Google Sheets - setFormulaR1C1(formula) doesn't seem to work - google-apps-script

I'm really scratching my head over this one. Everything seems to indicate I can use this structure, but Google Sheets doesn't recognize it, and if the function is supposed to parse it into A1 notation, it isn't.
Assume a spreadsheet with one row and two columns, and a number between 1 and 10 is in column 1.
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getActiveSheet();
var theCell = sheet.getRange(1,2,1,1);
theCell.setFormulaR1C1('=IF(R[0]C[-1]>=10, "Hooray!", "Boo!")');
This successfully sets the cell's value to '=IF(R[0]C[-1]>=10, "Hooray!", "Boo!")', but this doesn't parse (#ERROR!). Manually entering something simple like '=R[0]C[-1]' doesn't work either. So I'm very confused. Does R1C1 notation even work?
I can't even get Google's own example to work.
Reference:
https://developers.google.com/apps-script/reference/spreadsheet/range#setFormulasR1C1(String)
Edit:
The fix was to change the comas in the formula to semi-colons. Thanks AdamJ.

Related

Using setformulas to copy both values and formulas down a column

PROBLEM: In the below spreadsheet, cells C12:C17 (green) contain text imported from another spreadsheet (The "PARENT").
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1brm0dHkXG1vxn2NQ7wGvEoayCdGYKsY4yA-MX4Jtt1w/edit#gid=396314711
Some cells have text. Some are blank. Some contain simple math (i.e 1+1), and others relational math (i.e. A1+B1). The DATA SET in the PARENT sheet are different than the CHILD sheet. I will eventually have to create a lot of CHILD sheets, each with their own unique DATA SET. The formulas on the PARENT sheet will change from time to time, so the solution isn't to just make a copy of the PARENT spreadsheet and turn it into a CHILD sheet.
I need to be able to create the formulas in the PARENT sheet, but when imported into the CHILD sheet, they need to be calculated using the data set on the CHILD sheet.
I'm trying to use a script that will take what is in the C12:C17 range, and make it an active formula in the corresponding D12:D17 cells. If the C column cell is a value, it should just put that value in there instead of making it into a formula.
I've made about a dozen attempts at the setFormulas script. All failed. At this point, I would say I'm "spit-balling", "flailing", and possibly "spiraling". The BEST I've been able to do is to get ONE cell to update (but only if a formula, not text).
I'm looking for a script that will take whatever is in cells C12:C17, and execute/evaluate them into cells D12:D17. If there are text/values in the C cell, then it should put that text/value in the corresponding D cell. If there is a formula in the C cell, it should make it execute in the corresponding D cell. There is no pattern on whether a cell will be a number, text, or formula.
I appreciate any help you can give.
FYI: The formulas/text in the C column were made by importing from the PARENT sheet. That range of cells in the PARENT sheet was made by the following formula:
=IFERROR(FORMULATEXT('P CUSTOMERS'!B12),'P CUSTOMERS'!B12)
Essentially, "If it's a formula, convert it into text. If it's not a formula , just put what is in the cell in the first place ."
I've been working on this for an embarrassing amount of time... (Not hours, not days, not weeks, but MONTHS!).
EDIT / UPDATE:
OK, Marti's scripts worked great in the example file. Moved it to another file, same conditions, and worked again.
THEN, I moved it to another file... Only difference I can tell is that it is MUCH larger.
EDIT SUMMARY:
Ran the script under these conditions.
Made table with formulas. Used FORMULATEXT on that table to convert into text. Imported that range to another sheet. Used an HLOOKUP formula to select which column I wanted to look at formulas for.
In the sample sheet (linked here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cPSJMXNiKDnHCiUCGJ0iSjaoIiRLQldr1T5rClUUEm0/copy), it works.
But when I run the exact same series of events in another sheet, it fails to do anything. Process is the same, only the range is different. No other scripts on this sheet.
I trimmed down the second sheet so I can share (script still doesn't work).
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RRMy4RtF9CVSXw18bWg79Dh4nwHg8IN3wwhLb3QynvA/edit#gid=236899042
(Note: I can't force a copy, as this sheet requires authorizations from another file)
Here is a video better explaining the issue:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pjz_LilRReQlNt7p_4NhU3prtbcAhLah/view?usp=sharing
So, I'm trying to understand why it works in one, but not the other... And just as important, what can I do to make it work in 2nd sheet, which is actual goal.
You can simply use getValues together with setValues. setValues actually interprets values starting with = as formulas, and getValues actually doesn't add the ' before them. So you can simply chain them:
function computeValues() {
const ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet()
const s = ss.getSheets()[0]
const src = s.getRange('C12:C')
const target = src.offset(0, 1)
target.setValues(src.getValues())
}
References
Range.getValues() (Apps Script reference)
Range.setValues(values) (Apps Script reference)
Range.offset(rowOffset, columnOffset) (Apps Script reference)
Martí nailed it...
function computeValues() {
const ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet()
const s = ss.getSheets()[0]
const src = s.getRange('C12:C')
const target = src.offset(0, 1)
target.setValues(src.getValues())
}
I tested it, as written, by copy/paste. Worked 1st time.
I added in more formulas below the original range, just to see what the limits were (in cell C20), and re-ran it. Still worked.
I would have kept going in my setFormula direction for another few months. Not sure how I got it stuck in my head that was the only solution. This was the final major barrier in my project, and while I still have another few years of manual data entry and formula creation to do, THIS will be the key that makes it all work. THANK YOU!!!

