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Fill a cell when empty, and past a date in another column

2 min read 28-10-2024
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Fill a cell when empty, and past a date in another column

In data management, you might encounter scenarios where you need to ensure that empty cells in a column are filled with a specific value and simultaneously paste a date in another column. This is particularly useful in spreadsheet applications like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.

Problem Scenario

Imagine you have a spreadsheet where certain cells in a column are blank, and you want to fill those empty cells with the word "N/A". Additionally, you want to record the current date in another column whenever you fill an empty cell. Below is a simple example of how to tackle this problem using Google Sheets:

Original Code

function fillEmptyCellsAndDate() {
  var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getActiveSheet();
  var range = sheet.getRange("A1:A100"); // Change the range as needed
  var values = range.getValues();
  var today = new Date();

  for (var i = 0; i < values.length; i++) {
    if (values[i][0] === "") {
      values[i][0] = "N/A"; // Fill empty cell
      sheet.getRange(i + 1, 2).setValue(today); // Set date in column B
    }
  }

  range.setValues(values);
}

Explanation of the Code

  • Function Definition: The function fillEmptyCellsAndDate() is defined to encapsulate the logic for filling empty cells and pasting dates.
  • Active Sheet: It accesses the active sheet of the currently opened spreadsheet.
  • Range Selection: The range of cells (A1:A100) is defined, which you can adjust according to your data set.
  • Get Values: It retrieves all values from the specified range into an array called values.
  • Date Retrieval: The current date is obtained using new Date().
  • Loop Through Values: A loop iterates through each cell in the selected range. If an empty cell ("") is detected, it fills that cell with "N/A" and sets the date in the adjacent cell in column B.

Practical Application Example

Let’s say you are tracking customer support tickets in a spreadsheet. Each row represents a different ticket, where column A is for the ticket number and column B is for the status. If a ticket status is missing, your script will automatically fill it with "N/A" and update the date when the status was recorded. This way, you keep the data organized and up-to-date.

Step-by-Step Implementation

  1. Open Google Sheets: Navigate to your Google Sheets document.
  2. Access Script Editor: Click on Extensions > Apps Script.
  3. Copy and Paste the Code: Remove any placeholder code and paste the provided JavaScript code.
  4. Save and Run: Save the project and run the function fillEmptyCellsAndDate() from the Apps Script editor.

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Additional Resources

By following the steps outlined in this article, you can efficiently fill empty cells in Google Sheets and log dates without manually going through your data. This script not only saves you time but also enhances your data integrity. Happy spreadsheeting!

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