Record time & activities in Calendar & Sheets

Coding level: Beginner
Duration: 15 minutes
Project type: Automation with a custom menu

Objectives

Understand what the solution does.
Understand what the Apps Script services do within the solution.
Set up your environment.
Set up the script.
Run the script.

About this solution

Keep track of time spent on projects for customers. You can record your project-related time in Google Calendar, then sync it with Google Sheets to create a timesheet or import your activity into another timesheet management system. You can categorize your time by customer, project, and task.

Events in Calendar and Sheets

How it works

The script provides a sidebar that lets you select the calendars to sync, the time period to sync with, and whether to overwrite event titles and descriptions with information entered in the spreadsheet. Once those settings are configured, you can sync events and view your activities on a dashboard.

The script brings in events from the calendars and time period you specify from Calendar to the spreadsheet. You can add customers, projects, and tasks to the categories sheet and then tag the events accordingly in the hours sheet. This way, when you view the dashboard sheet, you can view total time by customer, project, and task.

Apps Script services

This solution uses the following services:

HTML service–Builds the sidebar used to configure synchronization settings.
Properties service–Stores the settings the user selects on the sidebar.
Calendar service–Sends the event information to the spreadsheet.
Spreadsheet service–Writes the events to the spreadsheet, and if configured, sends updated title and description information to Calendar.

Prerequisites

To use this sample, you need the following prerequisites:

A Google Account (Google Workspace accounts might require administrator approval).
A web browser with access to the internet.

Set up your environment

If you plan to use an existing calendar, you can skip this step.

Go to calendar.google.com.
Next to Other calendars, click Add other calendars > Create new calendar.
Name your calendar and click Create calendar.
Add some events to the calendar.

Set up the script

Click the following button to make a copy of the Record time and activities sample spreadsheet. The Apps Script project for this solution is attached to the spreadsheet.
Make a copy

Run the script

Sync calendar events

Click myTime > Settings. You might need to refresh the page for this custom menu to appear.
When prompted, authorize the script. If the OAuth consent screen displays the warning, This app isn't verified, continue by selecting Advanced > Go to {Project Name} (unsafe).
Click myTime > Settings again.
From the list of available calendars, select the calendar you created and any other calendars you want to sync.
Configure the rest of the settings and click Save.
Click myTime > Sync calendar events.

Set up the dashboard

Go to the Categories sheet.
Add customers, projects, and tasks.
Go to the Hours sheet.
For each synced event, select the customer, project, and task.
Go to the Dashboard sheet.
- The first section provides daily totals. To update the list of dates for the daily totals, change the date in cell A1.
- The next section provides weekly totals and corresponds to the date selected in A1.
- The last three sections provide overall totals by task, project, and customer.

Review the code

To review the Apps Script code for this solution, click View source code below:

View source code

Code.gs

solutions/automations/calendar-timesheet/Code.js

View on GitHub

// To learn how to use this script, refer to the documentation:
// https://developers.google.com/apps-script/samples/automations/calendar-timesheet

/*
Copyright 2022 Jasper Duizendstra

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at

    https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.
*/

/**
 * Runs when the spreadsheet is opened and adds the menu options
 * to the spreadsheet menu
 */
const onOpen = () => {
  SpreadsheetApp.getUi()
    .createMenu('myTime')
    .addItem('Sync calendar events', 'run')
    .addItem('Settings', 'settings')
    .addToUi();
};

/**
 * Opens the sidebar
 */
const settings = () => {
  const html = HtmlService.createHtmlOutputFromFile('Page')
    .setTitle('Settings');

  SpreadsheetApp.getUi().showSidebar(html);
};

/**
* returns the settings from the script properties
*/
const getSettings = () => {
  const settings = {};

  // get the current settings
  const savedCalendarSettings = JSON.parse(PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().getProperty('calendar') || '[]');

  // get the primary calendar
  const primaryCalendar = CalendarApp.getAllCalendars()
    .filter((cal) => cal.isMyPrimaryCalendar())
    .map((cal) => ({
      name: 'Primary calendar',
      id: cal.getId()
    }));

  // get the secondary calendars
  const secundaryCalendars = CalendarApp.getAllCalendars()
    .filter((cal) => cal.isOwnedByMe() && !cal.isMyPrimaryCalendar())
    .map((cal) => ({
      name: cal.getName(),
      id: cal.getId()
    }));

  // the current available calendars
  const availableCalendars = primaryCalendar.concat(secundaryCalendars);

  // find any calendars that were removed
  const unavailebleCalendars = [];
  savedCalendarSettings.forEach((savedCalendarSetting) => {
    if (!availableCalendars.find((availableCalendar) => availableCalendar.id === savedCalendarSetting.id)) {
      unavailebleCalendars.push(savedCalendarSetting);
    }
  });

  // map the current settings to the available calendars
  const calendarSettings = availableCalendars.map((availableCalendar) => {
    if (savedCalendarSettings.find((savedCalendar) => savedCalendar.id === availableCalendar.id)) {
      availableCalendar.sync = true;

    }
    return availableCalendar;
  });

