Google Apps Script: Submit data into specified column - google-apps-script

Question

I am trying to find a script, or begin writing one, that takes a simple Google Form with a drop-down list of names (i.e. Tom, Jane) and a text area, and inputs both the date and the text into columns based on the selected name (i.e. Tom Date, Tom Comment). This is so I can make a quick entry feedback form for leaving individualized, date-based feedback for students, which they can then access later.
I looked through the GAS documentation and looked for examples, but as I am a novice, I really didn't know where to begin.
Any ideas on how to do this?

Answer 1

I think I did something similar but mine is for admins to observe teachers. I'm just learning as well, so I'm sure there are better ways to do this but it works. I definitely should have broken it up into more functions.
My form has a trigger to fire the onClose() when submitted. onClose() produces a Google Doc by reading the spreadsheet containing the form data in a nice format that the observer can then edit and share with the teacher. I wanted the Google Doc produced to have the name of the teacher being observed in the file name and I wanted it shared with the admin who did the observing.
The fact that some of the fields are dropdowns doesn't matter, it is just an itemResponse from the list of all responses.
function onClose()
{
var form = FormApp.openById(' whatever your form id is');
//the spreadsheet of the form responses
var formResponses = form.getResponses();
var d = new Date();
var currentTime = d.toLocaleTimeString();
var date = d.toLocaleDateString();
//Need to get the name of the teacher being observed
var formResponse = formResponses[formResponses.length-1];
var itemResponses = formResponse.getItemResponses();
var itemResponse = itemResponses[0]; //the teacher name dropdown box
var teacherName = itemResponse.getResponse() + '-' + itemResponses[1].getResponse();
//create the new document
var fileName = 'Observation-'+ teacherName + '-' + date + '-' + currentTime;
var doc = DocumentApp.create(fileName);
var activeDoc = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument();
var files = DriveApp.getFilesByName(fileName);
while (files.hasNext()) {
var file = files.next();
if (file.getName().equals(fileName))
{
//this is the last item on my form the name of the observer
var itemResponse21 = itemResponses[21];
var observer = itemResponse21.getResponse();
// Logger.log('Person to share with is ' + observer);
// share this google doc with the observer
file.addEditor(observer);
}
}
//ommittd a bunch of styles
//This would get all forms submitted, but I only need the last one
// so I just set the loop to get the last form submitted.
//leaving for loop just so I remember I can go through all forms again
//if I want to.
for (var i = formResponses.length-1; i < formResponses.length; i++) {
var formResponse = formResponses[i];
var itemResponses = formResponse.getItemResponses();
//get the individual responses within the form.addCheckboxItem()
for (var j = 0; j < itemResponses.length; j++) {
//pull the first item out again (even though I did for file name)
var itemResponse = itemResponses[j]; //teacher name from a dropbox
var itemResponse2 = itemResponses[j+1]; //date
var itemResponse3 = itemResponses[j+2]; //time
if (j == 0) //the first field on the form
{
//put the headings in
par3 = doc.appendParagraph(' SCHOOL NAME');
par3 = doc.appendParagraph('WALK IN OBSERVATION');
par3 = doc.appendParagraph('2013-2014');
//THIS is the teacher being observed and the date and time --- all on same line
var headingLine = itemResponse.getItem().getTitle() + '\t\t' + itemResponse2.getItem().getTitle() + ' / ' + itemResponse3.getItem().getTitle();
par1 = doc.appendParagraph(headingLine);
var answerLine = itemResponse.getResponse() + '\t\t\t\t\t' + itemResponse2.getResponse() + ' / ' + itemResponse3.getResponse();
par2 = doc.appendParagraph(answerLine);
j++; //do this to skip over date and time
j++;
} //end of j = 0;
else
// then I have a bunch of if statements for some of the
// specific fields I need to do something special with.
// After the last if, I just have an else to handle all other
// form responses that I don't do anything special for other than display.
//my last else is:
else
//THIS ELSE IS HANDLING ALL NON CHECK BOXES AND JUST DISPLAYING THE TITLE IN BOLD FONT, THE COMMENTS IN REGULAR FONT
{
par1 = doc.appendParagraph(itemResponse.getItem().getTitle());
par1.setAttributes(style);
par2 = doc.appendParagraph( itemResponse.getResponse());
par2.setAttributes(style);
} //END OF ELSE
} //end of for going through each cell in a row of the repsonses
} //end of for going through each row -- only had it set to do the very last row