How to loop data and print each iteration to PDF in a defined Google Drive folder - google-apps-script

Question

I'm a novice at GAS, so please bear with me.
I'd like to create a script for a Google Sheet that will loop through a series of values, pause at each value, and print a specific tab from the sheet to a defined location in Google Drive (creating a new folder with a date within the parent folder). Below is what I have so far, which achieves looping and printing, but I can't figure out how to get it to save the PDF files to a specific folder. Grateful for any help! Thank you.
Link to dummy spreadsheet with script here, and target Google Drive folder here.
function loop() {
var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
var validation_sheet = ss.getSheetByName('Validation');
var lastRow = validation_sheet.getLastRow();
var inputs = ss.getSheetByName('Validation').getRange('A2:A'+lastRow).getValues();
var sheet2 = ss.getSheetByName('Loadout');
var tab = ss.getSheetByName('Loadout');
var formattedDate = Utilities.formatDate(new Date(), "GMT+5", "yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm");
//Create Folder for PDFs
var fld = DriveApp.createFolder(formattedDate);
fld.addFile(DriveApp.getFileById(ss.getId()));
for (var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++) {
sheet2.getRange('A1').setValue(inputs[i][0]);
SpreadsheetApp.flush();
Utilities.sleep(5000);
//Print PDFs
var name = tab.getRange(1, 1).getValue();
fld.createFile(ss.getAs('application/pdf')).setName(name);
}
DriveApp.getRootFolder().removeFile(DriveApp.getFileById(ss.getId()));
}

Answer 1

You want to create PDF files to "target Google Drive folder". https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1QmjXLyssyCGU16ApLQ4Anj_kir0uuQS8
If my understanding is correct, how about this modification?
Modification points:
Retrieve the target folder using DriveApp.getFolderById().
When PDF file is created, it creates the file to the target folder.
Modified script:
function loop() {
var targetFolderId = "1QmjXLyssyCGU16ApLQ4Anj_kir0uuQS8"; // Added
var targetFolder = DriveApp.getFolderById(targetFolderId); // Added
var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
var validation_sheet = ss.getSheetByName('Validation');
var lastRow = validation_sheet.getLastRow();
var inputs = ss.getSheetByName('Validation').getRange('A2:A'+lastRow).getValues();
var sheet2 = ss.getSheetByName('Loadout');
var tab = ss.getSheetByName('Loadout');
// var formattedDate = Utilities.formatDate(new Date(), "GMT+5", "yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm"); // Removed
//Create Folder for PDFs
// var fld = DriveApp.createFolder(formattedDate); // Removed
// fld.addFile(DriveApp.getFileById(ss.getId())); // Removed
for (var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++) {
sheet2.getRange('A1').setValue(inputs[i][0]);
SpreadsheetApp.flush();
Utilities.sleep(5000);
//Print PDFs
var name = tab.getRange(1, 1).getValue();
targetFolder.createFile(ss.getAs('application/pdf')).setName(name); // Modified
}
// DriveApp.getRootFolder().removeFile(DriveApp.getFileById(ss.getId())); // Removed
}
Note:
In your script, the active spreadsheet is also moved to a created new folder. About this, how do you want to do?
References:
getFolderById(id)
If I misunderstand your question, please tell me. I would like to modify it.
Edit:
When you run the script, at first, you want to create new folder in the target folder. Then, you want to create PDF files in the created folder.
About the active spreadsheet, do nothing.
I understood like above. If my understanding is correct, how about this modification?
Modified script:
function loop() {
var targetFolderId = "1QmjXLyssyCGU16ApLQ4Anj_kir0uuQS8"; // Added
var targetFolder = DriveApp.getFolderById(targetFolderId); // Added
var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
var validation_sheet = ss.getSheetByName('Validation');
var lastRow = validation_sheet.getLastRow();
var inputs = ss.getSheetByName('Validation').getRange('A2:A'+lastRow).getValues();
var sheet2 = ss.getSheetByName('Loadout');
var tab = ss.getSheetByName('Loadout');
var formattedDate = Utilities.formatDate(new Date(), "GMT+5", "yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm");
//Create Folder for PDFs
var fld = targetFolder.createFolder(formattedDate); // Modified
// fld.addFile(DriveApp.getFileById(ss.getId())); // Removed
for (var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++) {
sheet2.getRange('A1').setValue(inputs[i][0]);
SpreadsheetApp.flush();
Utilities.sleep(5000);
//Print PDFs
var name = tab.getRange(1, 1).getValue();
fld.createFile(ss.getAs('application/pdf')).setName(name); // Modified
}
// DriveApp.getRootFolder().removeFile(DriveApp.getFileById(ss.getId())); // Removed
}