Google Apps Script: How to pull values from column A based on values in column E and send all values in one email? - email

Question

I'm trying to create a script for a student attendance spreadsheet that will look in Column E for the string "X". For each instance of "X", the string from column A (the student name) will be added to the body of an email. I'm pretty new to JavaScript, although I have been studying the basics. I've done a lot of research and found some scripts I was able to modify to send an individual email for each instance of X in E. However, I have not been able to figure out how to combine that information into a single email.
Here's what I have so far:
function Email_ReminderNS() {
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheetByName("July_August"),
EMAIL_SENT = "EMAIL_SENT",
statusArray = sheet.getDataRange().getValues();
var class = statusArray[0][8],
status = "X",
email = "XXXX"
for (i=7;i < statusArray.length;i++){
var emailSent = statusArray[i][84];
if (status == statusArray[i][4] & emailSent != EMAIL_SENT) {
var student = statusArray[i][0];
var body = "This is a No-Show Report for " +student+ " from " + class;
var subject = "No-Show Report for " + student+ " from " + class;
MailApp.sendEmail(email,subject,body,{NoReply : true});
sheet.getRange(i+1, 85).setValue(EMAIL_SENT);
SpreadsheetApp.flush();
}
}
}
I realize I'll probably need to move the sendEmail function to be outside the IF statement. I tried to create an array with the names and join those into a string and add it to the body of the email, but I've had no luck. It just ended up sending the last name instead of all of them.
If anyone has any suggestions for me I would be deeply grateful.

Answer 1

First set up variables to keep track of which student did not show up:
var students = [];
var student_rows = [];
Then, add student to these arrays when X is found:
if (status == statusArray[i][4] & emailSent != EMAIL_SENT) {
var student = statusArray[i][0];
students.push(student);
student_rows.push(i+1);
}
Then send the email with all student names combined (outside of the for loop like you said)
var body = "This is a No-Show Report for " + students.join(', ') + " from " + class;
var subject = "No-Show Report for " + students.join(', ') + " from " + class;
MailApp.sendEmail(email,subject,body,{NoReply : true});
Finally update the spreadsheet indicating which names were in that email:
for (var i=0; i<student_rows.length; i++) {
sheet.getRange(student_rows[i], 85).setValue(EMAIL_SENT);
SpreadsheetApp.flush();
}
Here's the complete script:
function Email_ReminderNS() {
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheetByName("July_August"),
EMAIL_SENT = "EMAIL_SENT",
statusArray = sheet.getDataRange().getValues();
var class = statusArray[0][8],
status = "X",
email = "francis#bposolutions.com";
var students = [];
var student_rows = [];
for (i=7;i < statusArray.length;i++){
var emailSent = statusArray[i][84];
if (status == statusArray[i][4] & emailSent != EMAIL_SENT) {
var student = statusArray[i][0];
students.push(student);
student_rows.push(i+1);
}
}
var body = "This is a No-Show Report for " + students.join(', ') + " from " + class;
var subject = "No-Show Report for " + students.join(', ') + " from " + class;
MailApp.sendEmail(email,subject,body,{NoReply : true});
for (var i=0; i<student_rows.length; i++) {
sheet.getRange(student_rows[i], 85).setValue(EMAIL_SENT);
SpreadsheetApp.flush();
}
}

Answer 2

There are probably many ways to implement a new version of your code, the other answer probably works but I think it can be improved (a bit).
First of all, you can get rid of the flush method that does nothing else than slowing down the function (it was originally used in the Google example to check the sent status row by row, it is useless when we send only one mail with all the data in it)
Secondly, it might be a good idea to use html format to get a better looking result.
And lastly, it is good practice to write back to the sheet using one setValues instead of multiple setValue() in a loop.
Here is a possible replacement code, you'll have to "tune" it to your needs to eventually improve the message format but the main structure is there and working.
function Email_ReminderNS() {
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheetByName("July_August"),
statusArray = sheet.getDataRange().getValues();
var email = Session.getActiveUser().getEmail(); //replace with the email you want, this value will send mails to you I used it for test.
var class = statusArray[0][8],
status = "X",
students = [];
for (var i=7;i < statusArray.length; i++){
var emailSent = statusArray[i][84];
if (status == statusArray[i][4] & emailSent != "EMAIL_SENT") {
students.push(statusArray[i][0]);
statusArray[i][84]="EMAIL_SENT";
}
}
var subject = "No-Show Report for " + students.length + " from " + class;
var textBody = "This is a No-Show Report for " +students.length+ " from " + class+"\n";
var HTMLBody = "<b>This is a No-Show Report for " +students.length+ " from " + class+"</b><br><br>"
+'<table style="background-color:lightblue;border-collapse:collapse;" border = 1 cellpadding = 5><th>Sent Mails</th><tr>';
for(var n in students){
HTMLBody += '<tr><td>'+n+'</td><td>'+statusArray[n][0]+'</td></tr>';
textBody += '\n'+n+' - '+statusArray[n][0];
}
HTMLBody+='</table><BR> kind regards.' ;
textBody+='\n\nKind regards';
Logger.log(HTMLBody);
Logger.log(textBody);
MailApp.sendEmail(email,subject,textBody,{'NoReply' : true, 'htmlBody' : HTMLBody});
sheet.getRange(1,1,statusArray.length,statusArray[0].length).setValues(statusArray);
}