"Currentregion" concept in Google Sheets script language - google-apps-script

From inside Google Sheets Script, I am trying to name a variable-sized matrix on the worksheet. In EXCEL VBA, I would go to the top left most cell and select the whole matrix using activecell.currentregion.select.
This would select the whole matrix (e.g. D5:L50) on the worksheet, which I could then name.
Is there the same ability in Google Sheets script language. If not, can anyone figure out how to do this?

var spreadsheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActive();
spreadsheet.getRange('D5:L50').activate();
you can use macro under:
Tools > Macros > Record macro > and then make your selection > save macro > edit macro

SpreadsheetApp.Range
getDataRegion():
Returns a copy of the range expanded in the four cardinal Directions to cover all
adjacent cells with data in them. If the range is surrounded by empty cells not including those
along the diagonals, the range itself is returned. This is similar to selecting the range and
typing Ctrl+A in the editor.

The question is: how do you refer to a range which contains values and most importantly, the range may change as user add or remove contents.
In Excel VBA, this is dealt with a built-in function called "currentregion". I'm also curious if there is a equivalent in GS.

Related

Sum if in multiple sheets in Google Sheets

I am looking for funcion/code for Google Sheet document which would enable me to sum hours (numbers) on multiple sheets based on names.
Basically I need this to create a prediction tool for project hours allocation to control potential overbooking of hours.
Here's link to the file:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p-MGD1E7uj7_wkGoDPDH_Qgc-jRKJH55d2TvMG9VsBk/edit?usp=sharing
Sheets will be regurarly updated.
I've tried to use INDIRECT funcion but I see that doesn't work in this case.
Try with this function: I've modified the location of your sheets' names since it would be overlapped if you had more names. With MAKEARRAY it creates the chart counting the names, and with REDUCE it sums the values of each sheet you have in your range. Adapt the ranges accordingly to your source sheet!
=MAKEARRAY(COUNTA(A6:A),COUNTA(B5:5),LAMBDA(r,c,
REDUCE(,A2:B4,LAMBDA(a,b,a+ IFERROR(INDEX(INDIRECT("'"&b&"'!B4:M"), MATCH(INDEX(A6:A,r),INDIRECT("'"&b&"'!A4:A"),0), MATCH(INDEX(B5:5,,c),INDIRECT("'"&b&"'!B3:3"),0)))))))
NOTE: Be aware of having matching names in your cells with your actual sheets. You had 'Project 1' instead of 'Project1'

How to use a formula written as a string in another cell [evaluate for Google Spreadsheet] [duplicate]

This question already has answers here:
Is there a way to evaluate a formula that is stored in a cell?
(13 answers)
Closed last month.
I read several old posts about Google Spreadsheet missing the evaluate function.
There is any solution in 2016?
The easiest example.
'A1' contains the following string: UNIQUE(C1:C5)
'B1' I want to evaluate in it the unique formula written in 'A1'.
I've tried concatenating in this way: 'B1' containing ="="&A1 but the outcome is the string =UNIQUE(C1:C5).
I've also tried the indirect formula.
Any suggestion to break last hopes, please?
Additional note
The aim is to write formulas in a spreadsheet and use these formulas by several other spreadsheets. Therefore, any change has to be done in one place.
Short answer
Use a script that includes something like var formula = origin.getValue() to get the string and something like destination.setFormula(formula) to return the formula.
Explanation
As was already mentioned by the OP, Google Sheets doesn't have a EVALUATE() built-in function. A custom function can't be used because custom functions can only return one or multiple values but can't modify other cell properties.
A script triggered by a custom menu, events or from the Google Apps Script editor could be used to update the formulas of the specified cells.
Since the formulas will be kept as strings, it could be more easy to keep them in the script rather than in the spreadsheet itself.
Example
The following is a very simple script that adds the specified formula to the active range.
function addFormula() {
var formula = '=UNIQUE(C1:C5)';
var range = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveRange();
range.setFormula(formula);
}
I have a solution for my own use case. My investment broker exports data to its users in (badly-formatted) Excel. I do my own analysis in Google Sheets. I have found copy/pasting entire sheets of data to be accident-prone.
I have partially automated updating each tab of the records. In the sheet where I maintain all the records, the First tab is named "Summary"
Save the broker's .xlsx data to Google Sheets (File | Save as Google Sheets);
In the tab named Summary, enter into a cell, say "Summary!A1" the URL of this Google Sheet;
In cell A2 enter: =Char(34)&","&CHAR(34)&"Balances!A1:L5"&Char(34)&")"
In the next tab, enter in cell A1: ="IMPORTRANGE("&Char(34)&Summary!A1&Summary!A2
The leading double quote ensures that the entry is saved as a text string.
Select and copy this text string
in cell A3, type an initial "=" + Paste Special.
This will produce an importrange of the desired text, starting at cell A3

