Running script for multiple search terms found on different sheet - google-apps-script

Question

I'm trying to get a SCORESHEET to populate from a REPORTSHEET, using a REFERENCESHEET to collate search terms and destination cells.
The script I'm running is as below. The idea is that the script finds searchDate's in the REFERENCESHEET and uses them to locate data columns in the REPORTSHEET:
function superAuto() {
var report = SpreadsheetApp.openById('REPORTSHEET');
var reportData = report.getDataRange().getValues();
var reference = SpreadsheetApp.openById('REFERENCESHEET');
var referenceData = reference.getDataRange().getValues();
var scorecard = SpreadsheetApp.openById('SCORESHEET');
var scorecardData = scorecard.getDataRange().getValues();
var tExpenses = "Total Expenses";
for(n=0;n<referenceData.length;++n){
var searchDate = referenceData[n][0] ;
Logger.log (searchDate)
}
var column = columnfinder(searchDate);
for (var a = 0; a < referenceData.length; a++) {
var refRow = referenceData[a];
for (var i = 0; i < reportData.length; i++) {
var row = reportData[i];
if (row[0] == tExpenses && refRow[0] == searchDate) {
scorecard.getRange(refRow[5]).setValue(row[column]);
}
}
}
}
function columnfinder(find) {
var report = SpreadsheetApp.openById('REPORTSHEET');
var reportData = report.getDataRange().getValues();
var reference = SpreadsheetApp.openById('REFERENCESHEET');
var referenceData = reference.getDataRange().getValues();
for(var j=0, jLen=reportData.length; j<jLen; j++) {
for(var k=0, kLen=reportData[0].length; k<kLen; k++) {
if(find == reportData[j][k]) {
Logger.log(k);
return (k);}
}
}
}
Broadly speaking, the code works, as if I define searchDate as one of the terms I'm looking for (e.g. Jan-21) it all works fine. The issue is that it doesn't seem to be doing so when finding multiple search terms - and therefore populating multiple rows - as per:
for(n=0;n<referenceData.length;++n){
var searchDate = referenceData[n][0] ;
Logger.log (searchDate)
}
The log tells me that it's finding searchDate's in the REFERENCESHEET, but it's not able to run them through function columnfinder (I get no logs for the second logger).
I suspect the answer lay somewhere in an earlier great answer I received to an earlier version of this idea - How to return multiple column values for setValue - but I've not been able to make it fit. Any thoughts?
EDIT: Please find a sample REFERENCESHEET & REPORTSHEET for more info:

Answer 1

The log tells me that it's finding searchDate's in the REFERENCESHEET,
but it's not able to run them through function columnfinder (I get no
logs for the second logger)
You don't execute columnfinder inside the for loop.
Try this:
for(n=0;n<referenceData.length;++n){
var searchDate = referenceData[n][0] ;
Logger.log(searchDate);
columnfinder(searchDate); // modified code
}
and you will get both logs.
Sorry if I misunderstood your question.

Answer 2

You need to use have it assigned to array since you are returning possible multiple columns/dates:
function superAuto() {
var report = SpreadsheetApp.openById('REPORTSHEET');
var reportData = report.getDataRange().getValues();
var reference = SpreadsheetApp.openById('REFERENCESHEET');
var referenceData = reference.getDataRange().getValues();
var scorecard = SpreadsheetApp.openById('SCORESHEET');
var scorecardData = scorecard.getDataRange().getValues();
var tExpenses = "Total Expenses";
var searchDates = [];
for (n = 0; n < referenceData.length; ++n) {
searchDates.push(referenceData[n][0])
}
var columns = columnfinder(searchDates);
columns.forEach(function (column, index) {
referenceData.forEach(function (refRow) {
reportData.forEach(function (row) {
if (row[0] == tExpenses && refRow[0] == searchDates[index]) {
scorecard.getRange(refRow[5].toString()).setValue(row[column]);
}
});
});
});
}
function columnfinder(dates) {
var report = SpreadsheetApp.openById('REPORTSHEET');
var reportData = report.getDataRange().getValues();
var reference = SpreadsheetApp.openById('REFERENCESHEET');
var referenceData = reference.getDataRange().getValues();
var columns = [];
dates.forEach(function (date) {
reportData.forEach(function (row, i) {
row.forEach(function (col, i) {
if (date == reportData[i][j]) {
columns.push(reportData[i][j]);
}
});
});
});
return columns;
}
I changed some variables into proper variable names to avoid confusion.
Additionally, if it doesn't work, you might need to share a proper visualization of the data, or better yet, provide some sample sheet we can work on for us to be able to give you a better and tested answer.

Answer 3

Thanks Marios, that's twice in a week. Much appreciated.
Slight adaptation, in order for it to populate SCORECARD I needed to bring everything into the for loop, as below:
for(n=0;n<referenceData.length;++n){
var searchDate = referenceData[n][0] ;
Logger.log (searchDate)
var column = columnfinder(searchDate);
for (var a = 0; a < referenceData.length; a++) {
var refRow = referenceData[a];
for (var i = 0; i < reportData.length; i++) {
var row = reportData[i];
if (row[0] == tExpenses && refRow[0] == searchDate) {
scorecard.getRange(refRow[5]).setValue(row[column]);
}
}
}
}