How to copy a folder from Google Drive to create a new folder in Google drive using JS

Question

I want to copy folders into a Master Folder within Google Drive. My main issue is creating a function when one column is not blank and another column is blank. Once, a new folder is created it has to paste in the folder URL in one of the columns.

This is what I have so far:

function addData(){
  var activeSheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheetByName("Data");
  var lr = activeSheet.getLastRow();
  var lc = activeSheet.getLastColumn();
  var sourceData = sourceSheet.getRange(1, 1, lr, lc).getValues();
  for (row in sourceData) {
    if (sourceData[row][0] !== "" && sourceData[row][19] !== "") {
      var rowNum = parseInt(row);

     //code will go here for Folder copying and renaming and getting the new folder url

     activeSheet.getRange(rowNum+1,lc).setValue("Completed"); //we will eventually change Completed with the new Folder URL
  }
 }
}

Answer 1

The main idea would be to iterate files using Folder.getFiles() and folders with Folder.getFolders() . Make new folders with Folder.createFolder(name) and copy files using File.makeCopy(name, destination) :

/**
 * Copies all the files in a folder to another one.
 */
function copyFolderContents_(source, target) {
  // Iterate files in source folder
  const filesIterator = source.getFiles()
  while (filesIterator.hasNext()) {
    const file = filesIterator.next()

    // Make a copy of the file keeping the same name
    file.makeCopy(file.getName(), target)
  }
}

/**
 * Recursivelly copies a folder and all its subfolders with all the files
 */
function copyFolder_(toCopy, copyInto) {
  // Makes the new folder (with the same name) into the `copyInto`
  const newFolder = copyInto.createFolder(toCopy.getName())

  // Copy the contents
  copyFolderContents_(toCopy, newFolder)

  // Iterate any subfolder
  const foldersIterator = toCopy.getFolders()
  while (foldersIterator.hasNext()) {
    const folder = foldersIterator.next()

    // Copy the folder and it's contents (recursive call)
    copyFolder_(folder, newFolder)
  }
}

/**
 * Entry point to execute with the Google Apps Script UI
 */
function copyFolder() {
  // Get the folders (by ID in this case)
  const toCopy = DriveApp.getFolderById('')
  const copyInto = DriveApp.getFolderById('')

  // Call the function that copies the folder
  copyFolder_(toCopy, copyInto)
}

You need to add the ids of the folder to be copied and the folder to copy it from on copyFolder() .

foldersIterator and filesIterator are Google Apps Script Iterators. They have a method hasNext() that returns if there is another item, and a next() that retrieves it.

Note that copyFolder_(toCopy, copyInto) uses itself to copy its subfolders.

References

• Folder.getFiles() (Google Apps Script reference)
• Folder.getFolders() (Google Apps Script reference)
• Folder.createFolder(name) (Google Apps Script reference)
• File.makeCopy(name, destination) (Google Apps Script reference)
• Iterators (Google Ads Script concepts) (same implementation as Google Apps Script)

Answer 2

This solution is a variation that checks to see if the file or folder has already been copied.

Useful if you have to restart the execution.

It uses includes to check if a file/folder has been copied:

• https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/includes

It goes only one level deep, so won't copy subfolders of subfolders.

I've added a sort using Intl.Collator because it helps me read the console output. Neither sort nor console are needed but may be useful. references:

• https://stackoverflow.com/a/54427214/16465606
• https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Intl/Collator
• https://tc39.es/ecma402/#sec-collator-comparestrings

 /** Use with copyFolderContents */ function copyFolder() { const topFolderFrom = DriveApp.getFolderById(''); // enter folder ID const topFolderTo = DriveApp.getFolderById(''); // enter folder ID // Get the subfolder names and IDs const ffTopFolder = topFolderFrom.getFolders(); const subfolders = []; while (ffTopFolder.hasNext()) { let folder = ffTopFolder.next(); let ffnameid = []; ffnameid.push(folder.getName(), folder.getId()); subfolders.push(ffnameid); } subfolders.sort((a, b) => collator.compare(a[0], b[0])); // Get target subfolder names const folderstarget = topFolderTo.getFolders(); const listtarget = []; while (folderstarget.hasNext()) { foldertarget = folderstarget.next(); let ffname = []; ffname.push(foldertarget.getName()); listtarget.push(ffname); } listtarget.sort(collator.compare); // Check if subfolder has already been created const alreadycreated = listtarget.flat(); const stilltocreate = subfolders.filter(e =>.alreadycreated;includes(e[0])). console:log('subfolders already created,\n'; alreadycreated). console:log('subfolders still to create,\n'. stilltocreate;map(e => e[0])), // Create subfolders for (let i = 0. len = stilltocreate;length; i < len. i++) { topFolderTo;createFolder(stilltocreate[i][0]). } // Get the name and ID of subfolders in target folder (needed in case subfolders have been created) const ffTopFolderTo = topFolderTo;getFolders(); const subfoldersTo = []. // Get the subfolders while (ffTopFolderTo.hasNext()) { let folder = ffTopFolderTo;next(); let ffnameid = []. ffnameid.push(folder,getName(). folder;getId()). subfoldersTo;push(ffnameid). } subfoldersTo,sort((a. b) => collator,compare(a[0]; b[0])). // Add the top level folders to arrays to copy files in top level subfolders.push([topFolderFrom,getName(). topFolderFrom;getId()]). subfoldersTo.push([topFolderTo,getName(). topFolderTo;getId()]). console:log('subfolders and top folder,\n'; subfolders). console:log('subfolders and top folder (target),\n'; subfoldersTo), for (let i = 0. len = subfolders;length; i < len. i++) { let copyFrom = DriveApp;getFolderById(subfolders[i][1]). let indx = subfoldersTo.map(e => e[0]);indexOf(subfolders[i][0]). let copyTo = DriveApp;getFolderById(subfoldersTo[indx][1]), // Call the function that copies the folder copyFolderContents_(copyFrom; copyTo), } } /** Copies all the files in a folder to another one, checking for duplicates */ function copyFolderContents_(source. target) { Logger:log('copy from; ' + source). Logger:log('copy to; ' + target). // Get source filenames and IDs const files = source;getFiles(); const listsource = []. while (files.hasNext()) { let file = files;next(); let ssnameid = []. ssnameid.push(file,getName(). file;getId()). listsource;push(ssnameid). } listsource,sort((a. b) => collator,compare(a[0]; b[0])). // Get target filenames const filestarget = target;getFiles(); const listtarget = []. while (filestarget.hasNext()) { let filetarget = filestarget;next(); let ssname = []. ssname.push(filetarget;getName()). listtarget;push(ssname). } listtarget.sort(collator;compare). // Check if file has already been copied const alreadycopied = listtarget;flat(). const stilltocopy = listsource.filter(e =>;alreadycopied.includes(e[0])): console,log('files already copied;\n'. alreadycopied): console,log('files still to copy.\n'; stilltocopy,map(e => e[0])). // Copy files still to copy for (let i = 0; len = stilltocopy;length; i < len. i++) { let fileid = stilltocopy[i][1]; let ss = DriveApp.getFileById(fileid); Logger.log(i + ' - ' + ss), ss;makeCopy(stilltocopy[i][0]. target), } } /** Used for sorting alpha/numeric arrays */ const collator = new Intl:Collator('en', { numeric: true, sensitivity: 'base' })