GAS passing variables to time based triggers - google-apps-script

Question

I have a Google spreadsheet with an onEdit() trigger to create a second time based trigger.
Simply: when the status column is edited to 'Approved' a trigger is created to send a feedback email on a supplied project completion date.
var oneTimeOnly = ScriptApp.newTrigger("emailFeedback").timeBased().at(endDate).create();
I wish to pass a variable to the second trigger. I could create Project Property or add a column in the spreadsheet. However it would be simpler to pass the variable when creating the trigger.
When I insert any additional characters inside the newTrigger quotes this causes the entire contents of the function to be stored in the trigger (which subsequently fails).
var oneTimeOnly = ScriptApp.newTrigger("emailFeedback<strong>(regEmail)</strong>").timeBased().at(endDate).create();
.
Is there a way to store a variable inside the trigger?

Answer 1

Using ScriptDB and new Function(), I was able to create a method for creating dynamic trigger functions.
The gist of the solution is to store the code you want to trigger is the db with the parameters you want to pass:
"myFunction('Hello world')"
Then, when the script starts, as a global variable, you attach newly created functions from your ScriptDB. (I've done this dynamically in my link below.)
globalFunctions.callThisOne = new Function("e", "myFunction("Hello world"));
Finally, when you create your trigger, you created it using the globally accessible function as such:
ScriptApp.newTrigger("globalFunctions.callThisOne").timeBased().everyDay(1).create();
I have written up a short post about this and posted the source. Hopefully it's useful.
You can read more about it here: http://goo.gl/wbUqH6
Or see the code here: http://goo.gl/zjUiYe

Answer 2

Sorry, there is not a way to do this.

Answer 3

As I understand correctly, the question was how to pass data to a time triggered function in a google script project. Eoin described a situation, but you may facing to many.
A classic situation when your script proccesses a complex spreadsheet that may run for long minutes. As you may probably know each script has about 6 minutes runtime limit. This situation you should break your script smaller logical partitions and at the end of each one can create a new trigger for the next part. Okay, but the next part must know about some data of the current running script's variables. Because no way to pass these data via newTrigger() you can create a snapshot and put into the script property context in a serialized way.
An easy way to do by ScriptProperties.setProperty().

Answer 4

Use ScriptProperties.setProperty() to store serialized parameters that can be accessed by trigger method.

Answer 5

#user2166613 is right, but a bit short. Here is how to do it.
I show an example that uses an after() trigger. This is a really interesting use case, as it allows to decouple time consuming tasks from e.g. web app calls, so the calls return control immediately and the processing is done in the background.
In my example I adapt the column widths of a sheet in a function that this run delayed.
// call this function to set a time based trigger and transfer parameters
function setTimeTrigger_AdaptColumnWidths() {
var ssId = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getId();
var wsId = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getActiveSheet().getSheetId();
var scriptProperties = PropertiesService.getScriptProperties();
scriptProperties.setProperty('spreadsheetId', ssId);
scriptProperties.setProperty('worksheetId', wsId);
// Delay 10 secs, but real execution time may vary up to 15 min!
ScriptApp.newTrigger('adaptColumnWidths').timeBased().after(10000).create();
}
// this function is called by the trigger
function adaptColumnWidths() {
var scriptProperties = PropertiesService.getScriptProperties();
ssId = scriptProperties.getProperty('spreadsheetId');
wsId = scriptProperties.getProperty('worksheetId');
// getSheetById() is a custom function – see below – not yet in Spreadsheet Class!
sheet = getSheetById(SpreadsheetApp.openById(ssId), wsId);
// now do what we want to do in the timeBased trigger
for (var i = 1; i <= sheet.getLastColumn(); i++){
sheet.autoResizeColumn(i);
}
}
// -----
// custom function – hopefully this will become a method of Spreadsheet Class any time soon
function getSheetById(ss, wsId) {
var sheets = ss.getSheets();
for (var i=0; i<sheets.length; i++) {
if (sheets[i].getSheetId() == wsId) return sheets[i];
}
}
Please be aware that your are storing in a dataspace here that is common to all your function calls. So multiple calls in a short time can overwrite each others parameters.
In my use case this is not a problem as the spreadsheet and the worksheet will not change. But do NOT try to transfer data that can change from call to call.
The real moment of execution can vary up to 15 minutes (no matter what exact time you ask for), so there is plenty of room for multiple function calls to interfere with each other!!!