Convert a text string to a formula in a spreadsheet

I'm trying to develop an interactive spreadsheet that creates a narrative for a budget document. There will be a variety of options. Once the user selects an item, it will help them calculate the total. I want to setup option boxes that they fill in. For example, four cells will be allowed for input B1:B4. I am going to name each of the four cells (i.e. A, B, C, D). In the reference document I want to write various formulas. In some cases I might need "(A+B)*C" in another I might need "A * B * C" or "(A+B+C)/D" ... The spreadsheet would lookup the text formula, and I want to then convert it. So in the case of the lookup finding "(A+B)*C" I want it to convert it to =(indirect(A)+indirect(B))*indirect(C) which would then get the values from A (which is B1), B (which is B2) and so on.
Essentially, I would like to use or create something that is exactly the opposite of Excel's FORMULATEXT() function. I would prefer to do this in Google Sheets but I am willing to use Excel if I need to. I have a very basic understanding of both Google's scripting and VBA, and am willing to create if necessary, but not even sure how to tackle it.
Suggestions?
I found a way to do it in Google Apps Script:
function reCalc() {
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
var src = sheet.getRange("J26"); // The cell which holds the formula
var str = src.getValue();
str = str.replace('A', 'indirect("OPTA")').replace('B', 'indirect("OPTB")').replace('C', 'indirect("OPTC")').replace('D', 'indirect("OPTD")').replace('ENR', 'indirect("ENR")');
var cell = sheet.getRange("J30"); // The cell where I want the results to be
cell.setFormula(str); // Setting the formula.
}
Thank you to SpiderPig for giving me the idea!

Google spreadhseet EVAL function

I have a google spreadsheet with different sheets, each one representing a different week.
For example:
1/12 - 1/16
1/19 - 1/23
I want to do a chart based on the content of those sheets. Is there any way I can make a formula and extract the name of the sheet from a content of a cell?
For example something like "=EVAL(A1)!$B$4", then I would have the content from "1/12 - 1/16"!$B$4 instead of having to go through each one of the weeks of the year manually.
Thanks for the help!
There’s no need to use AppScript, INDIRECT is enough to read a sheet name from a cell:
=INDIRECT(A1 & "!$B$4")
However, it looks like Andy’s answer is the way to go if you want to get the sheet name from its index rather than from a cell.
It'd be best to use AppScript. In Tools -> Script Editor make a new AppScript script:
function getSheetName(i) {
var s = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheets()
return s[i].getName();
}
With that in your script, you can then use the custom function =getSheetName(<SHEETNUMBER>) and it will retrieve the sheet name based what sheet number it is (starting from 0). From there, just incorporate it into your formulas. You may need to use INDIRECT.
Example: =INDIRECT(getSheetName(1)&"!A1") to get cell A1 in the second sheet.

Read and write cell formulas from Google Apps Script custom function

I am trying to write a GAS spreadsheet custom function that copies cell content to other cells. And I need to fill the target cells not only with the data of the source cell, but with its formula content (if it has any).
Now, I already know that this is basically impossible through custom functions as they always receive the result of cell calculations but not the cell formulas themselves, and they also cannot return formulas for their target cells.
On the other hand there are functions to read and write cell formulas, e.g. Range.getFormula() and Range.setFormula() which seem to make my endeavor possible. I simply have to find another way of calling them. UPDATE: Meanwhile I found that custom formulas in fact can read formulas using getFormula(), but they definitely don't have permission to write formulas into cells using setFormula().
My question is...
What would be the most elegant method to create something equivalent to a custom function that reads and writes formula content of cells? I think I could use an onEdit function that updates my target cells after each spreadsheet edit, but that would mean that I have to hard code the coordinates of the target cell range, which seems very hacky and would require code changes every time the target range is moved (e.g. when rows are inserted above it).
UPDATE: Example
An example would be a custom function that is able to read multiple ranges of cells (each range given as a distinct function parameter) and returns a joined range of cells.
=rangeJoin(A1:B10;D1:E15)
...would read the two ranges of size 2x10 and 2x15 and would fill a target range of size 2x25 with the subsequent cell contents of both ranges. The target range would start at the cell that contains rangeJoin and would spread 2 cells to the right and 25 cells down (as usual for a custom function). The custom function (or similar mechanism) should be able to copy formulas, so a cell containing =hyperlink("http://www.google.com";"Google") should appear in the target range as a hyperlink and not as a text cell with the naked word 'Google'.
Agree with "Mogsdad"
ie. this custom function works:
function myGrid() {
return [[1,2],[3,"http://www.google.com"]];
}
but, custom functions can't write formulas to a sheet. See https://developers.google.com/apps-script/execution_custom_functions#permissions
As a workaround, you could use a "Trigger", such as a time based trigger, as "Mogsdad" suggests.