Replace INDIRECT() in data validation rule

I had a working Excel spreadsheet that used indirect() in the data validation and it worked fine. I uploaded it to sheets and converted it, now the indirect does not work.
I have found a link on the support forum that explains it does not work in Chrome but appears to work in Firefox, and the answers and workarounds seem to be for generating a secondary list... which is what I want, but in a data validation across a row.
I have knocked up a simple test sheet, hopefully public and the script editor is visible:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KUgrdXKIKlk1DWvDOX9cY3B2VnRH_5h_vKuZJlqUlN8/edit?usp=sharing
Hopefully you can see what I'm after. I want the validation in C8 to be the list of items in the category based in B8; C9 based on B9 etc.
EDIT and Update
The question is about a replacement to indirect() in a data validation rule. While I did find a way round this by using indirect(), I preferred the version mentioned by Desire (to whom I have attributed the answer), but I thought I'd document my solution in case the sheet above becomes unavailable, or you cannot access it, or you just wanted a bit more detail.
So, for My Demo I have this:
In A1:C5 are my lists of data with the titles.
In the range B8:B12 I applied a data validation rule of value in range of A1:C1 - this gives the first dropdown.
In Cell E8 I put the formula =transpose(filter($A$2:$C$5, $A$1:$C$1 = B8)) and then copied this down to E12
Finally I put the following in a function and ran it in the script editor.
function runMeOnce() {
var dst = SpreadsheetApp.getActive().getSheetByName('Sheet1').getRange('C8:C12');
var rules = [];
for (var i = 8; i < 13; i++) {
var src = SpreadsheetApp.getActive().getSheetByName('Sheet1').getRange("E" + i + ":H" + i);
var rule = SpreadsheetApp.newDataValidation().requireValueInRange(src).build();
rules.push(rule);
}
dst.setDataValidations(rules);
}
That's all there is, no more onEdit() triggering.
NOTE There is one downside I bumped into with this method though. I have this in place for 6000+ rows in my actual spreadsheet, and across multiple sheets, with some dropdowns having 50-100 items in. This solution seriously eats into the (current) 2 million cell limit.
Hope this helps someone.
Data Validation rule of the type "List of items" takes only a comma-separated list of values as its parameter, and does not evaluate any formulas you try to put there. It does not matter what the function returns, because it will not be called. If you put, say "=sqrt(A10)" in the field "List of items", that only means that the validation rule will require the string "=sqrt(A10)" to be entered in the cell.
Similarly with "List from a Range". Either what you enter parses as range notation, or it does not. The string "=getValidationRange(B8)" does not parse as range notation, hence the error. The function is never called.
The only type of validation that calls a function is "Custom formula". If you use it, then the validation can be performed as intended: for example,
=match(C8, filter(A2:C5, A1:C1 = B8), 0)
requires the content of C8 to be in the column of the table A2:C5 under the heading that matches the category in B8. However, with a custom formula you do not get a dropdown in a cell.
To get a dynamic dropdown, one can either
Use an auxiliary range
For example, enter filter(A2:C5, A1:C1 = B8) in cell F1, so that the F column is for the categories currently selected. The data validation would be "List from a Range", F1:F. This is a fine workaround for one validation rule, but takes more work when you have multiple ones.
Use a triggered script
Use a script that is triggered on edit and sets data validation rules accordingly; this is discussed in How do you do dynamic / dependent drop downs in Google Sheets? among other places.
Based on the sacrificing a goat issue, I did find a simple(ish) way around the problem that still uses indirect().
Set up the named ranges as previously using the titles in CamelCase. In my example I have CatA, CatB, and CatC - i.e. the white space needs removing.
At the end of a row (or in another sheet) transpose the chosen named range (in cell E8: =transpose(indirect(substitute(B8, " ", ""))) copy this down as far as you need.
At this point it's good to note that because we are unsing builtin functions, the speed is so much better, as can be seen by my example.
Now the painful bit. For each subcategory cell (C8, C9 etc in my example), you need to add the validation independently as a range of E8:ZZ8 (obviously ZZ8 needs reigning in a bit) and E9:ZZ9 etc. It doesn't seem to do referential so if you select all the cell in the column, they all only look at the data you specifically type in the box... I might just not have worked out R1C1 notation here, however. I tried.
This can be scripted on GAS to create the R1C1 validation function and then apply it to the range.

