Remove Horizontal Line in Google Doc with Google Apps Script - google-apps-script

Question

I have a Google Doc with text followed by a Horizontal Line below. If the user selects "NO" from a ui.alert, I need to remove all this text (simple using regex) and the horizontal line. I have no clue how to remove this Horizontal Line via Google Apps Script. Can't find anything about it in the documentation. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!
var regExpFirstBriefing = "[A-Z \(\)]{42}\\v+[A-Za-z\.\", ]*[\\v+]{1}"; // This accounts for all the text I need removed along with an extra new line. The horizontal line is the next line.
// Ask user if this is the first briefing
var responseFirstBriefing = ui.alert('Question here...' , ui.ButtonSet.YES_NO);
if (responseFirstBriefing == ui.Button.YES) {
document.replaceText(regExpFirstBriefing, '');
}

Answer 1

You want to remove the searched text in Google Document.
You want to delete "HORIZONTAL_RULE" below the text.
You want to run above when the user selects "NO" from a ui.alert.
You want to achieve this using Google Apps Script.
If my understanding is correct, how about this sample script? Although I'm not sure about your actual Document, from your explanation, I imaged about it and prepare a sample script. Please think of this as just one of several answers. The flow of this sample script is as follows.
Flow:
Search text is searched using findText().
Put the element of searched text in an array.
This array is used for deleting element.
Search "HORIZONTAL_RULE" below the searched text.
In this case, when "HORIZONTAL_RULE" doesn't adjacent the searched text, "HORIZONTAL_RULE" is searched by offsetValue. In this sample, it is searched up to 3 paragraph ahead.
When "HORIZONTAL_RULE" is found, the element is put to the array.
Delete elements in the array.
From your script, the searched text is cleared. In this case, the paragraph is not deleted.
From your question, about "HORIZONTAL_RULE", the paragraph is deleted.
When above flow is reflected to the script, it becomes as follows.
Sample script:
When you run the script, the texts searched with regExpFirstBriefing are cleared and "HORIZONTAL_RULE" below the text is also removed.
function myFunction() {
var document = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument(); // Added
var ui = DocumentApp.getUi(); // Added
var regExpFirstBriefing = "[A-Z \(\)]{42}\\v+[A-Za-z\.\", ]*[\\v+]{1}";
var responseFirstBriefing = ui.alert('Question here...' , ui.ButtonSet.YES_NO);
if (responseFirstBriefing == ui.Button.YES) {
document.replaceText(regExpFirstBriefing, '');
// I added below script.
} else if (responseFirstBriefing == ui.Button.NO) {
var offsetValue = 3; // When "HORIZONTAL_RULE" doesn't adjacent the searched text, "HORIZONTAL_RULE" is searched by "offsetValue". In this sample, it is searched up to 3 paragraph ahead.
var body = document.getBody();
var r = body.findText(regExpFirstBriefing);
var remove = [];
while (r) {
remove.push(r.getElement().asText())
var parentParagraph = body.getChildIndex(r.getElement().getParent());
var totalChildren = body.getNumChildren();
for (var offset = 1; offset <= offsetValue; offset++) {
if (parentParagraph + offset <= totalChildren) {
var nextParagraph = body.getChild(parentParagraph + offset);
if (nextParagraph.getType() === DocumentApp.ElementType.PARAGRAPH) {
var c = nextParagraph.asParagraph().getNumChildren();
for (var i = 0; i < c; i++) {
var childOfNextParagraph = nextParagraph.asParagraph().getChild(i);
if (childOfNextParagraph.getType() === DocumentApp.ElementType.HORIZONTAL_RULE) {
remove.push(childOfNextParagraph.asHorizontalRule());
break;
}
}
if (remove[remove.length - 1].getType === DocumentApp.ElementType.HORIZONTAL_RULE) {
break;
}
}
}
}
r = body.findText(regExpFirstBriefing, r);
}
for (var i = remove.length - 1; i >=0; i--) {
/////
// If you want to delete the paragraph of searched text, please delete this if statement.
if (remove[i].getType() === DocumentApp.ElementType.TEXT) {
remove[i].removeFromParent();
continue;
}
/////
remove[i].getParent().asParagraph().removeFromParent();
}
}
}
Note:
This script supposes that the regex of [A-Z \(\)]{42}\\v+[A-Za-z\.\", ]*[\\v+]{1} works for your Document.
If you want to delete the paragraph of searched text, please delete this if statement of as follows from above script.
if (remove[i].getType() === DocumentApp.ElementType.TEXT) {
remove[i].removeFromParent();
continue;
}
References:
findText(searchPattern, from)
removeFromParent()
Class HorizontalRule
If I misunderstood your question and this was not the result you want, I apologize. At that time, in order to correctly understand your situation, can you provide a sample Document you want to use? Of course, please remove your personal information. I would like to confirm the issue from it.