Inserting template text in a Google doc in Google Apps Script

Question

I'm trying to create a simple script that prefills a template into a Google doc at the cursor point. I'm a bit stuck on how to add text and list items at the same time. Here is what I have:

function onOpen() {
  var ui = DocumentApp.getUi();
  // Or FormApp or SpreadsheetApp.
  ui.createMenu('Templates')
      .addItem('Insert Template', 'insertTemplate')
      .addToUi();

}

function insertTemplate() {
  var cursor = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument().getCursor();
  if (cursor) {

    var element = cursor.insertText("Some Header\n")
    element.setBold(true);

    var options = {weekday: 'long', year: 'numeric', month: 'long', day: 'numeric'};
    var today  = new Date();
    dateStr = today.toLocaleDateString("en-US", options) + '\n\n';

    var element = cursor.insertText(dateStr);
    element.setBold(true);

    var body = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument().getBody();

    colors = ["blue", "red", "yellow"]
    colors.forEach( function(color) { 
      body.appendListItem(color + ": ").setGlyphType(DocumentApp.GlyphType.BULLET);
    });

  } else {
    DocumentApp.getUi().alert('Cannot find a cursor in the document.');
  }
}

It correctly outputs something like:

Feb 12, 2019

Some Header

 * blue
 * red
 * yellow

Now I want to append yet another simple line of text after the list but if I do it with cursor, it appends it before the date. How can I find the last position of the last item and insert text after it?

Answer 1

• You want to put texts and a list to the cursor position.
• You want to put a text to the last line as follows.

Result you want

Feb 12, 2019 Some Header * blue * red * yellow sample text <--- here

If my understanding is correct, how about this modification? In this modification, I used the following flow.

1. Retrieve the child index at the cursor.
   • In this modification, this child index is used as the offset of the body.
2. Put dateStr , "Some Header\\n" and a list to the next child index.
3. Put a text to the last line.

I think that there are several solutions for your situation. So please think of this as just one of them.

Modified script:

 function insertTemplate() { var doc = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument(); // Added var cursor = doc.getCursor(); // Modified if (cursor) { var options = {weekday: 'long', year: 'numeric', month: 'long', day: 'numeric'}; var today = new Date(); dateStr = today.toLocaleDateString("en-US", options) + '\\n\\n'; var body = doc.getBody(); // Below script was modified. var offset = body.getChildIndex(cursor.getElement()); body.insertParagraph(offset, dateStr); body.insertParagraph(++offset, "Some Header\\n"); colors = ["blue", "red", "yellow"] colors.forEach(function(color, i) { body.insertListItem(++offset, color + ": ").setGlyphType(DocumentApp.GlyphType.BULLET); }); body.insertParagraph(--offset + colors.length, "sample text"); // Please set the text here. } else { DocumentApp.getUi().alert('Cannot find a cursor in the document.'); } }

Note:

• About dateStr , this was used from your script.

References:

• getChildIndex(child)
• insertParagraph(childIndex, text)
• insertListItem(childIndex, text)

If I misunderstood your question and this was not the result you want, I apologize.