How to use a for loop with .createChoice in Google Apps Script to create a quiz from a sheet? - google-apps-script

Question

I am using Google Apps Script to generate Google Forms from a Sheet. Questions are in rows and question choices are in columns.
Here is a link to the Google sheet if needed.
It is a straightforward task when using .setChoiceValues(values)
if (questionType == 'CHOICE') {
var choicesForQuestion = [];
for (var j = 4; j < numberColumns; j++)
if (data[i][j] != "")
choicesForQuestion.push(data[i][j]);
form.addMultipleChoiceItem()
.setChoiceValues(choicesForQuestion);
}
However, when I try to use .createChoice(value, isCorrect), the parameters call for value to be a string and isCorrect to be Boolean.
An example without a loop looks like this:
var item = FormApp.getActiveForm().addCheckboxItem();
item.setTitle(data[3][1]);
// Set options and correct answers
item.setChoices([
item.createChoice("chocolate", true),
item.createChoice("vanilla", true),
item.createChoice("rum raisin", false),
item.createChoice("strawberry", true),
item.createChoice("mint", false)
]);
I can not figure out how to add the loop. After reading over other posts, I have tried the following:
if (questionType == 'CHOICE') {
var questionInfo = [];
for (var j = optionsCol; j < maxOptions + 1; j++)
if (data[i][j] != "")
questionInfo.push( form.createChoice(data[i][j], data[i][j + maxOptions]) );
form.addMultipleChoiceItem()
.setChoices(questionInfo);
}
optionsCol is the first column of questions options
maxOptions is how many options are allowed by the sheet (currently 5). The isCorrect information is 5 columns to the right.
However, this not working because the array questionsInfo is empty.
What is the best way to do this?

Answer 1

Probably your issue is related to the method you reference--Form#createChoice--not existing. You need to call MultipleChoiceItem#createChoice, by first creating the item:
/**
* #param {Form} formObj the Google Form Quiz being created
* #param {any[]} data a 1-D array of data for configuring a multiple-choice quiz question
* #param {number} index The index into `data` that specifies the first choice
* #param {number} numChoices The maximum possible number of choices for the new item
*/
function addMCItemToForm_(formObj, data, index, numChoices) {
if (!formObj || !data || !Array.isArray(data)
|| Array.isArray(data[0]) || data.length < (index + 2 * numChoices))
{
console.error({message: "Bad args given", hasForm: !!formObj, info: data,
optionIndex: index, numChoices: numChoices});
throw new Error("Bad arguments given to `addMCItemToForm_` (view on StackDriver)");
}
const title = data[1];
// Shallow-copy the desired half-open interval [index, index + numChoices).
const choices = data.slice(index, index + numChoices);
// Shallow-copy the associated true/false data.
const correctness = data.slice(index + numChoices, index + 2 * numChoices);
const hasAtLeastOneChoice = choices.some(function (c, i) {
return (c && typeof correctness[i] === 'boolean');
});
if (hasAtLeastOneChoice) {
const mc = formObj.addMultipleChoiceItem().setTitle(title);
// Remove empty/unspecified choices.
while (choices[choices.length - 1] === "") {
choices.pop();
}
// Convert to choices for this specific MultipleChoiceItem.
mc.setChoices(choices.map(function (choice, i) {
return mc.createChoice(choice, correctness[i]);
});
} else {
console.warn({message: "Skipped bad mc-item inputs", config: data,
choices: choices, correctness: correctness});
}
}
You would use the above function as described by its JSDoc - pass it a Google Form object instance to create the quiz item in, an array of the details for the question, and the description of the location of choice information within the details array. For example:
function foo() {
const form = FormApp.openById("some id");
const data = SpreadsheetApp.getActive().getSheetByName("Form Initializer")
.getSheetValues(/*row*/, /*col*/, /*numRows*/, /*numCols*/);
data.forEach(function (row) {
var qType = row[0];
...
if (qType === "CHOICE") {
addMCItemToForm_(form, row, optionColumn, numOptions);
} else if (qType === ...
...
}
References
Array#slice
Array#forEach
Array#map
Array#some

Answer 2

I am sure the above answer is very good and works but I am just a beginner and needed a more obvious (plodding) method. I am generating a form from a spreadsheet. Question types can include: short answer (text item), long answer (paragraph), drop down (list item), multiple choice, grid item, and checkbox questions, as well as sections.
I had to be able to randomize the input from the spreadsheet for multiple choice and sort the input for drop downs. I am only allowing one correct answer at this time.
The columns in the question building area of the spreadsheet are: question type, question, is it required, does it have points, hint, correct answer, and unlimited choice columns.
qShtArr: getDataRange of the entire sheet
corrAnsCol: index within the above of the column with the correct answer
begChoiceCol: index within the above of first column with choices
I hope this helps other less skilled coders.
/**
* Build array of choices. One may be identified as correct.
* I have not tried to handle multiple correct answers.
*/
function createChoices(make, qShtArr, r, action) {
// console.log('Begin createChoices - r: ', r);
let retObj = {}, choiceArr = [], corrArr = [], aChoice, numCol, hasCorr;
numCol = qShtArr[r].length - 1; // arrays start at zero
if ((qShtArr[r][corrAnsCol] != '') && (qShtArr[r][corrAnsCol] != null)) {
hasCorr = true;
choiceArr.push([qShtArr[r][corrAnsCol], true]);
for (let c = begChoiceCol ; c < numCol ; c++) {
aChoice = qShtArr[r][c];
if ((aChoice != '') && (aChoice != null)) { /* skip all blank elements */
choiceArr.push([aChoice, false]);
}
} //end for loop for multiple choice options
} else {
hasCorr = false;
for (let c = begChoiceCol ; c < numCol ; c++) {
aChoice = qShtArr[r][c];
if ((aChoice != '') && (aChoice != null)) { /* skip all blank elements */
choiceArr.push(aChoice);
}
} //end for loop for multiple choice options
}
if (action == 'random')
choiceArr = shuffleArrayOrder(choiceArr);
if (action == 'sort')
choiceArr.sort();
console.log('choiceArr: ', JSON.stringify(choiceArr) );
let choices = [], correctArr = [] ;
if (hasCorr) {
for ( let i = 0 ; i < choiceArr.length ; i++ ) {
choices.push(choiceArr[i][0]);
// console.log('choices: ', JSON.stringify(choices) );
correctArr.push(choiceArr[i][1]);
// console.log('correctArr: ', JSON.stringify(correctArr) );
}
make.setChoices(choices.map(function (choice, i) {
return make.createChoice(choice, correctArr[i]);
}));
} else { // no correct answer
if (action == 'columns' ) {
make.setColumns(choiceArr);
} else {
make.setChoices(choiceArr.map(function (choice, i) {
return make.createChoice(choice);
}));
}
}
}