How to link various Google spreadsheets using IMPORTRANGEs that contain VLOOKUP formulas without getting #N/A returned?

The problem:
When using IMPORTRANGE to pull data from a different spreadsheet, cells in the origin spreadsheet that contain a formule containing VLOOKUP often (but not always) return #N/A (ERROR: Did not find value 'xxx' in VLOOKUP evaluation). In the origin sheet the formulas are calculated correctly and showing a value though. This does not always happen, sometimes it does pull in the proper value.
The intent:
To take data from different spreadsheets, combine them in a different spreadsheet and do some calculations on them. And then pull info from this calculation spreadsheet (or from multiple calculation spreadsheets) into a reporting spreadsheet for some further calculations and formatting.
The set-up:
There are several source data spreadsheets,say dataspreadsheet1, dataspreadsheet2 and dataspreadsheet3. A calculation spreadsheet (calcspreadsheet) is created that creates a copy of sheet1 in each of the data spreadsheets and names these sheets datasheet1, datasheet2 and datasheet3 respectively. The IMPORTRANGE statement used for this is created as follows: importrange(+VLOOKUP("dataspreadsheet1",filelist!A1:C1000,3,FALSE),"sheet1!a1:Z1000") where
filelist!A1:C1000 is a sheet in calcspreadsheet that contains Name, Type and Id in respective columns.
The values in each of these sheets datasheet1-3 are then used for calculations in another sheet, calcsheet1 in the calcspreadsheet. As the main goal of this is to add up daily values from the 3 dataspreadsheets, but those sourcesheets do not all have the same data on the same line a VLOOKUP is used again to make sure additions for a date use the line for the date in datasheet1-3 regardless of its row number. E.g. VLOOKUP($A11,'datasheet1'!$A:$P,4) + VLOOKUP($A11,'datasheet2'!$A:$P,4) + VLOOKUP($A11,'datasheet3'!$A:$P,4) where column A is the date column in all sheets.
This appears to work fine, although upon opening calcspreadsheet it can take a long time for it to go through an update, during which time lots of #N/A's are displayed. Eventually it comes right though.
The problem arise when a reportspreadsheet is created that in turn used an IMPORTRANGE call to pull the info from calcsheet1 in order to be able to work with it. This often, but not always, results in the problem states at the start. The IMPORTRANGE call in this reportspreadsheet is generated in a similar way as that in the calcspreadsheet: =importrange(+VLOOKUP(calc!B1,sheetcodes!A1:C3000,3,FALSE),"sheet1!a1:Z1000") where calc!B1 contains the name of the source spreadsheet (in this calc that would be 'calcspreadsheet' and sheetcodes!A1:C3000 again contains a list of sheets with Name, Type and Id in respective columns
A work-around I tried:
What I did notice that IMPORTRANGE works better on cells that do not contain VLOOKUP So I tried to copy the content of calcsheet to another sheet in calcspreadsheet, called exportsheet but having only the values in there, not formulas and then use IMPORTRANGE on this exportsheet. The copy script used is as follows:
function exportPrep() {
// Get the active spreadsheet and the active sheet
//var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
//var sheet = ss.getSheetByName("stream");
//sheet.activate();
var source = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheetByName("calcsheet");
var sourceDataRange = source.getDataRange();
var sourceSheetValues = sourceDataRange.getValues();
var sourceRows = sourceDataRange.getNumRows();
var sourceColumns = sourceDataRange.getNumColumns();
var destination = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
SpreadsheetApp.setActiveSheet(destination.setActiveSheet("exportsheet"));
destination.getDataRange().offset(0, 0, sourceRows, sourceColumns).setValues(sourceSheetValues);
}
This seemed to work, but unfortunately the copy script used to copy the value of calcsheet into exportsheet now showed the same behaviour, it would sometimes work and sometimes give the #N/A and so leaves me with the same problem.
My questions:
I've read various posts with similar issues and responses that mentioned this function was temperamental or had a bug. Other stated it is not possible to use dynamic references in IMPORTRANGE. Given that it sometimes works and sometimes not I suspect the function itself might be correct but that there are sync or time-out issues in the set-up.
How can I set up the above functionality. Either with the use of IMPORTRANGE and VLOOKUP at all with some changes/additions, or built in a different way from the get-go.
So I've not done this with importrange but I when I have this issue with Vlookup I wrap the vlookup in an IF and test for the #N/A.
Try something like: =IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(...)),"",VLOOKUP(...))
=IFERROR(VLOOKUP(B81,'KAM_Q3_OPPS STAGE_(H/I/L/M/N)'!$F$3:$G$111,2,False),)
This is the best way I found to do it and the last two values [ , ) ] make the new output, in this case it is nothing.
IF you wanted 0 put in then you would do [ ,0) ]

