Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Updates in Apps Script

Our blog has been somewhat neglected for a while now, and a lot has happened since our last post way back in February. Since then we released Apps Script to the world, three new Google Apps have come online, and we've made several major improvements including:
  • UI for Apps Script
  • JDBC - interconnect with any MySql database
  • Google Maps API
  • Basic Docs List support
  • Events - including the much requested 'on form submit'
Back in February, in advance of our full consumer launch, we made a decision to focus on the Google Apps Developer Blog for any launch announcements. We felt that this made it easy for all developers interested in Apps to stay abreast of developments without having to subscribe to a multitude of more focused blogs.

Since then, we've often wondered about how to make best use of this blog, and we've even considered announcing its termination. Instead, we're going to try to use the blog to discuss any interesting 'bits and pieces' that we come across in our day to day work building and supporting Apps Script.

We are aiming to post at least a couple of times per week, but this is something of an experiment, so let's see how well we do. Suggestions for topics are warmly welcomed - our intent is to give users some insight into how Apps Script works, and why it works the way it does.

5 comments:

  1. Is there any plan to allow regular google account to create User Interface objects?

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  2. "we're going to try to use the blog to discuss any interesting 'bits and pieces' "
    Yes please! And make these - if you can/want - a bit like in-depth reference articles. I.e. focusing on which is not really covered in the documentation, like e.g. date representation differences between spreadsheets and GAS (JavaScript), how you intended to tackle these and how well/bad that turned out and to which workaround this forces the user. ;)

    You could also ask the users how they experience the GAS design decisions, i.e. if these act out as efficient for them.

    You could also tell more about sharing scripts. One one can do that, what would be good practice (like providing a help page or something similar), and how one can update one's shared script (is that possible at all?). It would also allow you to pick out interesting scripts and review them in relation to their use of available APIs or programming style in general. Or you could give shared script authors a chance to present their work, e.g. in the form of a small interview.

    Last but not least, please make users aware of JavaScript pitfalls when using GAS (like trying to compare objects when you need to compare the object's values). As for many users GAS is the first time they really seriously start programming in JavaScript such head-ups will be appreciated, especially when mentioned in the context of their to be favorite programming language.

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  3. I think that you could address topics in this blog to those users who are beyond the basic use of the Google products, that could be interested in automate routine tasks and that like to play with code but that doesn't have time to set a development environments like those required to handle java development projects.

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  4. Is there plan to adopt another database, such as postgres, for JDBC connectivity?

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