  // add the calendar settings to the settings
  settings.calendarSettings = calendarSettings;

  const savedFrom = PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().getProperty('syncFrom');
  settings.syncFrom = savedFrom;

  const savedTo = PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().getProperty('syncTo');
  settings.syncTo = savedTo;

  const savedIsUpdateTitle = PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().getProperty('isUpdateTitle') === 'true';
  settings.isUpdateCalendarItemTitle = savedIsUpdateTitle;

  const savedIsUseCategoriesAsCalendarItemTitle = PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().getProperty('isUseCategoriesAsCalendarItemTitle') === 'true';
  settings.isUseCategoriesAsCalendarItemTitle = savedIsUseCategoriesAsCalendarItemTitle;

  const savedIsUpdateDescription = PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().getProperty('isUpdateDescription') === 'true';
  settings.isUpdateCalendarItemDescription = savedIsUpdateDescription;

  return settings;
};

/**
* Saves the settings from the sidebar
*/
const saveSettings = (settings) => {
  PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().setProperty('calendar', JSON.stringify(settings.calendarSettings));
  PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().setProperty('syncFrom', settings.syncFrom);
  PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().setProperty('syncTo', settings.syncTo);
  PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().setProperty('isUpdateTitle', settings.isUpdateCalendarItemTitle);
  PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().setProperty('isUseCategoriesAsCalendarItemTitle', settings.isUseCategoriesAsCalendarItemTitle);
  PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().setProperty('isUpdateDescription', settings.isUpdateCalendarItemDescription);
  return 'Settings saved';
};

/**
 * Builds the myTime object and runs the synchronisation
 */
const run = () => {
  'use strict';
  myTime({
    mainSpreadsheetId: SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getId(),
  }).run();
};

/**
 * The main function used for the synchronisation
 * @param {Object} par The main parameter object.
 * @return {Object} The myTime Object.
 */
const myTime = (par) => {
  'use strict';

  /**
  * Format the sheet
  */
  const formatSheet = () => {
    // sort decending on start date 
    hourSheet.sort(3, false);

    // hide the technical columns
    hourSheet.hideColumns(1, 2);

    // remove any extra rows
    if (hourSheet.getLastRow() > 1 && hourSheet.getLastRow() < hourSheet.getMaxRows()) {
      hourSheet.deleteRows(hourSheet.getLastRow() + 1, hourSheet.getMaxRows() - hourSheet.getLastRow());
    }

    // set the validation for the customers
    let rule = SpreadsheetApp.newDataValidation()
      .requireValueInRange(categoriesSheet.getRange('A2:A'), true)
      .setAllowInvalid(true)
      .build();
    hourSheet.getRange('I2:I').setDataValidation(rule);

    // set the validation for the projects
    rule = SpreadsheetApp.newDataValidation()
      .requireValueInRange(categoriesSheet.getRange('B2:B'), true)
      .setAllowInvalid(true)
      .build();
    hourSheet.getRange('J2:J').setDataValidation(rule);

    // set the validation for the tsaks
    rule = SpreadsheetApp.newDataValidation()
      .requireValueInRange(categoriesSheet.getRange('C2:C'), true)
      .setAllowInvalid(true)
      .build();
    hourSheet.getRange('K2:K').setDataValidation(rule);

    if(isUseCategoriesAsCalendarItemTitle) {
      hourSheet.getRange('L2:L').setFormulaR1C1('IF(OR(R[0]C[-3]="tbd";R[0]C[-2]="tbd";R[0]C[-1]="tbd");""; CONCATENATE(R[0]C[-3];"|";R[0]C[-2];"|";R[0]C[-1];"|"))');
    }
    // set the hours, month, week and number collumns
    hourSheet.getRange('P2:P').setFormulaR1C1('=IF(R[0]C[-12]="";"";R[0]C[-12]-R[0]C[-13])');
    hourSheet.getRange('Q2:Q').setFormulaR1C1('=IF(R[0]C[-13]="";"";month(R[0]C[-13]))');
    hourSheet.getRange('R2:R').setFormulaR1C1('=IF(R[0]C[-14]="";"";WEEKNUM(R[0]C[-14];2))');
    hourSheet.getRange('S2:S').setFormulaR1C1('=R[0]C[-3]');
  };

  /**
     * Activate the synchronisation
     */
  function run() {
    console.log('Started processing hours.');

    const processCalendar = (setting) => {
      SpreadsheetApp.flush();

      // current calendar info
      const calendarName = setting.name;
      const calendarId = setting.id;

      console.log(`processing ${calendarName} with the id ${calendarId} from ${syncStartDate} to ${syncEndDate}`);

      // get the calendar
      const calendar = CalendarApp.getCalendarById(calendarId);

      // get the calendar events and create lookups
      const events = calendar.getEvents(syncStartDate, syncEndDate);
      const eventsLookup = events.reduce((jsn, event) => {
        jsn[event.getId()] = event;
        return jsn;
      }, {});

      // get the sheet events and create lookups
      const existingEvents = hourSheet.getDataRange().getValues().slice(1);
      const existingEventsLookUp = existingEvents.reduce((jsn, row, index) => {
        if (row[0] !== calendarId) {
          return jsn;
        }
        jsn[row[1]] = {
          event: row,
          row: index + 2
        };
        return jsn;
      }, {});