Google Apps Script in Spreadsheet storing decimal values instead of Integer in Project Properties

This is my first post. I tried searching via Google and this site but really couldn't find any info about typecasting or converting numerical values within GAS specifically in this scenario. So here the problem:
I have a very basic script attached to a Google Spreadsheet. The script simply keeps track of the last row that was populated, increments the value by one, so that the next row can be populated. I'm storing the "last row used" as a Project Property. For some reason, the script keeps writing the value back into Project Properties as a decimal value, which throws off the whole script since it seems I can't use a decimal value to reference a cell location.
Here is the code snippet:
function onEdit(e) {
var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
var value = ss.getSheetByName("Sheet1").getRange("D13").getValue().toString();
var last = ScriptProperties.getProperty("last");
var therowx = parseInt(ScriptProperties.getProperty("therow"));
Browser.msgBox("The last row is: " + therowx);
if( value != last ) {
ScriptProperties.setProperty("last", value);
ScriptProperties.setProperty("therow", therowx + 1);
}
}
Assuming that I've pre-set the Property to 1 before running the script, once this method fires, it sets it to 2.0 instead of just 2. I've tried wrapping the method call with the Number() and parseInt() functions but they don't seem to make a difference.
I'm open to suggestions, as I'm sure I'm doing something wrong but just not quite sure what.
It would appear that you are using a value from the spreadsheet with var value = ss.getSheetByName("Sheet1").getRange("D13").getValue().toString();
This is were you are getting the decimal as Google spreadsheets will default to one decimal place. You will need to highlight the column or cell and change the format to Number>Rounded to get rid of it.
I am sure i am missing some components of your full script here, however have you tried the "getLastRow" function? There are some scripts in the tutorials that use it and it is a tried tested and true method of finding the last row of the sheet.

ABOUT: Tutorial: Sending emails from a Spreadsheet

Is it possible to get this script updated? In 2009 it may have worked, but it doesn't now.
Tutorial: Sending emails from a Spreadsheet -
Quick link to Google Developers Tutorial
I can't for the life of me get my own script to work. Having a problem incrementing the rows correctly when it checks before sending, which is either leaving me sending a dozen e-mails of a single row of data or if I try to implement a while loop, I've ended up sending myself over hundreds of e-mails and google then stops me from using the function any further until the next day.
My specific script question is HERE, except I don't think I worded it correctly because no one is replying.
It seems that you forgot a couple of things in your script :
1° : var dataRange = sheet.getRange(sRow,1,1,cols); // this gets only 1 row in your sheet so it is normal that the loop doesn't work (length=1).
I'd suggest to replace the height value by the last row value (see docs to get that value) to make the loop iterate through every rows.
2° when you use .setValue(EMAIL_SENT); the value of EMAIL_SENT is not defined in your code (it is defined outside the function in the tutorial).
I'd suggest to add a statement like this : var EMAIL_SENT="EMAIL_SENT" or, more simply use the string value in your 'setValue' statement like this : .setValue("EMAIL_SENT");