Managing schedules, deadlines, and projects becomes significantly easier when you have a clear overview of upcoming holidays. Unfortunately, manually updating your Google Sheets with the latest holiday information can be time-consuming and prone to errors. In this blog post, I will walk you through how to automate this process using Google Apps Script, tapping into the power of the Calendarific API to fetch and display public holidays based on your specified country and year. This tutorial is suitable for anyone looking to streamline their planning and scheduling tasks in Google Sheets, regardless of their coding experience.
First things first, you’ll need to access the Google Apps Script environment. Open your Google Sheet, click on “Extensions” in the menu bar, and select “Apps Script.” This opens the script editor, where you’ll write your automation code. Don’t worry if you’re new to coding; I’ll guide you through each step.
Creating the Script: The script consists of several key functions, each serving a unique purpose in the automation process. We start with the onOpen() function, which creates a custom menu in your Google Sheets UI, allowing you to interact with the script directly from your spreadsheet. This is where you’ll find the option to set the country and year for your holiday data.
Next, we have the setHolidays() function. This piece of the script prompts you to enter the country code and year for which you want to track holidays. It’s user-friendly and ensures that you provide the necessary information before moving forward.
Fetching and Displaying Holidays: The core of our script is the getHolidays() function. Here, we make an API request to Calendarific, retrieve holiday information, and parse the returned JSON data. The script then populates your Google Sheet with the holiday details, organizing everything neatly and ensuring your planning is based on accurate and up-to-date information.
Handling duplicates is crucial, as we don’t want the same holiday listed multiple times. The removeDuplicates() function takes care of this, maintaining a clean and organized sheet.
Automating holiday tracking in Google Sheets not only saves time but also reduces the risk of errors. Whether you’re managing personal projects or coordinating a team, having immediate access to correct holiday dates can significantly improve your planning efficiency.
By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have a powerful tool at your disposal, customizable to any country and year. And this is just the beginning; Google Apps Script offers endless possibilities to automate and enhance your Google Sheets experience.
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