Copy-Paste keeping the origin format | Google Apps Scripts for GSheets

Question

I'm using the following code to copy-paste from a Gsheets file into other Gsheets file, but I would like to do it maintaining the original source format.

Anyone can help with this issue?

The problem today is that I have some numbers stored as text and after I copy-paste if, these fields automatically change their format into numbers.

Thank you so much in advance.

function Run_function1() {
  var ss = SpreadsheetApp.openById("Destination ID"); 
  const sk = ss.getSheetByName('Settings WS'); 
  var cc = sk.getRange("cell with origin file ID").getValue();  
  const sh = ss.getSheetByName('Destination WS'); 
  sh.getRange(2,1,sh.getLastRow(),30).clearContent(); 
  var dbss=SpreadsheetApp.openById(cc); 
  const dbsh=dbss.getSheetByName('Origin WS'); 
  var vs=dbsh.getRange(2,1,dbsh.getLastRow()-1,25).getValues(); 
  Logger.log(dbsh);
  var ff=sh.getRange(2,1,dbsh.getLastRow()-1,25).setValues(vs);   
}

Answer 1

I've figured it out. Using the getValues() SetValues() method, you'll have to add the command setNumberFormat("@") that will allow the text strings to be maintained as text strings. So, all we need to do is replace the last line of code with:

var ff=sh.getRange(2,1,dbsh.getLastRow()-1,25).setNumberFormat("@").setValues(vs);

Please refer also to the following article:

Script 'setValues' method interprets strings as numbers in cells

Answer 2

Explanation:

• Instead of copying the full data from the source sheet to the destination sheet, why don't you just copy the source sheet to the destination spreadsheet? In this way, you will get both the format and the values in one go.

The steps are the following:

1. Get all sheets and spreadsheet objects:

    const ss = SpreadsheetApp.openById("Destination ID"); const sk = ss.getSheetByName('Settings WS'); const cc = sk.getRange("cell with origin file ID").getValue(); const sh = ss.getSheetByName('Destination WS'); const dbss=SpreadsheetApp.openById(cc); const dbsh=dbss.getSheetByName('Origin WS');

2. This step is optional, but you can get the sheet index of the destination sheet Destination WS so you can use it when you create a new one:

    const destIndex = sh.getIndex();

3. Delete the previous Destination WS sheet:

    ss.deleteSheet(sh);

4. Create a new destination sheet with the same name as before and place it to the same position as before. The new destination sheet will be the copy of the source sheet and it will carry both the format and the values:

    const newSheet = dbsh.copyTo(ss).setName('Destination WS'); ss.setActiveSheet(newSheet); ss.moveActiveSheet(destIndex);

---

Solution:

function Run_function1() {
   
  const ss = SpreadsheetApp.openById("Destination ID"); 
  const sk = ss.getSheetByName('Settings WS');
  const cc = sk.getRange("cell with origin file ID").getValue();  
  const sh = ss.getSheetByName('Destination WS'); 
  const dbss=SpreadsheetApp.openById(cc); 
  const dbsh=dbss.getSheetByName('Origin WS'); 
  
  const destIndex = sh.getIndex();
  ss.deleteSheet(sh); // delete Destination WS
  const newSheet = dbsh.copyTo(ss).setName('Destination WS');
  ss.setActiveSheet(newSheet);
  ss.moveActiveSheet(destIndex);
}