Spreadsheet automation.
WHAT AUTOMATION SUITS
Importing and transforming data Generating reports Sending notifications based on content Creating documents from rows Validating entries
WHAT TO DO FIRST
Establish whether a formula or built-in feature already does it.
WHY
Scripts are maintenance; formulas are not.
WHAT BUILT-IN CAPABILITIES TO USE FIRST
Lookup and query functions Data validation Conditional formatting Pivot tables Connected data sources
WHAT TO USE SCRIPTS FOR
What those cannot do.
WHAT TO BE CAREFUL WITH
Sheets used as databases beyond their limits Formulas recalculating across enormous ranges Scripts triggered on every edit
WHY THAT LAST POINT
An edit trigger running on every keystroke consumes quota and slows the sheet.
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD
Trigger on a schedule, or on a specific action.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
When a spreadsheet has outgrown its purpose.
WHAT THE SIGNS ARE
Tens of thousands of rows Many people editing simultaneously Formulas nobody understands It has become business-critical
WHAT TO DO THEN
Move to a database, or a proper application.
