Accessing Maps from Google Apps script bound to form - google-apps-script

Question

I’m trying to access Maps from a script bound to a Google form. The problem i’m having is that when debugging the script, it accesses Maps so often that i’m Running into quota limits. I have a Maps API key but do not have a client ID so can’t get Maps.setAuthenication(clientID,Key) to work. I’m doing this for a Scout Troop so don’t want to have to pay to access maps.
Can anyone help?
I was subsequently asked to post my code, and so here it is:
function setLocation(){
var whereString;
var theDuration;
var theDistance;
var theRoute;
var theDirections;
var theTravelString;
// this Sets the Where: Tab on the form
whereString = 'Where: ' + gLocation;
theItemArray = gSignupForm.getItems();
theItemArray[kWhereItem].setTitle(whereString);
//this gets the directions to the location
Maps.setAuthentication('','ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP');
//Obviously Im'm not going to post the true key
theDirections = Maps.newDirectionFinder()
.setOrigin('7101 Shadeland Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46256')
.setDestination(gLocation)
.setMode(Maps.DirectionFinder.Mode.DRIVING)
.getDirections();
theRoute = theDirections.routes[0];
theDuration = theRoute.legs[0].duration.text;
theDistance = theRoute.legs[0].distance.text;
theTravelString = Utilities.formatString('Travel Considerations: The estimated travel distance is %u miles. ',theDistance);
theTravelString += 'The estimated travel time is ' + theDuration;
theItemArray[kTravelItem].setTitle(theTravelString);
}

Answer 1

One solution to limit the use of low-quota services is to avoid calling those services when the desired information has not changed.
For example, through the use of CacheService, you can dramatically reduce your calls to the Maps API, debugging session or not:
var cache = CacheService.getScriptCache();
function setLocation() {
// Try to find the route for this location if it's still available
var storedRoute = cache.get(gLocation);
if (!storedRoute) {
// No route for this value of the key gLocation was found. Query as normal.
...
theRoute = theDirections.route[0];
// Cache this route for future uses, for the maximum of 6hr).
cache.put(gLocation, JSON.stringify(theRoute), 21600);
} else {
// We have this exact stored route! Convert it from the stored string.
theRoute = JSON.parse(storedRoute);
}
theDuration = ...
...
Your "gLocation" variable may be directly usable as a cache key. If not, you'll need to make it useable by encoding it. The max length key is 250 characters. This single-parameter caching assumes your directions all have a fixed endpoint, as shown in your example code. If both endpoints vary, you'll have to construct a cache key based on both values.
Related question: Maps direction Quota limits