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Extend Google Sheets with SharePoint Data
Make calls to the API Server from Google Apps Script.
Interact with SharePoint data from Google Sheets through macros, custom functions, and add-ons. The CData API Server, when paired with the ADO.NET Provider for SharePoint (or any of 200+ other ADO.NET Providers), enables connectivity to SharePoint data from cloud-based and mobile applications like Google Sheets. The API Server is a lightweight Web application that produces OData services for SharePoint 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 MyCustomList data and, as you make changes, executes updates to SharePoint data.
About SharePoint Data Integration
Accessing and integrating live data from SharePoint has never been easier with CData. Customers rely on CData connectivity to:
- Access data from a wide range of SharePoint versions, including Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and above, and SharePoint Online.
- Access all of SharePoint thanks to support for Hidden and Lookup columns.
- Recursively scan folders to create a relational model of all SharePoint data.
- Use SQL stored procedures to upload and download documents and attachments.
Most customers rely on CData solutions to integrate SharePoint data into their database or data warehouse, while others integrate their SharePoint data with preferred data tools, like Power BI, Tableau, or Excel.
For more information on how customers are solving problems with CData's SharePoint solutions, refer to our blog: Drivers in Focus: Collaboration Tools.
Getting Started
Set Up the API Server
Follow the steps below to begin producing secure SharePoint 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 SharePoint
After you deploy the API Server and the ADO.NET Provider for SharePoint, provide authentication values and other connection properties needed to connect to SharePoint by clicking Settings -> Connections and adding a new connection in the API Server administration console.
Set the URL property to the base SharePoint site or to a sub-site. This allows you to query any lists and other SharePoint entities defined for the site or sub-site.
The User and Password properties, under the Authentication section, must be set to valid SharePoint user credentials when using SharePoint On-Premise.
If you are connecting to SharePoint Online, set the SharePointEdition to SHAREPOINTONLINE along with the User and Password connection string properties. For more details on connecting to SharePoint Online, see the "Getting Started" chapter of the help documentation
You can then choose the SharePoint 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 SharePoint 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/MyCustomList?select=Id,Name,Revenue,Location";
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 mycustomlist = JSON.parse(json).value;
var cols = [["Id","Name","Revenue","Location"]];
sheet.getRange(1,1,1,4).setValues(cols);
row=2;
for(var i in mycustomlist){
for (var j in mycustomlist[i]) {
switch (j) {
case "Id":
a1.offset(row,0).setValue(account[i][j]);
break;
case "Name":
a1.offset(row,1).setValue(account[i][j]);
break;
case "Revenue":
a1.offset(row,2).setValue(account[i][j]);
break;
case "Location":
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:
- Click Resources -> Current Project's Triggers -> Add a New Trigger.
- Select retrieve in the Run menu.
- Select From Spreadsheet.
- Select On open.
After closing the dialog, you are prompted to allow access to the application.
Post Changes to SharePoint Data
Add the following function to post changes to cells back to the API Server:
function buildReq(e){
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
var changes = e.range;
var id = sheet.getRange(changes.getRow(),1).getValue();
var col = sheet.getRange(1,changes.getColumn()).getValue();
var url = "http://MyServer/api.rsc/MyCustomList("+id+")";
var putdata = "{\"@odata.type\" : \"CDataAPI.MyCustomList\", \""+col+"\": \""+changes.getValue()+"\"}";;
UrlFetchApp.fetch(url,{
method: "put",
contentType: "application/json",
payload: putdata,
headers: {"Authorization": "Basic " + Utilities.base64Encode("MyUser:MyAuthtoken")}
});
}
Follow the steps below to add the update trigger:
- Click Resources -> Current Project's Triggers.
- Select buildReq in the Run menu.
- Select From Spreadsheet.
- Select On edit.
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.
As you make changes to cells, the API Server executes updates to SharePoint data.
