Google Spreadsheet JSON ExportHow-to at http://blog.pamelafox.org/2013/06/exporting-google-spreadsheet-as-json.html

exportjson.js

// Includes functions for exporting active sheet or all sheets as JSON object (also Python object syntax compatible).
// Tweak the makePrettyJSON_ function to customize what kind of JSON to export.

var FORMAT_ONELINE   = 'One-line';
var FORMAT_MULTILINE = 'Multi-line';
var FORMAT_PRETTY    = 'Pretty';

var LANGUAGE_JS      = 'JavaScript';
var LANGUAGE_PYTHON  = 'Python';

var STRUCTURE_LIST = 'List';
var STRUCTURE_HASH = 'Hash (keyed by "id" column)';

/* Defaults for this particular spreadsheet, change as desired */
var DEFAULT_FORMAT = FORMAT_PRETTY;
var DEFAULT_LANGUAGE = LANGUAGE_JS;
var DEFAULT_STRUCTURE = STRUCTURE_LIST;
var DEFUALT_NORMALIZE = 'true';
var DEFUALT_DETECT_OBJ = 'true';


function onOpen() {
  var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
  var menuEntries = [
    {name: "Export JSON for this sheet", functionName: "exportSheet"},
    {name: "Export JSON for all sheets", functionName: "exportAllSheets"},
    {name: "Configure export", functionName: "exportOptions"},
  ];
  ss.addMenu("Export JSON", menuEntries);
}
    
    
function exportOptions() {
  var doc = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
  var app = UiApp.createApplication().setTitle('Export JSON');
  
  var grid = app.createGrid(6, 2);
  grid.setWidget(0, 0, makeLabel(app, 'Language:'));
  grid.setWidget(0, 1, makeListBox(app, 'language', [LANGUAGE_JS, LANGUAGE_PYTHON]));
  grid.setWidget(1, 0, makeLabel(app, 'Format:'));
  grid.setWidget(1, 1, makeListBox(app, 'format', [FORMAT_PRETTY, FORMAT_MULTILINE, FORMAT_ONELINE]));
  grid.setWidget(2, 0, makeLabel(app, 'Structure:'));
  grid.setWidget(2, 1, makeListBox(app, 'structure', [STRUCTURE_LIST, STRUCTURE_HASH]));
  grid.setWidget(3, 0, makeLabel(app, 'Normalize Headers:'));
  grid.setWidget(3, 1, makeCheckBox(app, 'normalize'));
  grid.setWidget(4, 0, makeLabel(app, 'Detect Objects and Arrays:'));
  grid.setWidget(4, 1, makeCheckBox(app, 'detectObj'));
  grid.setWidget(5, 0, makeButton(app, grid, 'Export Active Sheet', 'exportSheet'));
  grid.setWidget(5, 1, makeButton(app, grid, 'Export All Sheets', 'exportAllSheets'));
  app.add(grid);
  
  doc.show(app);
}

function makeLabel(app, text, id) {
  var lb = app.createLabel(text);
  if (id) lb.setId(id);
  return lb;
}

function makeListBox(app, name, items) {
  var listBox = app.createListBox().setId(name).setName(name);
  listBox.setVisibleItemCount(1);
  
  var cache = CacheService.getPublicCache();
  var selectedValue = cache.get(name);
  Logger.log(selectedValue);
  for (var i = 0; i < items.length; i++) {
    listBox.addItem(items[i]);
    if (items[1] == selectedValue) {
      listBox.setSelectedIndex(i);
    }
  }
  return listBox;
}

function makeButton(app, parent, name, callback) {
  var button = app.createButton(name);
  app.add(button);
  var handler = app.createServerClickHandler(callback).addCallbackElement(parent);;
  button.addClickHandler(handler);
  return button;
}

function makeTextBox(app, name) { 
  var textArea = app.createTextArea().setWidth('100%').setHeight('200px').setId(name).setName(name);
  return textArea;
}

function makeCheckBox(app, name) {
  var checkBox = app.createCheckBox().setId(name).setName(name);
  var cache = CacheService.getPublicCache();
  var selectedValue = cache.get(name) == 'true';
  Logger.log(selectedValue);
  checkBox.setValue(selectedValue);
  return checkBox;
}

