Save a Sheet as a PDF Uploading/Replacing an existing drive hosted PDF
Robert Alder
I have no idea why Google has made a simple operation so damned difficult. As near as I can tell, a complicated Google Script is needed. So, I’m begging for a solution. Either a full script or an Add-On (if one exists) to automate the following;
I have a Google Sheet containing some contact info. This is
where the info is maintained. Easy to maintain. OK so far.
But there is a need to then create a PDF of that sheet after editing it. This
is also easy, albeit a manual task, and the resulting PDF is just “Downloaded” to my local download folder.
BUT THAT’s NOT what is needed.
There is already an existing PDF version of the file on the Google Drive. That file is shared with anyone with its URL link. Perfect. So far, so good.
But to “post” a new version of the PDF file I have to go thru this terrible routine:
· First go thru the several steps to first download the sheet as a new PDF which gets sent to my local Download folder. Easy enough, but far from desired end result.
- · So, I go back to the Google drive,
- · Locate the Pre-edited PDF version on the google drive.
- · Then Right click on it.
- · Then Choose “File Info”
- · Then choose “Manage versions”
- · Then “Upload New Version”
- · And then point to my local downloaded folder to find/select the recently updated PDF.
Done. Who knew? It works in only 10 very complicated steps (which only took me hours and hours of Google searching to figure how to even do it that round about way.
The above will process will, indeed, save the PDF on the drive with the same URL and same sharing qualities. Why shouldn’t this be a built in one-step choice within Google drive? You know – a simple “Save and upload/replace an existing PDF file version,” But, alas, it isn’t. Apparently the above manual steps are required. Or maybe a complicated Google script is needed after first editing a Google sheet (or Doc) to run and do all the above steps to save and upload the resulting new PDF. The Upload/replace is necessary so all outstanding links to the PDF (on websites, bookmarks, links in prior emails, etc.) will then still work and be linked to the current updated PDF version of the “source” sheet or doc.
I’m open to an Add-On (If there is one) that could be loaded and used to automate this.
My idea would be to put a button on the source sheet or doc (or a custom ribbon addition in the Google Sheets application) to simply run the script or Add-On which will upload/replace the existing PDF. This rather than the above COMPLICATED manual steps. In a perfect world the script or Add-On would be smart enough to always save/upload the resulting PDF in the same Drive directory as it the source sheet or .doc.
Anyone have the solution? No, I’m not a proficient Google script writer so I can’t write this stuff from scratch. But I know a script (or maybe an Add-On utility) can do it.
HELP. Why Mr. Google doesn’t provide this simple file maintenance utility within the Google account is beyond me.
Bob Alder
Terri C
teamterrificracing
On Oct 6, 2023 at 9:21 AM, 'Terri C' via Google Apps Script Community <google-apps-sc...@googlegroups.com> wrote:This might help you. I have a process where I replace a PFD file in a folder that is shared with users who access the pdf that exists in a specified Google folder.SpreadsheetId is the Google sheet source of the data, pdfName is the name of the PDF file that will go in the folder, and sharedfolderID is the ID of the folder where I'm putting the PDF. This was written a while ago and is in a process that still runs every morning.function convertSpreadsheetToPdf(spreadsheetId, pdfName) {var spreadsheet = spreadsheetId ? SpreadsheetApp.openById(spreadsheetId) : SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();var spreadsheetId = spreadsheetId ? spreadsheetId : spreadsheet.getId();var pdfName = pdfName ? pdfName : spreadsheet.getName();var parents = DriveApp.getFileById(spreadsheetId).getParents();var folder = parents.hasNext() ? parents.next() : DriveApp.getRootFolder();var url_base = spreadsheet.getUrl().replace(/edit$/,'');var url_ext = 'export?exportFormat=pdf&format=pdf' //export as pdf+ '&id=' + spreadsheetId+ '&size=A4' // paper size+ '&portrait=true' // orientation, false for landscape+ '&fitw=true' // fit to width, false for actual size+ '&sheetnames=false&printtitle=false&pagenumbers=false' //hide optional headers and footers+ '&gridlines=false' // hide gridlines+ '&fzr=false'; // do not repeat row headers (frozen rows) on each pagevar options = {headers: {'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + ScriptApp.getOAuthToken()}}var response = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url_base + url_ext, options);var blob = response.getBlob().setName(pdfName + '.pdf');var sharedfolder = DriveApp.getFolderById(sharedfolderID);sharedfolder.createFile(blob);
On Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at 9:11:38 PM UTC-4 Robert Alder wrote:
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