Google Script shift scheduler using Google sheet

Question

I am still learning Google Script, Now I am working in a project to automate the shift schedule creation using Google sheet

I managed to find some scripts in how to get a certain range and fill it in a specific cell with certain values with some simple conditions and loops

var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
var sheet = ss.getActiveSheet();
var rangeData = sheet.getDataRange();
var lastColumn = rangeData.getLastColumn();
var lastRow = rangeData.getLastRow();
var searchRange = sheet.getRange(2,2, lastRow-1, lastColumn-1);

function onOpen() {
  ui.createMenu('Checker')
  .addItem('Bad Way', 'badWay')
  .addItem('Good Way', 'goodWay')
  .addToUi();
};

/* 
BAD - Go to each cell and see if it contains a value
and then fill in the background if it contains a dash or 
zero 
*/
function badWay() {
  //Loop through each column and each row in the sheet.
  for(i = 1; i < lastColumn; i++){
    for (j = 1; j < lastRow ; j++){
      var cell = searchRange.getCell(j,i).getValue();
      if (cell === "-"){
        sheet.getRange(j+1,i+1).setBackground("#cc4125");
      }else if (cell === 0){
        sheet.getRange(j+1,i+1).setBackground("#e69138");
      };
    };
  };

};

/*
GOOD - Create a client-side array of the relevant data
search through the array and if there is a dash or zero,
then add the relevant background color. 
*/
function goodWay() {
  // Get array of values in the search Range
  var rangeValues = searchRange.getValues();
  // Loop through array and if condition met, add relevant
  // background color.
  for ( i = 0; i < lastColumn - 1; i++){
    for ( j = 0 ; j < lastRow - 1; j++){
      if(rangeValues[j][i] === "-"){
        sheet.getRange(j+2,i+2).setBackground("#cc4125");
      }else if (rangeValues[j][i] === 0){
        sheet.getRange(j+2,i+2).setBackground("#e69138");
      }; 
    };
  };

};

But the problem is more complicated, I need to ensure a few conditions before allowing the script to fill the schedule like:

• Every day there must be a minimum No. of employees in each shift.
• Each employee can't work more than 5 days a week, (2 days off but not necessarily sequenced)

Shifts would look like this:

Any idea how to implement this in google script and without using other external software?

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

This code will help you with what you want (Days off are empty cells):

var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
var sheet = ss.getActiveSheet();
var rangeData = sheet.getDataRange();
var lastColumn = rangeData.getLastColumn();
var lastRow = rangeData.getLastRow();
var searchRange = sheet.getRange(2, 2, lastRow-1, lastColumn-1);
var daysNotWorkedCounter = 0;
var numberEmpls = 0;
var emplWorkingDay = 0;
var emplWorkingNight = 0;

function onOpen() {
  var entries = [{
    name : "Good Way",
    functionName : "goodWay"
  }]
  ss.addMenu('Checker', entries);
};


/*
GOOD - Create a client-side array of the relevant data
search through the array and if there is a dash or zero,
then add the relevant background color. 
*/
function goodWay() {
  var rangeValues = searchRange.getValues();
  daysWorkedByWeek(rangeValues);
  numbDailyEmp(rangeValues);
}

/*
  It checks for every user if he/she has worked more than two days
  It also sets to red the cells where are days off
*/
function daysWorkedByWeek(rangeValues){
  // It checks all cols in a row
  for(row = 0 ; row < lastRow - 1; row++){
    daysNotWorkedCounter = 0;
    for (col = 0; col < lastColumn - 1; col++){
      // If there is a day off (empty cell), then set a color to that cell
      // and count the day the empl is not working
      if(!rangeValues[row][col] && col !== 0){
        sheet.getRange(row+2,col+2).setBackground("#ff0000");
        daysNotWorkedCounter++;
        // If there are more than two that week, Log a message 
        if(daysNotWorkedCounter > 2){
          Logger.log("This employee has worked more than two days in a week: " + sheet.getRange(row+2,1).getValues());
        }
      }
      // If 7 days passed (one week), restart the counter
      if(col % 7 === 0) daysNotWorkedCounter = 0;  
    }
  }
}

/*
  For every day it checks how many employees are working in each shift 
*/
function numbDailyEmp(rangeValues){
  // It checks all rows in a col
  for (col = 0; col < lastColumn - 1; col++){
    emplWorkingDay = 0;
    emplWorkingNight = 0;
    for(row = 0 ; row < lastRow - 1; row++){
      // Checks empls working that day
      if(rangeValues[row][col] && col !== 0){
        // Count the numbers of empls depending in the shift
        if(rangeValues[row][0] === "Morning") emplWorkingDay++;
        else if (rangeValues[row][0] === "Night") emplWorkingNight++; 
      }
    }
    // Log a message with the number of empls working in a shift that day
    if(col !== 0){
      Logger.log("Number of employees working at day " +  emplWorkingDay);
      Logger.log("Number of employees working at night " + emplWorkingNight);
      // if there are less than a min, then Log a message
      if(emplWorkingDay < 6 || emplWorkingNight < 6){
        Logger.log("Not enough working that day")
      }
    }
  }
}

Notice how I added two functions (daysWorkedByWeek and numbDailyEmp) to separate the two tasks you were requiring

daysWorkedByWeek checks for every employee the number of days he/she has had off by a week.

/*
  It checks for every user if he/she has worked more than two days
  It also sets to red the cells where are days off
*/
function daysWorkedByWeek(rangeValues){
  // It checks all cols in a row
  for(row = 0 ; row < lastRow - 1; row++){
    daysNotWorkedCounter = 0;
    for (col = 0; col < lastColumn - 1; col++){
      // If there is a day off (empty cell), then set a color to that cell
      // and count the day the empl is not working
      if(!rangeValues[row][col] && col !== 0){
        sheet.getRange(row+2,col+2).setBackground("#ff0000");
        daysNotWorkedCounter++;
        // If there are more than two that week, Log a message 
        if(daysNotWorkedCounter > 2){
          Logger.log("This employee has worked more than two days in a week: " + sheet.getRange(row+2,1).getValues());
        }
      }
      // If 7 days passed (one week), restart the counter
      if(col % 7 === 0) daysNotWorkedCounter = 0;  
    }
  }
}

numbDailyEmp checks for every day if the minimum amount of employees are working that day depending in their shifts.

/*
  For every day it checks how many employees are working in each shift 
*/
function numbDailyEmp(rangeValues){
  // It checks all rows in a col
  for (col = 0; col < lastColumn - 1; col++){
    emplWorkingDay = 0;
    emplWorkingNight = 0;
    for(row = 0 ; row < lastRow - 1; row++){
      // Checks empls working that day
      if(rangeValues[row][col] && col !== 0){
        // Count the numbers of empls depending in the shift
        if(rangeValues[row][0] === "Morning") emplWorkingDay++;
        else if (rangeValues[row][0] === "Night") emplWorkingNight++; 
      }
    }
    // Log a message with the number of empls working in a shift that day
    if(col !== 0){
      Logger.log("Number of employees working at day " +  emplWorkingDay);
      Logger.log("Number of employees working at night " + emplWorkingNight);
      // if there are less than a min, then Log a message
      if(emplWorkingDay < 6 || emplWorkingNight < 6){
        Logger.log("Not enough working that day")
      }
    }
  }
}

Docs

For best practices I recommend you check:

• Best Practices