AppsScriptPulse

Extend the capabilities of PaLM API with Google Apps Script

 

Discover the magic of combining Palm API’s extraordinary capabilities with the limitless potential of Google Apps Script. In this blog we will be taking a look at how we use the PaLM API and Google Apps Script. We will be passing basic prompts and getting the appropriate responses using Google Apps Script.

Yesterday’s Pulse contribution from Aryan Irani there was an overview on getting started with Google’s Gen AI PaLM 2 Large Language Model accessed using MakerSuite. In a follow-up post Aryan continues dives deeper into how the PaLM API can be called from Google Apps Script. The post includes instructions and sample code to help you get started. Aryan will be continuing exploring and sharing what can be done with the PaLM API and Google Workspace tools such as Google Sheets, Google Docs and more in future tutorials.

Source: Extend the capabilities of PaLM API with Google Apps Script

Getting started with Google’s Gen AI (PaLM 2) in Google Apps Script

At the Google I/O ’23, various announcements were made with respect to different AI and ML advancements Google is making as we speak. While listening to the session, I stumbled on PaLM 2. It was really interesting as to what capabilities it has with respect to generative models and machine learning.

This tutorial series will introduce you to PaLM 2, the API, MakerSuite, and Google Apps Script. We will combine these tools to do something interesting with prompts.

Editor: There are a couple of ways you can access Google’s Gen AI language models. Bard is the consumer version but for developers you might want to start exploring API access to one of the underlying foundation language model, PaLM 2, using Google’s MakerSuite. There is a waitlist for MakerSuite, but worth putting your name down if you are interested in an easy way to programmatically start prototyping applications with the PaLM using a basic API key. This video series from Aryan Irani covers everything you need to get started, particularly if you are interested in using PaLM with Google Apps Script.

If you prefer to get started straight away, you can also access the PaLM API in Vertex AI today from a Google Cloud project (more information about this on the MakerSuite site).

Source: Getting started with PaLM 2

AppSheet x Slack — Sending notifications on your Slack Channel using Google Apps Script

Make your team acknowledged when there is a new eventEven though a data scientist can do coding, it doesn’t mean that we have to code all the time. In some use case, I found out that no-code development tools benefits us as it reduces time to develop applications for collecting data or small systems for uncomplex internal uses. I have developed several AppSheet applications which help us automate works, make tasks paperless and trackable by records.

We’ve featured a couple of examples of integrating with Slack using Apps Script. Here’s a variation using AppSheet to do some of the heavy lifting with the data automation. To push data to Slack the solution uses AppSheet’s Apps Script integration. I’ve not tested but I’m sure you could skip the Apps Script integration and use AppSheets webhooks feature.

Source: AppSheet x Slack — Sending Notifications on Your Slack Channel

Adding users to Google Chat spaces on demand with Google Apps Script

Image credit: Pablo Felip

A Chat space membership authorization workflow built using Google Forms, Sheets and Apps Script. … In the coming sections, we’ll build a workflow for process managers to review and authorize membership requests sent by users willing to join a predefined set of chat spaces.

Lots of talk about Meta’s new Threads … is there an API for that. Meanwhile Pablo Felip has been busy putting together this very comprehensive tutorial which explains how you can use Google Forms as part of a process to administer Google Chat Spaces membership.

The API call spaces.members.create is relatively straightforward when compared to the amount of effort to setup the Google Cloud project. This is all covered in the source post and the code provided can easily be modified to suit other worksflows.

Source: Adding users to Google Chat spaces on demand with Apps Script

How to transcribe audio and video files from Google Drive with Google Apps Script

Learn how to automatically transcribe audio and video files in Gmail messages with the help of OpenAI speech recognition API and Google Apps Script

Amit Agarwal highlights a no-code solution for transcribing audio in Gmail attachments available in his ‘Save Gmail to Google Drive’ Google Sheets Add-on. As part of this he shares the code and tips for transcribing audio files using OpenAI’s Whisper API. When you look at the snippet provided you’ll see once the audio file is in Google Drive it is very easy to use the Whisper API to get a transcript.

Text-to-speech services aren’t new, but approaches and larger training datasets are improving accuracy and if you prefer to work in the Google ecosystem you can find out more about Cloud Speech-to-Text.