function exportAllSheets(e) {
  
  var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
  var sheets = ss.getSheets();
  var sheetsData = {};
  for (var i = 0; i < sheets.length; i++) {
    var sheet = sheets[i];
    var rowsData = getRowsData_(sheet, getExportOptions(e));
    var sheetName = sheet.getName(); 
    sheetsData[sheetName] = rowsData;
  }
  var json = makeJSON_(sheetsData, getExportOptions(e));
  return displayText_(json);
}

function exportSheet(e) {
  var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
  var sheet = ss.getActiveSheet();
  var rowsData = getRowsData_(sheet, getExportOptions(e));
  var json = makeJSON_(rowsData, getExportOptions(e));
  return displayText_(json);
}
  
function getExportOptions(e) {
  var options = {};
  
  options.language  = e && e.parameter.language  || DEFAULT_LANGUAGE;
  options.format    = e && e.parameter.format    || DEFAULT_FORMAT;
  options.structure = e && e.parameter.structure || DEFAULT_STRUCTURE;
  options.normalize = e && e.parameter.normalize || DEFUALT_NORMALIZE;
  options.detectObj = e && e.parameter.detectObj || DEFUALT_DETECT_OBJ;
  
  var cache = CacheService.getPublicCache();
  cache.put('language',    options.language);
  cache.put('format',      options.format);
  cache.put('structure',   options.structure);
  cache.put('normalize',   options.normalize);
  cache.put('detectObj',   options.detectObj);
  
  Logger.log(options);
  return options;
}

function makeJSON_(object, options) {
  Logger.log(options);
  if (options.detectObj == 'true') {
    var obj, o;
    for (var i = 0; i < object.length; i++) {
      obj = object[i];
      if (!obj) continue;
      for (prop in obj) {
        o = obj[prop].toString();
        if(!o) continue;
        if(o[0] === '{' && o[o.length-1] == '}' || o[0] === '[' && o[o.length-1] == ']') {
          object[i][prop] = JSON.parse(o);
        }
      }
    }
  }
  if (options.format == FORMAT_PRETTY) {
    var jsonString = JSON.stringify(object, null, 4);
  } else if (options.format == FORMAT_MULTILINE) {
    var jsonString = Utilities.jsonStringify(object);
    jsonString = jsonString.replace(/},/gi, '},\n');
    jsonString = prettyJSON.replace(/":\[{"/gi, '":\n[{"');
    jsonString = prettyJSON.replace(/}\],/gi, '}],\n');
  } else {
    var jsonString = Utilities.jsonStringify(object);
  }
  if (options.language == LANGUAGE_PYTHON) {
    // add unicode markers
    jsonString = jsonString.replace(/"([a-zA-Z]*)":\s+"/gi, '"$1": u"');
  }
  return jsonString;
}

function displayText_(text) {
  var app = UiApp.createApplication().setTitle('Exported JSON');
  app.add(makeTextBox(app, 'json'));
  app.getElementById('json').setText(text);
  var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet(); 
  ss.show(app);
  return app; 
}

// getRowsData iterates row by row in the input range and returns an array of objects.
// Each object contains all the data for a given row, indexed by its normalized column name.
// Arguments:
//   - sheet: the sheet object that contains the data to be processed
//   - range: the exact range of cells where the data is stored
//   - columnHeadersRowIndex: specifies the row number where the column names are stored.
//       This argument is optional and it defaults to the row immediately above range; 
// Returns an Array of objects.
function getRowsData_(sheet, options) {
  var headersRange = sheet.getRange(1, 1, sheet.getFrozenRows(), sheet.getMaxColumns());
  var headers = headersRange.getValues()[0];
  var dataRange = sheet.getRange(sheet.getFrozenRows()+1, 1, sheet.getMaxRows(), sheet.getMaxColumns());
  var objects;
  if (options.normalize == 'true') {
    objects = getObjects_(dataRange.getValues(), normalizeHeaders_(headers));
  } else {
    objects = getObjects_(dataRange.getValues(), headers);
  }
  if (options.structure == STRUCTURE_HASH) {
    var objectsById = {};
    objects.forEach(function(object) {
      objectsById[object.id] = object;
    });
    return objectsById;
  } else {
    return objects;
  }
}

