Set "Left Indent" for a table in Google Docs using Google Apps Script

6
votes

We can set the left indent for a table in Google Docs manually by right clicking on the table and selecting "Table Properties":

enter image description here

I have tried to achieve the same using Google Apps Script by setting the INDENT_FIRST_LINE and INDENT_START attributes, but there is no effect on the table:

var style = {};
style[DocumentApp.Attribute.INDENT_FIRST_LINE] = 72;
style[DocumentApp.Attribute.INDENT_START] = 72; 

body.insertTable(elementIndex, table).setAttributes(style);

How can I set the same property for a table using Google Apps Script? Is there an alternate way to achieve the same?

Please star this issue so that Google team takes it on priority:

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/36764951

2
google-apps-scriptgoogle-docs-api

2 Answers

0
votes

Since Apps Script does not provide this feature. I ended up doing the following:

  • create an outer table with two columns. Set the border width to zero
  • the width of the first column is the length of the indentation required
  • the width of the second column is the width of the actual table
  • insert the table into the second column. The resulting document looks like as if the table has been indented

Following is the sample script for the above algorithm:

var insertTableWithIndentation = function(body, 
                                        document, 
                                        originalTable, 
                                        elementIndex, 
                                        nestingLevel) {

  var docWidth = (document.getPageWidth() - 
                  document.getMarginLeft() - 
                  document.getMarginRight());

  var table = body.insertTable(elementIndex);
  var attrs = table.getAttributes();
  attrs['BORDER_WIDTH'] = 0;
  table.setAttributes(attrs);

  var row = table.appendTableRow();
  var column1Width = (nestingLevel+1) * 36;
  row.appendTableCell().setWidth(column1Width);

  var cell = row.appendTableCell();
  var column2Width = docWidth - column1Width;
  cell.setPaddingTop(0)
      .setPaddingBottom(0)
      .setPaddingLeft(0)
      .setPaddingRight(0)
      .setWidth(column2Width);

  cell.insertTable(0, originalTable);
}
0
votes

I came here looking for how to setup an envelope. The following worked for me: It was key to setMarginLeft AFTER appending the paragraphs.

const env = DocumentApp.create('Envelope');
  let body = env.getBody();
  body.setPageHeight(420);
  body.setPageWidth(600);
  for(let i = 1; i< 10; i += 1){
    body.appendParagraph('');
  }
  body.appendParagraph('Name');
  body.appendParagraph('Address');
  body.appendParagraph('Address');
  body.appendParagraph('City, State, Zip');
  body.setMarginLeft(300);

An alternate solution would use setIndentFirstLine like:

  par = body.appendParagraph('City, State, Zip');
  par.setIndentFirstLine(20);