Export a Google Drive spreadsheet to PDF in Google Drive in the same folder.

readme.md

Export a Google Drive spreadsheet to PDF in Google Drive in the same folder

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Quick Start

To use this script in Google Drive:

1. In your spreadsheet, click Tools->Script Editor.
2. Paste the contents of Code.gs into the editor.
3. Save.
4. Select "Allow" when Google asks about permissions.
5. Reload your spreadsheet.

You should now see a new file menu option, "Export".

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Code.gs

// Simple function to add a menu option to the spreadsheet "Export", for saving a PDF of the spreadsheet directly to Google Drive.
// The exported file will be named: SheetName and saved in the same folder as the spreadsheet.
// To change the filename, just set pdfName inside generatePdf() to something else.

// Running this, sends the currently open sheet, as a PDF attachment
function onOpen() {
  var submenu = [{name:"Save PDF", functionName:"generatePdf"}];
  SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().addMenu('Export', submenu);  
}

function generatePdf() {
  // Get active spreadsheet.
  var sourceSpreadsheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActive();
  
  // Get active sheet.
  var sheets = sourceSpreadsheet.getSheets();
  var sheetName = sourceSpreadsheet.getActiveSheet().getName();
  var sourceSheet = sourceSpreadsheet.getSheetByName(sheetName);
  
  // Set the output filename as SheetName.
  var pdfName = sheetName;

  // Get folder containing spreadsheet to save pdf in.
  var parents = DriveApp.getFileById(sourceSpreadsheet.getId()).getParents();
  if (parents.hasNext()) {
    var folder = parents.next();
  }
  else {
    folder = DriveApp.getRootFolder();
  }
  
  // Copy whole spreadsheet.
  var destSpreadsheet = SpreadsheetApp.open(DriveApp.getFileById(sourceSpreadsheet.getId()).makeCopy("tmp_convert_to_pdf", folder))

  // Delete redundant sheets.
  var sheets = destSpreadsheet.getSheets();
  for (i = 0; i < sheets.length; i++) {
    if (sheets[i].getSheetName() != sheetName){
      destSpreadsheet.deleteSheet(sheets[i]);
    }
  }
  
  var destSheet = destSpreadsheet.getSheets()[0];

  // Repace cell values with text (to avoid broken references).
  var sourceRange = sourceSheet.getRange(1,1,sourceSheet.getMaxRows(),sourceSheet.getMaxColumns());
  var sourcevalues = sourceRange.getValues();
  var destRange = destSheet.getRange(1, 1, destSheet.getMaxRows(), destSheet.getMaxColumns());
  destRange.setValues(sourcevalues);

  // Save to pdf.
  var theBlob = destSpreadsheet.getBlob().getAs('application/pdf').setName(pdfName);
  var newFile = folder.createFile(theBlob);

  // Delete the temporary sheet.
  DriveApp.getFileById(destSpreadsheet.getId()).setTrashed(true);
}

install.txt

To use this script in Google Drive:

1. In your spreadsheet, click Tools->Script Editor.
2. Paste the contents of Code.gs into the editor.
3. Save.
4. Select "Allow" when Google asks about permissions.
5. Reload your spreadsheet.

You should now see a new file menu option, "Export".

Hi, very nice script! i have a small question. I have a spreadsheet with 7 sheets. I want to print the 2nd.
Two things happens. first, the file comes out without a .pdf suffix, secondly i get #REF! errors on all lines referencing another sheet..

Is it because its deleting the scripts deletes reduntant sheets before replacing cell values or am i doing something wrong?

Much appreciated!

Yes indeed. I suggest using hideSheet() instead of deleting it. In this way, you avoid having issues with charts that make use of data in other sheets!

// Hide redundant sheets.
var sheets = destSpreadsheet.getSheets();
for (i = 0; i < sheets.length; i++) {
if (sheets[i].getSheetName() != sheetName){
sheets[i].hideSheet();
}
}

can it be written for automatic download sheet as pdf into pc as series of time frame like ex: daily at 9:30 downloading data as a pdf file . plz help

You could try setting a time-scheduled task to run the script at date/time intervals.

function createTimeDrivenTriggers() {
  // Trigger every 6 hours.
  ScriptApp.newTrigger('getEmails')
      .timeBased()
      .everyHours(1)
      .create();
}

In my case the pdf is not generated only spreadsheet is generated and the file name is temp_convert_to_pdf
What went wrong?

Sorry, there was a data validation error in my sheet.
It is resolved and now its working

Thanks a lot!

Finally a PDF menu button. Thank You!!!

Two questions. How can I save the PDF by the name of a value in a cell. For example, a sales order number that changes. I have attached a tally code to change the number of the SO#in the cell (G5) every time the "create PDF" is pressed and I would like to save each PDF by that SO#. Which brings me to the second question. How can I set this tally code up in a different spread sheet (a data sheet) and the script reference it to change (G5). For example, G5 (sheet 1) = C1(data spreadsheet) where C1 is the tally. Here is what I am currently using.

SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet().getRange('G5').setValue(SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet().getRange('G5').getValue() + 1);

Finally a PDF menu button. Thank You!!!

Two questions. How can I save the PDF by the name of a value in a cell. For example, a sales order number that changes. I have attached a tally code to change the number of the SO#in the cell (G5) every time the "create PDF" is pressed and I would like to save each PDF by that SO#. Which brings me to the second question. How can I set this tally code up in a different spread sheet (a data sheet) and the script reference it to change (G5). For example, G5 (sheet 1) = C1(data spreadsheet) where C1 is the tally. Here is what I am currently using.

SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet().getRange('G5').setValue(SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet().getRange('G5').getValue() + 1);

Figured out the tally from another spreadsheet but still trying to figure out how to save the PDF based on information in a cell on the same sheet and not the sheet name.

Thank you for the code! I want to save a specific range of my visible sheet as PDF. Is there anything that I can add to this code to get a pdf of the desired range? Please help!