Google Apps script tutorial- An Introduction

In this first Google apps script tutorial post, we are going to learn basic things like what is google apps script, prerequisite, features, and limitations.

Google Apps script tutorial

It is a scripting language used to automate its own products such as gsheets(Google sheets), docs, Gmail etc., and the third party services. Sometimes, it’s shortly called as GAS (Google Apps Script). Syntax is similar to JavaScript. But unlike JavaScript which runs on the client side, this runs on the server side.

Here is the definition of apps script:

“Google Apps Script is a JavaScript cloud scripting language that provides easy ways to automate tasks across Google products and third party services and build web applications.”

Prerequisite

Before start learning Google apps script tutorial, you need below three prerequisites:

• Gmail account
• Any browser preferably chrome
• Internet connection

Features of Apps Script

• Create custom function for Google products such as gsheets, gdocs, gpower point
• Create custom menu, sidebars, and message box
• Create add-ons for Google products
• Convert apps script into web apps
• Automate advanced Google products such as YouTube, Adsense, analytics
• It can be developed and deployed on the cloud.
• No need to install anything on PC everything will be hosted and executed in cloud
• Auto triggers the app scripts when a specific event occurs, need to be run at a specific time or at specific intervals.
• Interact with multiple Google products at a time. For e.g. GAS can send an email to the recipients listed in the gsheets. Here, GAS interacts with gsheets and Gmail at the same time.

Limitation of Apps Script

• It cannot run more than 6 minutes/execution
• It does not allow user to send more than 2000 emails/day
• All Google products have quota limits. Check out that in quotas for Google service
• Both developer and user need google account to use apps scripts.

Recommended Post:

Google Apps script- Variable Declaration

Google Apps script- If else statement

Google Apps script- For Next statement

Google Apps script- Switch Case statement

In the next Google apps script tutorial, we’ll see the GAS variables declaration