Workflow for integrating Google Docs with my web app through Google Apps Script

Question

I was searching for an SDK or API to create and/or edit Google Docs files, but (correct me if I'm wrong) it seems Google Apps Script is the way to integrate your app with G Suite. I'm now trying to grasp the basic workflow for a basic document editing operation.

For instance, say we have a Quote Template document that serves as the template for our business to create quotations for customers. From within our web app system, we would press a button that would duplicate that file with a new name and maybe replace some variables.

Now, here's where I am in a gray area. I'd think we would have to install some sort of SDK (PHP/Js/Ruby library) in our project, that would let us create a new file based on the template, and call some replacePattern(regex, value) method.

However, the more I read, it looks like the approach is different, where you would create a Google Apps Script and, from our web app, we make HTTP calls to a REST API that will run said script. Then, this script would do the creating document and replacing values.

Am I correct in assuming this is the basic workflow to integrate our web app with G Suite products, or am I missing something essential?

Spencer Easton · Accepted Answer · 2017-01-04 20:36:54Z

2

Yes, that would be the basic workflow. There is no public Google Docs REST API, so apps script at the moment is the only way to automate docs. If you want to integrate it with a current tool you can expose the script using the Execution API. There are client libraries, though being a REST API they can be accessed from anywhere you can make a http request. Links to the client libraries can be found in their respective quick starts found below:

https://developers.google.com/apps-script/guides/rest/

All of the business logic can be handled by the script such as copying a template, replacing values, and setting permissions to the file.

The DocumentApp service docs can be found at:

https://developers.google.com/apps-script/reference/document/

answered Jan 4, 2017 at 20:36

Spencer Easton

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