Extend Google Sheets with Trello Data



Make calls to the API Server from Google Apps Script.

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

Set Up the API Server

Follow the steps below to begin producing secure Trello 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 Trello

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

Trello uses token-based authentication to grant third-party applications access to their API. When a user has granted an application access to their data, the application is given a token that can be used to make requests to Trello's API.

Trello's API can be accessed in 2 different ways. The first is using Trello's own Authorization Route, and the second is using OAuth1.0.

  • Authorization Route: At the moment of registration, Trello assigns an API key and Token to the account. See the Help documentation for information on how to connect via the Authorization route.
  • OAuth Route: Similar to using Authorization, OAuth creates an Application Id and Secret when you create your account. See the Help documentation for information on how to to connect.

You can then choose the Trello 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 Trello 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/Boards?select=Id,BoardId,Name,Name"; 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 boards = JSON.parse(json).value; var cols = [["Id","BoardId","Name","Name"]]; sheet.getRange(1,1,1,4).setValues(cols); row=2; for(var i in boards){ for (var j in boards[i]) { switch (j) { case "Id": a1.offset(row,0).setValue(account[i][j]); break; case "BoardId": a1.offset(row,1).setValue(account[i][j]); break; case "Name": a1.offset(row,2).setValue(account[i][j]); break; case "Name": 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.

Ready to get started?

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CData API Server