Extend Google Sheets with JotForm Data



Make calls to the API Server from Google Apps Script.

Interact with JotForm data from Google Sheets through macros, custom functions, and add-ons. The CData API Server, when paired with the ADO.NET Provider for JotForm (or any of 200+ other ADO.NET Providers), enables connectivity to JotForm data from cloud-based and mobile applications like Google Sheets. The API Server is a lightweight Web application that produces OData services for JotForm and any source supported by the CData ADO.NET Providers.

Google Apps Script can consume these OData services in the JSON format. This article shows how to create a simple add-on that populates a Google Spreadsheet with Forms data.

Set Up the API Server

Follow the steps below to begin producing secure JotForm OData services:

Deploy

The API Server runs on your own server. On Windows, you can deploy using the stand-alone server or IIS. On a Java servlet container, drop in the API Server WAR file. See the help documentation for more information and how-tos.

The API Server is also easy to deploy on Microsoft Azure, Amazon EC2, and Heroku.

Connect to JotForm

After you deploy the API Server and the ADO.NET Provider for JotForm, provide authentication values and other connection properties needed to connect to JotForm by clicking Settings -> Connections and adding a new connection in the API Server administration console.

Start by setting the Profile connection property to the location of the JotForm Profile on disk (e.g. C:\profiles\JotForm.apip). Next, set the ProfileSettings connection property to the connection string for JotForm (see below).

JotForm API Profile Settings

Find your JotForm API Key in order to authenticate. To obtain an API Key, go to 'My Account' > 'API Section' > 'Create a New API Key'. Once you've created your new API Key, you can set it in the ProfileSettings connection property.

Custom Enterprise API Domains

Enterprise customers of JotForm are given custom API domains to connect to, rather than the default 'api.jotform.com' domain. If you are an enterprise JotForm customer, then set Domain to you custom API hostname, such as 'your-domain.com' or 'subdomain.jotform.com', inside the ProfileSettings connection property. Conversely, if you do not have a custom domain and still need to connect to 'api.jotform.com', then leave Domain undefined and set only APIKey.

You can then choose the JotForm entities you want to allow the API Server to access by clicking Settings -> Resources.

Authorize API Server Users

After determining the OData services you want to produce, authorize users by clicking Settings -> Users. The API Server uses authtoken-based authentication and supports the major authentication schemes. Access can also be restricted based on IP address: Connections from all addresses except localhost are blocked by default, so you will need to allow connections from Google's servers for this article. You can authenticate as well as encrypt connections with SSL.

Retrieve JotForm Data

Open the Script Editor from your spreadsheet by clicking Tools -> Script Editor. In the Script Editor, add the following function to populate a spreadsheet with the results of an OData query:

function retrieve(){ var url = "https://MyUrl/api.rsc/Forms?select=Id,Id,Title,Status"; var response = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url,{ headers: {"Authorization": "Basic " + Utilities.base64Encode("MyUser:MyAuthtoken")} }); var json = response.getContentText(); var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet(); var a1 = sheet.getRange('a1'); var index=1; var forms = JSON.parse(json).value; var cols = [["Id","Id","Title","Status"]]; sheet.getRange(1,1,1,4).setValues(cols); row=2; for(var i in forms){ for (var j in forms[i]) { switch (j) { case "Id": a1.offset(row,0).setValue(account[i][j]); break; case "Id": a1.offset(row,1).setValue(account[i][j]); break; case "Title": a1.offset(row,2).setValue(account[i][j]); break; case "Status": a1.offset(row,3).setValue(account[i][j]); break; } } row++; } }

Follow the steps below to add an installable trigger to populate the spreadsheet when opened:

  1. Click Resources -> Current Project's Triggers -> Add a New Trigger.
  2. Select retrieve in the Run menu.
  3. Select From Spreadsheet.
  4. Select On open.

After closing the dialog, you are prompted to allow access to the application.

You can test the script by clicking Publish -> Test as Add-On. Select the version, installation type, and spreadsheet to create a test configuration. You can then select and run the test configuration.

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CData API Server