Forms and FileIds

[Mike Brudenell]

Hi,

We've been struggling with a problem here and can't figure out a way of doing it using GAM (if, indeed, it's possible given APIs etc!) …

Scenario

1. Someone has designed a Google Form. This has a FileId that identifies the master, editable form file in Google Drive. With this FileId GAM can see/change permissions etc on it as usual.
   
   
2. They may or may not have associated a Google Sheet with the Form to gather the results. (This is optional, and if not set up the results are stored in the Form itself.) If a Sheet has been set up it has a FileId. With this FileId GAM can see/change permissions etc on it as usual.
   
   
3. When the person who designed the Form is ready to gather data they share a link to it that others can use to access and complete it. This URL does not include the FileId of the original editable Form. It's also a slightly different format — https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/… instead of https://docs.google.com/d/…

The Problem

The problem we have is that sometimes the person who designed the Form goes off sick or is on leave and others need access to the results. They don't know the FileId of the original Form, or of any Sheet associated with it. All they have is the URL of the "here's the form to complete".

We've found a way of getting back from the Sheet to the Form's URL if you have Edit access to the Sheet to insert a fragment of Google Apps Script. But you need to know the Sheet's FileId to gain access to it with GAM. Which we don't know…

The Question

Is there anything in GAM or GAMADV that lets you get either the URL of the original Form or of its associated Sheet from only the 'fileid' in the "here's the form to complete" URL? (Trying to use the id string from that URL always gives a Not Found error, so there's some magic going on somewhere.)

So far we've not found any way of doing this… Any ideas?

Or is it One Of Those Things That Can't Be Done With {GAM, the API}?

With many thanks,

Mike B-)

--

Systems Administrator & Change Manager

IT Services, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK

Tel: +44-(0)1904-323811

Web: www.york.ac.uk/it-services

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[James Hatz]

Instead of using GAM to solve this problem - have you thought of having staff use a Team Drive to store such forms/sheets so others have access to the results? 

[+KimNilsson]

Yes, sharing the file/folder is a better alternative.