scriptPilot / google-calendar-correction

Apply corrections to Google Calendar events on any update to enforce golden rules. Made with Google Apps Script.

Google Calendar Correction

Apply corrections to Google Calendar events on any update to enforce golden rules. Made with Google Apps Script.

Related to Google Calendar Synchronization.

Installation

1. Backup all Google Calendars to be able to restore them if something went wrong
2. Open Google Apps Script and create a new project Google Calendar Correction
3. Replace Code.gs file content with this code
4. Click at the + next to Services, add Google Calendar API v3 as Calendar

Usage

Click at the + next to Files to add a new script file, you can name it onCalendarUpdate.

Now you can copy and paste the following example code:

function onCalendarUpdate() {
  runCorrection('Work', '2023-01-01', event => {     
    event.colorId = event.transparency === 'transparent' ? '10' : '11'
    return event
  })
}

Or with comments:

// This function is called by the trigger
// You should modify the name, start date and correction function to your needs
function onCalendarUpdate() {
  // Run the correction with some options
  runCorrection(
    // The name of the calendar
    'Work',         
    // The start date (YYYY-MM-DD, corrections are applied from this date)
    '2023-01-01',  
    // Correction function, event as input 
    event => {     
      // In this example, "busy" events are painted red, "free" events green 
      event.colorId = event.transparency === 'transparent' ? '10' : '11'
      // Do not forget to return the corrected event
      return event
    }
  )
}

Further reading for the correction function: Google API Documentation and color IDs

Finally, save the changes and run the onCalendarUpdate function manually.

On the first run, you have to grant permissions (calendar access) to the script.

Manually

Run the function onCalendarUpdate() to correct all events from the start date.

At the first run, all events after the start date are corrected. With any other run, only modified events after the start date are corrected.

Trigger

Create a trigger for the onCalendarUpdate function, triggered by calendar updates and with the respected calendar id.

Now, on every calendar update, the events are corrected automatically if required.

Multiple Calendars

Copy the onCalendarUpdate function, for example as onWorkCalendarUpdate or onFamilyCalendarUpdate.

onWorkCalendarUpdate() {
  runCorrection('Work', '2023-01-01', event => {
    ...
    return event
  })
}
onFamilyCalendarUpdate() {
  runCorrection('Family', '2023-01-01', event => {
    ...
    return event
  })
}

Create a trigger per calendar, select each time a different on...CalendarUpdate function and insert a different calendar ID.

Exclude synchronized events

Events created by the Google Calendar Synchronization can be excluded from correction:

runCorrection('Family', '2023-01-01', event => {
  if (event.extendedProperties?.private?.sourceCalendarId) return event
  ...
})

Reset

After any modification to the onCalendarUpdate function, you should run the function resetScript to reset the script and allow correction of all events from the start date again accordingly.

Changelog

v1

• Initial release

v1.1

• onCalendarUpdate function removed from the Code.gs file
• .clasp.json file removed from the repository

v1.2

• consider hidden calendars

Development

Requirements

• Node.js and NPM installed
• Command Line Apps Script Projects installed globally

Installation

1. Clone this repository
2. Run clasp login to login to Google if not done before
3. Run clasp create --type standalone --rootDir lib --title "Google Calendar Correction" to create a new Apps Script Project
4. Run mv lib/.clasp.json .clasp.json to move the CLASP config file to the project root

Workflow

• Run clasp push to replace the remote files with the local ones
• Run clasp open to open the project in the Cloud IDE
• Run clasp pull to replace the local files with the remote ones
• Run node buildscript.js to build the Code.gs file