Source: How to Transcribe Audio and Video Attachments in Gmail – Digital Inspiration

Automatic meeting minutes with Google Gen AI in Google Workspace (new opportunities with LLMs)

Who takes the notes ? Simple question we always ask at the begining of the meeting, maybe it will be over in a near future with Generative AI. Using Meet recording, included in the Google Workspace licences, we can generate the transcript of the meeting with Google Speech to Text API and then generate the minutes.

Lots of chatter around ‘Gen AI’, but cutting through the hype and, in particular, the Platform-As-A-Service opportunities created with generally available Large Language Models (LLM) opens lots of new doors for Workspace Developers.

This example from fellow Google Developer Expert, Stéphane Giron, is an area I think has the most potential, using LLMs in Google Workspace Add-ons such as Gmail, Docs, Calendar etc. With Google’s Vertex AI LLMs there is really opportunity to create powerful solutions whilst preserving data sovereignty. Exciting times!

Source: Automatic meeting minutes with Google Gen AI in Google Workspace

One Code to Rule Them All: Deploying Editor Add-Ons Across Google Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Forms

Mastering Google Apps Script: Deploy Once, Run Everywhere 🚀

What’s The Issue? 🤔

Building add-ons with Google Apps Script is akin to owning a magic wand for distributing your application. And if you’re like me, you’ve probably created an army of internal add-ons for clients and personal use, especially those sweet editor add-ons. But here’s the catch: every time you deploy your add-on, you need to specify the script ID and the deployment version for each context (Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms). Keeping up with 4 different files isn’t just tedious; it’s like trying to juggle flaming swords while on a unicycle 🙃. But don’t worry, there’s a better way!

Source: One Code to Rule Them All: Deploying Editor Add-Ons Across Google Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Forms

Easily merge data from Google Sheets into Google Docs and Slides with the TemplateApp Google Apps Script

This report introduces the method for easily processing the template of Google Documents and Google Slides using Google Spreadsheet as a database using Google Apps Script. Google Spreadsheet is used as a database. Google Documents and Google Slides are used as templates. The simple method for creating new Google Documents and Google Slides using the database and the templates is introduced.

Latest Apps Script magic from Kanshi Tanaike, this time they turn their addition to an easy way to use data from Google Sheets as a ‘document merge’ for templates created in Google Docs and Google Slides. This is achieved by using the TemplateApp Apps Script library, which has lots of useful features including simply methods for sheetRangeToDocuments() as well as the ability to embeded and fixed width images from placeholders. There are some llimitations documented in the GitHub repo, as well as examples for all the methods available in the library.

[In other ‘merge’ news Google have announced that you can now use Google Sheets with Google official mail merge in Gmail]

 

Source: Easily Processing Templates of Google Documents and Google Slides using Google Spreadsheet with Google Apps Script

List all files and folders in a selected folder’s directory tree in Google Drive using Google Apps Script

A fast approach to get all items in a directory tree in Google Drive with Google Apps Script. Contains video and edge case handling.

This is an excellent detailed step-by-step tutorial from Scott Donald all about how to efficiently list all files and folders in a folder’s directory tree in Google Drive using Google Apps Script. The in parents method is one we’ve covered before in Pulse, but Scott provides a very comprehensive explanation of what’s going on, plus all the code is available if you would like to reuse in your own projects.

Source: List all files and folders in a selected folder’s directory tree in Google Drive: Apps Script – Yagisanatode

Master Google Apps Script UIs — Part 9: Elevating Your Game with TypeScript 👾

Taking JavaScript to the Next Level with TypeScript for your Google Apps Script Projects

A Warm Welcome Back to the Series 🎉

Hey there, and welcome back to our hands-on series on mastering Google Apps Script UIs! Now, if you’re serious about JavaScript, it’s high time we chat about TypeScript. TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript that brings static typing to the game. It’s like JavaScript put on its best suit and turned into a more organized, reliable version of itself. 😎

The reason a lot of developers are switching to TypeScript is because it can catch errors at compile-time, making debugging less of a headache (it’s like having a personal assistant who checks your work for mistakes so you don’t look silly later). In this part, we’ll let the Emojibar project rest (it’s earned it, after all!), and we’ll switch over to a different repository I frequently use as a boilerplate for my projects. This boilerplate is a work in progress, so don’t be surprised if it changes faster than you change your socks. 😅

Source: Master Google Apps Script UIs — Part 9: Elevating Your Game with TypeScript 👾