Script?
● JavaScript engine in the cloud
○ JavaScript Runtime
○ Write and execute code in browser
● Comes with
○ JavaScript syntax and classes
○ Built-in access to various Google APIs
○ Ability to integrate 3rd party services

3. Why Apps Script?
Don't hate, automate

4. Where is Apps Script?
● Executed in a variety of different ways
○ Spreadsheet, Sites, Standalone, Async

5. Who can use Apps Script?

6. Apps Script Services
Don't hate, automate

7. A basic example
// Function to convert from inches to centimeters
function in2cm(inNum) {
var outNum = 0; // this will hold the result
var factor = 2.54; // multiply input by this factor
if (typeof inNum != "number") {
return("error: input must be a number");
}
outNum = inNum * factor;
return outNum;
}

8. Let's write some code...

9. Read the content of a Google Doc
function main() {
var documentId = '18ByAQxeL...';
var letter = DocumentApp.openById(documentId);
var subject = letter.getName();
var message = readDocumentBody(letter);
}
function readDocumentBody(document) {
var paragraphs = document.getParagraphs();
var txt = "";
for (var i = 0; i < paragraphs.length; i++) {
if (paragraphs[i].getNumChildren() > 0) {
txt += paragraphs[i].getChild(0).getText();
}
txt += "n";
}
return txt;
}

10. Retrieve stock information
function main() {
var documentId = '18ByAQxeL...';
var letter = DocumentApp.openById(documentId);
var subject = letter.getName();
var message = readDocumentBody(letter);
// retrieve GOOG stock price
var stockInfo = FinanceApp.getStockInfo('GOOG');
var stockPrice = Math.round(stockInfo.price * 100) / 100;
var stockValue = stockPrice + ' ' + stockInfo.currency;
// replace placeholder with current stock value
message = message.replace('[STOCKVALUE]', stockValue);
}

11. Process users from spreadsheet
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
var startRow = 2; // First row of data to process
var numRows = sheet.getLastRow() - 1; // Number of rows to process
var dataRange = sheet.getRange(startRow, 1, numRows, 4);
var data = dataRange.getValues();
for (i in data) {
var row = data[i];
var name = row[0];
var emailAddress = row[1];
var language = row[2];
var location = row[3];
// personalize letter with shareholder's name
var text = message.replace('[SHAREHOLDER]', name);
}

12. Automatically translate messages
for (i in data) {
var row = data[i];
var name = row[0];
var emailAddress = row[1];
var language = row[2];
var location = row[3];
// personalize letter with shareholder's name
var text = message.replace('[SHAREHOLDER]', name);
if (language != 'en') {
text = LanguageApp.translate(text, 'en', language);
}
}

13. Send mail from a script
for (i in data) {
var row = data[i];
var name = row[0];
var emailAddress = row[1];
var language = row[2];
var location = row[3];
// personalize letter with shareholder's name
var text = message.replace('[SHAREHOLDER]', name);
if (language != 'en') {
text = LanguageApp.translate(text, 'en', language);
}
MailApp.sendEmail(emailAddress, subject, text);
}

14. Add markers to Google Maps
var map = Maps.newStaticMap().setSize(1024, 1024);
for (i in data) {
var row = data[i];
var name = row[0];
var emailAddress = row[1];
var language = row[2];
var location = row[3];
// personalize letter with shareholder's name
var text = message.replace('[SHAREHOLDER]', name);
if (language != 'en') {
text = LanguageApp.translate(text, 'en', language);
}
MailApp.sendEmail(emailAddress, subject, text);
map.addMarker(location);
}
var mapUrl = map.getMapUrl();

15. More examples...

16. Calendar API
// get user's calendar
var calendar = CalendarApp.getDefaultCalendar();
// schedule event
var startDate = new Date();
var endDate = new Date(startDate);
endDate.setHours(startDate.getHours()+2);
var event = calendar.createEvent(
"Training:",
startDate,
endDate,
{description:"Training event"});

17. 3rd-party APIs
// function to access Netflix API
function searchNetflixTitles(genre, startPosition, numberOfResults) {
var ODATA_GENRE_URL = "http://odata.netflix.
com/Catalog/Genres";
var requestURL = ODATA_GENRE_URL + "('" + genre + "')/Titles?"
+ "$select=Name,ShortSynopsis&$format=json&$skip="
+ startPosition + "&$top=" + numberOfResults;
var content = UrlFetchApp.fetch(requestURL);
var result = Utilities.jsonParse(content.getContentText());
return result;
}

18. Ui Services
// create List Box Message Label
var listBoxMessageLabel = app.createLabel()
.setText("1. Choose the Training Category:");
decorateLabel_(listBoxMessageLabel);
// create List Box
var categoryListBox = app.createListBox()
.setName("categoryListBox")
.setId("categoryListBox");
categoryListBox.addItem("Category List", "0");
categoryListBox.addItem("Language Instruction", "1");
categoryListBox.addItem("Computers & Electronics", "2");
decorateLabel_(categoryListBox);
// create change handler
var categorySelectHandler =
app.createServerChangeHandler("categorySelectionHandler_");
categorySelectHandler.addCallbackElement(mainPanel);
categoryListBox.addChangeHandler(categorySelectHandler);

19. Charts Services - 1/2
function getData() {
// populate the DataTable. We'll have the data labels in
// the first column, "Quarter", and then add two data columns,
// for "Income" and "Expenses"List Box Message Label
var dataTable = Charts.newDataTable()
.addColumn(Charts.ColumnType.STRING, "Quarter")
.addColumn(Charts.ColumnType.NUMBER, "Income")
.addColumn(Charts.ColumnType.NUMBER, "Expenses")
.addRow(["Q1", 50, 60])
.addRow(["Q2", 60, 55])
.addRow(["Q3", 70, 60])
.addRow(["Q4", 100, 50])
.build();
return dataTable;
}

20. Charts Services - 2/2
function buildChart(dataTable) {
// Build the chart. We'll make income green and expenses red
var chart = Charts.newColumnChart()
.setDataTable(dataTable)
.setColors(["green", "red"])
.setDimensions(600, 400)
.setXAxisTitle("Quarters")
.setYAxisTitle("$")
.setTitle("Income and Expenses per Quarter")
.build();
return chart;
}
function main() {
var chart = buildChart(getData());
var ui = UiApp.createApplication();
ui.add(chart);
SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().show(ui);
}

21. Triggers
● Trigger ~= Event handler
● Triggers allow asynchronous execution of
scripts
○ Helps in automation
○ A user no longer has to manually execute the script
● Two Types of Triggers
○ Event Driven - onEdit, onInstall, onOpen
○ Time Driven

22. Resources
● Apps Script documentation
○ http://code.google.com/googleapps/appsscript/
● Tutorials
○ http://code.google.com/googleapps/appsscript/articles.html
● Online community
○ http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/apps-script/
● Google Apps Script Blog
○ http://googleappsscript.blogspot.com/

23. Thanks!
Questions?
@ccherubino
http://plus.claudiocherubino.it