Google Docs Script: appendText/insertText Formatting - google-apps-script

Question

How do I use appendText() or insertText() for a Google Doc script and maintain formatting?
I want to format the middle portion (group2) of appended strings with italics, while leaving the other parts (group1, group3) as normal text. For example: Hi my name is Nate.
I can bring in "Hi" and append "my name is" and it formats correctly. When I try to append (or insert) "Nate," "Nate" is italicized as well.Between operators +, appendText(), and insertText(), I'm not having much luck.
Below is the relevant portion of the script. Below that, is the entire thing.
How can I append 3 strings together, and only format the middle portion?
NOTE: I commented-out the things I tried (trial1, trial2, etc.). I also started HERE and used it as a guide.
Thanks for any help you can offer!
RELEVANT PART:
if (author1 != "") {
var group1 = author1+author2+author3;
var group2 = title2Italics+containerItalics;
var group3 = contribution1+contribution2+contribution3+version+number+publisher+pubDate+location;
//Only using the calculations below to determine the offset for insertText
var group1Length = group1.length;
var group2Length = group2.length;
var offset = group1Length+group2Length
Logger.log(group1Length);
Logger.log(group2Length);
Logger.log(offset);
//Determines if italicizing is necessary
if (group2.length > 0) {
var addG1 = body.insertParagraph(0,group1)
var addG2 = addG1.appendText(group2);
var formatItalics = addG2.editAsText().setItalic(true);
//var trial1 = addG2.editAsText().setItalic(true) + group3; //does not return the contents of "group3"
//var trial2 = formatItalics + group3; //does not return the contents of "group3"
//var trial3 = formatItalics.insertText(offset,group3); //Error: "Index (18) must be less than or equal to the content length (6)."
//var trial4 = formatItalics.insertText(group2Length, group3); //formats "group3" as well
//var trial5 = formatItalics.appendText(group3); //formats "group3" as well
}
//If italicizing is NOT necessary
else {
var cite = body.insertParagraph(0,group1 + group3);
} //ELSE STATEMENT ENDS HERE
} //FIRST IF STATEMENT ENDS HERE
ENTIRE SCRIPT:
function mlaBibTest() {
// Sheet Information
var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.setActiveSheet(ss.getSheetByName('test'));
var startRow = 3;
var startCol = 21;
var numRows = sheet.getLastRow()-1;
var numCols = 14;
var dataRange = sheet.getRange(startRow, startCol, numRows, numCols);
// Document information
var doc = DocumentApp.openById('13MlHq_uoO1rUF0RfdF_kBlLJjbGt4aDoOcSWef0V4zM');
var body = doc.getBody();
// Fetch values for each row in the SS Range.
var cells = dataRange.getValues();
for (var i = 0; i < cells.length; ++i) {
var column = cells[i];
var colU = column[0];
var colV = column[1];
var colW = column[2];
var colX = column[3];
var colY = column[4];
var colZ = column[5];
var colAA = column[6];
var colAB = column[7];
var colAC = column[8];
var colAD = column[9];
var colAE = column[10];
var colAF = column[11];
var colAG = column[12];
var colAH = column[13];
var author1 = colU;
var author2 = colV;
var author3 = colW;
var title1Quotes = colX;
var title2Italics = colY;
var containerItalics = colZ;
var contribution1 = colAA;
var contribution2 = colAB;
var contribution3 = colAC;
var version = colAD;
var number = colAE;
var publisher = colAF;
var pubDate = colAG;
var location = colAH;
if (author1 != "") {
var group1 = author1+author2+author3;
var group2 = title2Italics+containerItalics;
var group3 = contribution1+contribution2+contribution3+version+number+publisher+pubDate+location;
//Only using the calculations below to determine the offset for insertText
var group1Length = group1.length;
var group2Length = group2.length;
var offset = group1Length+group2Length
Logger.log(group1Length);
Logger.log(group2Length);
Logger.log(offset);
//Determines if italicizing is necessary
if (group2.length > 0) {
var addG1 = body.insertParagraph(0,group1)
var addG2 = addG1.appendText(group2);
var formatItalics = addG2.editAsText().setItalic(true);
//var trial1 = addG2.editAsText().setItalic(true) + group3; //does not return the contents of "group3"
//var trial2 = formatItalics + group3; //does not return the contents of "group3"
//var trial3 = formatItalics.insertText(offset,group3); //Error: "Index (18) must be less than or equal to the content length (6)."
//var trial4 = formatItalics.insertText(group2Length, group3); //formats "group3" as well
//var trial5 = formatItalics.appendText(group3); //formats "group3" as well
}
//If italicizing is NOT necessary
else {
var cite = body.insertParagraph(0,group1 + group3);
} //ELSE STATEMENT ENDS HERE
} //FIRST IF STATEMENT ENDS HERE
} //FOR LOOP ENDS HERE
SpreadsheetApp.flush();
} // FUNCTION ENDS HERE

Answer 1

This is a simple example of doing what you asked. It's important to remember that setItalics(true) sets a persistent setting for all new text to be italic, so we have to set it back to false after.
var doc = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument();
var body = doc.getBody();
var paragraph = body.insertParagraph(0, ""); //add paragparh at top of body.
var text1 = paragraph.appendText("Not Italics ");
var text2 = paragraph.appendText("Italics ");
text2.setItalic(true); //Everything after and including this will be italics
var text3 = paragraph.appendText("Not Italics");
text3.setItalic(false); //Everything after and including this will not be italics
>Not Italics Italics Not Italics
So it's easier if you set italics as you build the paragraph.