      // handle a calendar event
      const handleEvent = (event) => {
        const eventId = event.getId();

        // new event
        if (!existingEventsLookUp[eventId]) {
          hourSheet.appendRow([
            calendarId,
            eventId,
            event.getStartTime(),
            event.getEndTime(),
            calendarName,
            event.getCreators().join(','),
            event.getTitle(),
            event.getDescription(),
            event.getTag('Client') || 'tbd',
            event.getTag('Project') || 'tbd',
            event.getTag('Task') || 'tbd',
            (isUpdateCalendarItemTitle) ? '' : event.getTitle(),
            (isUpdateCalendarItemDescription) ? '' : event.getDescription(),
            event.getGuestList().map((guest) => guest.getEmail()).join(','),
            event.getLocation(),
            undefined,
            undefined,
            undefined,
            undefined
          ]);
          return true;
        }

        // existing event
        const exisitingEvent = existingEventsLookUp[eventId].event;
        const exisitingEventRow = existingEventsLookUp[eventId].row;

        if (event.getStartTime() - exisitingEvent[startTimeColumn - 1] !== 0) {
          hourSheet.getRange(exisitingEventRow, startTimeColumn).setValue(event.getStartTime());
        }

        if (event.getEndTime() - exisitingEvent[endTimeColumn - 1] !== 0) {
          hourSheet.getRange(exisitingEventRow, endTimeColumn).setValue(event.getEndTime());
        }

        if (event.getCreators().join(',') !== exisitingEvent[creatorsColumn - 1]) {
          hourSheet.getRange(exisitingEventRow, creatorsColumn).setValue(event.getCreators()[0]);
        }

        if (event.getGuestList().map((guest) => guest.getEmail()).join(',') !== exisitingEvent[guestListColumn - 1]) {
          hourSheet.getRange(exisitingEventRow, guestListColumn).setValue(event.getGuestList().map((guest) => guest.getEmail()).join(','));
        }

        if (event.getLocation() !== exisitingEvent[locationColumn - 1]) {
          hourSheet.getRange(exisitingEventRow, locationColumn).setValue(event.getLocation());
        }

        if(event.getTitle() !== exisitingEvent[titleColumn - 1]) {
          if(!isUpdateCalendarItemTitle) {
            hourSheet.getRange(exisitingEventRow, titleColumn).setValue(event.getTitle());
          }
          if(isUpdateCalendarItemTitle) {
            event.setTitle(exisitingEvent[titleColumn - 1]);
          }
        }

        if(event.getDescription() !== exisitingEvent[descriptionColumn - 1]) { 
          if(!isUpdateCalendarItemDescription) {
            hourSheet.getRange(exisitingEventRow, descriptionColumn).setValue(event.getDescription());
          }
          if(isUpdateCalendarItemDescription) {
            event.setDescription(exisitingEvent[descriptionColumn - 1]);
          }
        }

        return true;
      };

      // process each event for the calendar
      events.every(handleEvent);

      // remove any events in the sheet that are not in de calendar
      existingEvents.every((event, index) => {
        if (event[0] !== calendarId) {
          return true;
        };

        if (eventsLookup[event[1]]) {
          return true;
        }

        if (event[3] < syncStartDate) {
          return true;
        }

        hourSheet.getRange(index + 2, 1, 1, 20).clear();
        return true;
      });

      return true;
    };

    // process the calendars
    settings.calendarSettings.filter((calenderSetting) => calenderSetting.sync === true).every(processCalendar);

    formatSheet();
    SpreadsheetApp.setActiveSheet(hourSheet);

    console.log('Finished processing hours.');
  }

  const mainSpreadSheetId = par.mainSpreadsheetId;
  const mainSpreadsheet = SpreadsheetApp.openById(mainSpreadSheetId);
  const hourSheet = mainSpreadsheet.getSheetByName('Hours');
  const categoriesSheet = mainSpreadsheet.getSheetByName('Categories');
  const settings = getSettings();

  const syncStartDate = new Date();
  syncStartDate.setDate(syncStartDate.getDate() - Number(settings.syncFrom));

  const syncEndDate = new Date();
  syncEndDate.setDate(syncEndDate.getDate() + Number(settings.syncTo));

  const isUpdateCalendarItemTitle = settings.isUpdateCalendarItemTitle;
  const isUseCategoriesAsCalendarItemTitle = settings.isUseCategoriesAsCalendarItemTitle;
  const isUpdateCalendarItemDescription = settings.isUpdateCalendarItemDescription;

  const startTimeColumn = 3;
  const endTimeColumn = 4;
  const creatorsColumn = 6;
  const originalTitleColumn = 7;
  const originalDescriptionColumn = 8;
  const clientColumn = 9;
  const projectColumn = 10;
  const taskColumn = 11;
  const titleColumn = 12;
  const descriptionColumn = 13;
  const guestListColumn = 14;
  const locationColumn = 15;

  return Object.freeze({
    run: run,
  });
};

Page.html

solutions/automations/calendar-timesheet/Page.html