Apps Script is a JavaScript engine that allows users to write scripts that integrate with Google services like Sheets, Docs, and Gmail. It provides access to built-in Google APIs and the ability to automate workflows. Some key capabilities include reading and writing docs and sheets, retrieving data from APIs, sending emails, and creating triggers to run scripts asynchronously. The document provides examples of using Apps Script to retrieve stock prices, process user data, translate messages, and more.

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