// getColumnsData iterates column by column in the input range and returns an array of objects.
// Each object contains all the data for a given column, indexed by its normalized row name.
// Arguments:
//   - sheet: the sheet object that contains the data to be processed
//   - range: the exact range of cells where the data is stored
//   - rowHeadersColumnIndex: specifies the column number where the row names are stored.
//       This argument is optional and it defaults to the column immediately left of the range; 
// Returns an Array of objects.
function getColumnsData_(sheet, range, rowHeadersColumnIndex, options) {
  rowHeadersColumnIndex = rowHeadersColumnIndex || range.getColumnIndex() - 1;
  var headersTmp = sheet.getRange(range.getRow(), rowHeadersColumnIndex, range.getNumRows(), 1).getValues();
  var headers;
  if (options.normalize == 'true') {
    headers = normalizeHeaders_(arrayTranspose_(headersTmp)[0]);
  } else {
    headers = arrayTranspose_(headersTmp)[0];
  }
  return getObjects(arrayTranspose_(range.getValues()), headers);
}


// For every row of data in data, generates an object that contains the data. Names of
// object fields are defined in keys.
// Arguments:
//   - data: JavaScript 2d array
//   - keys: Array of Strings that define the property names for the objects to create
function getObjects_(data, keys) {
  var objects = [];
  for (var i = 0; i < data.length; ++i) {
    var object = {};
    var hasData = false;
    for (var j = 0; j < data[i].length; ++j) {
      var cellData = data[i][j];
      if (isCellEmpty_(cellData)) {
        continue;
      }
      if (typeof cellData === 'string' && cellData.trim().toLowerCase() == "null" ) {
        cellData = null;
      }
      object[keys[j]] = cellData;
      hasData = true;
    }
    if (hasData) {
      objects.push(object);
    }
  }
  return objects;
}

// Returns an Array of normalized Strings.
// Arguments:
//   - headers: Array of Strings to normalize
function normalizeHeaders_(headers) {
  var keys = [];
  for (var i = 0; i < headers.length; ++i) {
    var key = normalizeHeader_(headers[i]);
    if (key.length > 0) {
      keys.push(key);
    }
  }
  return keys;
}

// Normalizes a string, by removing all alphanumeric characters and using mixed case
// to separate words. The output will always start with a lower case letter.
// This function is designed to produce JavaScript object property names.
// Arguments:
//   - header: string to normalize
// Examples:
//   "First Name" -> "firstName"
//   "Market Cap (millions) -> "marketCapMillions
//   "1 number at the beginning is ignored" -> "numberAtTheBeginningIsIgnored"
function normalizeHeader_(header) {
  var key = "";
  var upperCase = false;
  for (var i = 0; i < header.length; ++i) {
    var letter = header[i];
    if (letter == " " && key.length > 0) {
      upperCase = true;
      continue;
    }
    if (!isAlnum_(letter)) {
      continue;
    }
    if (key.length == 0 && isDigit_(letter)) {
      continue; // first character must be a letter
    }
    if (upperCase) {
      upperCase = false;
      key += letter.toUpperCase();
    } else {
      key += letter.toLowerCase();
    }
  }
  return key;
}

// Returns true if the cell where cellData was read from is empty.
// Arguments:
//   - cellData: string
function isCellEmpty_(cellData) {
  return typeof(cellData) == "string" && cellData == "";
}

// Returns true if the character char is alphabetical, false otherwise.
function isAlnum_(char) {
  return char >= 'A' && char <= 'Z' ||
    char >= 'a' && char <= 'z' ||
    isDigit_(char);
}

// Returns true if the character char is a digit, false otherwise.
function isDigit_(char) {
  return char >= '0' && char <= '9';
}

// Given a JavaScript 2d Array, this function returns the transposed table.
// Arguments:
//   - data: JavaScript 2d Array
// Returns a JavaScript 2d Array
// Example: arrayTranspose([[1,2,3],[4,5,6]]) returns [[1,4],[2,5],[3,6]].
function arrayTranspose_(data) {
  if (data.length == 0 || data[0].length == 0) {
    return null;
  }

  var ret = [];
  for (var i = 0; i < data[0].length; ++i) {
    ret.push([]);
  }

  for (var i = 0; i < data.length; ++i) {
    for (var j = 0; j < data[i].length; ++j) {
      ret[j][i] = data[i][j];
    }
  }

  return ret;
}

Hello, is it possible to export selected rows in the active sheets as json objects. Thank you

Hello, is it possible to export selected rows in the active sheets as json objects. Thank you

I am trying to approach this. Have you find a way to do it?

Exception: UiApp has been deprecated. Please use HtmlService instead.Details