This document describes a database abstraction library for Google Apps Script that allows using different backend databases like Google Sheets, Drive files, and noSQL databases with the same code. It provides caching and handles common queries and operations with only 6 simple methods. Different backends can be accessed by getting a handle to the specific backend using the DataHandler class. Data can also be copied between backends and backends are accessible via a REST API.

1. Google Apps Script
Database Abstraction
Use different back end databases with the same code
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2. Why database abstraction
• Change backend databases without recoding
• No need to learn or code for multiple APIs
• Easily copy between different back ends
• Use a spreadsheet, a file, a noSQL database,
and others as the back end
• Caching and exponential back off built in
• Fairly simple to add new back ends

3. Examples
Only 6 methods, queries by example
var result = handle.save({someObject});
var result = handle.query({country:’USA’,state:’NY’},{sort:’name’},{limit:100});
var result = handle.remove({name:’Doe’});
var result = handle.count({size:’big’});
var result = handle.get(id);
var result = handle.update(id,{someObject});
Initial version handles the most common simple queries
and data, and are the same for all back ends

4. Getting a handle - ScriptDb
A Google Apps ScriptDB
var dbHandler = new cDataHandler.DataHandler (‘carriers’,
cDataHandler.dhConstants.DB.SCRIPTDB,
undefined,
'mydb',
ScriptDb.getMyDb());
if (!dbHandler .isHappy()) throw ("failed to get handle");
This will use the executing script’s db as the back end. The data will be
siloed under the name ‘carriers’

5. Getting a handle - orchestrate.io
Orchestrate.io
var orchestrateHandler = new cDataHandler.DataHandler (‘carriers’,
cDataHandler.dhConstants.DB.ORCHESTRATE,
undefined,
'myorchestrate',
JSON.parse(UserProperties.getProperty("orchestrateKeys")));
This will use a collection called ‘carriers’ in orchestrate.io as a back end.
The user executing this has his orchestrate API key stored in his user
properties.

6. Getting a handle - Drive
A JSON file on Google Drive
var driveHandler = new cDataHandler.DataHandler (‘carriers.json’,
cDataHandler.dhConstants.DB.DRIVE,
undefined,
'/datahandler/driverdrive');
This will use /datahandler/datadrive/carriers.json as a container for a
single object acting as a database

7. Getting a handle - Sheets
Google Sheets
var sheetHandler = new cDataHandler.DataHandler (‘carriers’,
cDataHandler.dhConstants.DB.SHEET,
undefined,
'12pTwh5xxx0W4ZnGBiUI3yZY8QFoNI8NNx_oCPynjGYY’);
This will use a sheet called ‘carriers’ in a Google Spreadsheet with the given
ID as the back end.

8. Getting a handle - parse.com
parse.com
var parseHandler = new cDataHandler.DataHandler (‘carriers’,
cDataHandler.dhConstants.DB.PARSE,
undefined,
'myparse',
JSON.parse(UserProperties.getProperty("parseKeys")));
This will use a collection called ‘carriers’ in parse.com as a back end. The
user executing this has his parse API and developer key stored in his user
properties.

9. Getting a handle - fusion
Google Fusion
var parseHandler = new cDataHandler.DataHandler
(‘tlc5z6Lek8K7vxxpXNUsOjX3qTbIsdXx9Fo’,
cDataHandler.dhConstants.DB.FUSION,
undefined,
'myfusion’);
This will use a the given fusion table as a back end.

10. Getting a handle - import.io
import.io
var importioHandler = new cDataHandler.DataHandler
('caff10dc-3bf8-402e-b1b8-c799a77c3e8c', cDataHandler.dhConstants.DB.IMPORTIO,
undefined,'myimportio',JSON.parse(UserProperties.getProperty("importioKeys")));
This will use a data set from import.io with the id caff10dc-3bf8-402e-b1b8-
c799a77c3e8c. The user executing this has his importio API and user key
stored in his user properties. Note that import.io only has the query()
method, since it is a readonly source. (h/t to MartinHawksey for his
importio library.

11. Getting a handle – Google Property
service
Properties
var propertiesHandler = new cDataHandler.DataHandler ('avengers',
cDataHandler.dhConstants.DB.PROPERTIES,
undefined, 'myproperties', UserProperties);
This will use a the UserProperties as a database stored against the
key ‘avengers’

12. REST API access
All of this is also available through a Google
Apps Script Webapp
webappurl?action=query&driver=scriptdb&query={"region":"Asia"}&siloid=play
This will do a query and return JSON (or JSONP if a callback is specified)
corresponding to the query above on a scriptdb backend. This exposes all
these different backends to anything that can deal with JSON and do GETS
and POSTS. For example, here is how to manipulate a Google Sheet
directly from Excel.

13. Copying data between backends
Any combination of copying can be done, eg
var source = fusionHandler.query();
if(source .handleCode <0) throw (JSON.stringify(source ));
var result = driveHandler.remove();
if(result.handleCode <0) throw (JSON.stringify(result));
var result = driveHandler.save(source.data);
if(result.handleCode <0) throw (JSON.stringify(result));
This will copy all the data from fusion, delete the existing data from drive, and
copy over the data retrieved from fusion - the result will be a JSON file of the
fusion data on Google Drive

14. More info
You can find more about this here along with
details of how to include this library in your
Google apps script project
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