Script, Map Distance "Shortest Route"

[Will V]

hi  could use some help/advice, pls.

I managed to figure how to apply the following script that basically calculates the distance between two addresses in miles. I wonder if there is anything we can add to that script to say "generate the miles for the SHORTEST route" for example, when we search any address in Maps, Google gives several routes, one is usually always less miles. maybe a script could somehow pick up the "shortest miles distance" route?

thank you in advance! 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PiBoeG0FBlV3hNKIYIJD0VmcObrscD2HaDiahNXdf1s/edit?usp=sharing 

function onEdit(e) {  

  var row = e.range.getRow();

  var col = e.range.getColumn();

  var sheetName = e.source.getActiveSheet().getName();

  if((col == 3 || col == 4) && sheetName=="Tracker"){

    var add1 = e.source.getActiveSheet().getRange("C"+row);

    var add2 = e.source.getActiveSheet().getRange("D"+row);

    if(!(add1.isBlank() || add2.isBlank())) {

      e.source.getActiveSheet().getRange("E"+row).setValue(GOOGLEMAPS(add1.getValue(),add2.getValue(),"miles"));

    } else {

      e.source.getActiveSheet().getRange("E"+row).setValue("");

    }

  }

}

/**

* Get Distance between 2 different addresses.

* @param start_address Address as string Ex. "300 N LaSalles St, Chicago, IL"

* @param end_address Address as string Ex. "900 N LaSalles St, Chicago, IL"

* @param return_type Return type as string Ex. "miles" or "kilometers" or "minutes" or "hours"

* @customfunction

*/

function GOOGLEMAPS(start_address,end_address,return_type) {

  // https://www.chicagocomputerclasses.com/

  // Nov 2017

  // improvements needed

 

  var mapObj = Maps.newDirectionFinder();

  mapObj.setOrigin(start_address);

  mapObj.setDestination(end_address);

  var directions = mapObj.getDirections();

 

  var getTheLeg = directions["routes"][0]["legs"][0];

 

  var meters = getTheLeg["distance"]["value"];

 

  switch(return_type){

    case "miles":

      return meters * 0.000621371;

      break;

    case "minutes":

        // get duration in seconds

        var duration = getTheLeg["duration"]["value"];

        //convert to minutes and return

        return duration / 60;

      break;

    case "hours":

        // get duration in seconds

        var duration = getTheLeg["duration"]["value"];

        //convert to hours and return

        return duration / 60 / 60;

      break;      

    case "kilometers":

      return meters / 1000;

      break;

    default:

      return "Error: Wrong Unit Type";

   }

 

}

[cwl...@gmail.com]

I would look at the API documentation. But this line give a hint that there may be more than a single route returned:

var getTheLeg = directions["routes"][0]["legs"][0];     

What does it look like when you console.log(directions) ?  (or directions["routes"])  ?