Creating A Shared Logging System

This is an approach we've used and re-used a number of times. Imagine you want a group of people to share some information using a Google Form. But although you don't really want to share the spreadsheet of the collected data, you do want people to use a subset of it.

In this example, we will create a "Research Logger". Here's the first form, go fill it in.

The Confirmation Page of the Form has a link to a web application made earlier, like this.

The web application uses a Table Chart visualisation to show a subset of the data but has really nice filters so that you can drill down on the information. It looks like this.

The web application above is browsable here.

The code to display a table like this is...

 function doGet(e) {    
  var spreadsheet_id = 'YOUR_SPREADSHEET_ID'
  var ss = SpreadsheetApp.openById(spreadsheet_id)
  var sheet = ss.getSheetByName("Form Responses")
  var last_row = sheet.getLastRow()
  var last_column = sheet.getLastColumn()
  var range = sheet.getRange(2, 1, last_row-1, last_column)
  var data = range.getValues( )
  
  var dataTable = Charts.newDataTable()      
        .addColumn(Charts.ColumnType.STRING, "Added by")     
        .addColumn(Charts.ColumnType.STRING, "Department")      
        .addColumn(Charts.ColumnType.STRING, "Researcher")  
        .addColumn(Charts.ColumnType.STRING, "Funder")  
        .addColumn(Charts.ColumnType.STRING, "Name of Call") 
        .addColumn(Charts.ColumnType.STRING, "URL") 
  
  for ( r in data){
    var row = data[r]

    var username = row[1]
    var department = row[2]
    var researcher_name = row[3]
    var researcher_email = row[4]
    var tags = row[5]
    var notes = row[6]
    var funder = row[7]
    var name_of_call = row[8]
    var deadline = row[9]
    var research_title = row[10]
    var folder_url = row[21]
    
    
    if ( researcher_email != '' & typeof researcher_email != 'undefined' ){
      researcher_name = '' + researcher_name + '' 
    }
    
    folder_link = 'files'
    dataTable.addRow( [username, department, researcher_name, funder, name_of_call, folder_link ])    
  }
     
  dataTable.build( );
  
  var chart = Charts.newTableChart()
      .setDimensions(1200, 500)
      .setDataTable(dataTable)  
      .setOption('allowHtml', true)
      
      .build();
  
  var name_of_callFilter = Charts.newStringFilter().setFilterColumnLabel("Name of Call")
        .setLabelStacking(Charts.Orientation.HORIZONTAL)
        .setLabel("Name of Call")
        .setRealtimeTrigger(true)
        .setCaseSensitive(false)
        .setMatchType(Charts.MatchType.ANY)
        .build()
  
  var departmentFilter = Charts.newCategoryFilter()
       .setFilterColumnLabel("Department")
       .setAllowMultiple(true)
       .setSortValues(true)
       .setLabelStacking(Charts.Orientation.VERTICAL)
       .setCaption('Department')
       .setSortValues(true)
       .build();
   
     var funderFilter = Charts.newCategoryFilter()
       .setFilterColumnLabel("Funder")
       .setAllowMultiple(true)
       .setSortValues(true)
       .setLabelStacking(Charts.Orientation.VERTICAL)
       .setCaption('Funder')
       .setSortValues(true)
       .build();
   
   
   var dashboard = Charts.newDashboardPanel()
       .setDataTable(dataTable)
       .bind(name_of_callFilter, chart)
       .bind(departmentFilter, chart)
       .bind(funderFilter, chart)
       .build();
   
   
   var app = UiApp.createApplication().setTitle("Research")
   var panel = app.createVerticalPanel().setSpacing(10)
   
   panel.add(name_of_callFilter).add(departmentFilter).add(funderFilter).add(chart );
   
   dashboard.add(panel)
   app.add(dashboard)

   var label = app.createLabel().setText("TOTAL: " + data.length + " research bid projects").setStyleAttribute("color", "#442233").setStyleAttribute("font-size", "18px")
   app.add( label )
   
   
   var link_to_form = app.createAnchor("Add a new Research bid", "https://LINK_TO_YOUR_FORM/viewform")
   link_to_form.setStyleAttribute("color", "blue").setStyleAttribute("font-size", "18px")
   app.add( link_to_form )
   app.setWidth(1200)
   return app
}

One added useful feature is that when someone submits the form, a GDrive folder is created for that item and they are added as an Editor to that folder. A link is then added to the table for ease of access.

The code automatically create a GDrive folder when the form is submitted is...

function onFormSubmit(e) {            
  var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet()
  var sheet = ss.getSheetByName("Form Responses")
  
  var row = e.range.getRow() 
  
  var values = e.namedValues
  var department = values['Department']
  var researcher_name = values['Researcher name']
  var researcher_email = values['Researcher email']
  var name_of_call = values['Name of Call']
  var funder = values['Funder']
  
  var folder_title = department + " - " + researcher_name + " - " + funder + " - " + name_of_call
  
  var destination_folder = DriveApp.getFolderById('CHANGE_TO_YOUR_FOLDER_ID')
  var folder = destination_folder.createFolder(folder_title)
  folder.addEditor(researcher_email)
  var folder_url = folder.getUrl()
  

  
  sheet.getRange( row, 22).setValue( folder_url ) 
}

This collection of a Google Form, a Google Spreadsheet and a Web Application means that staff can easily add information and be able to easily browse the information other people have added. I think although calling a Table Chart a visualisation might be a bit grand, they are incredibly useful ways of presenting information in a navigable and filterable format.

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Written by Unknown

We are one of the initiators of the development of information technology in understanding the need for a solution that is familiar and close to us.