Troubleshooting 'source undefined' Error in Google Apps Script: A Guide to Button Functionality

Learn how to solve the 'source undefined' error when using Google Apps Script to manage sheet names in Google Sheets. Follow our step-by-step guide for a quick fix!
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Troubleshooting 'source undefined' Error in Google Apps Script: A Guide to Button Functionality

If you've been working with Google Sheets and have attempted to enhance your spreadsheet's functionality with Google Apps Script, you may have encountered the pesky error message: 'TypeError: Cannot destructure property 'source' of 'undefined' as it is undefined'. This issue typically arises when trying to access properties of the event object (e) that is expected from certain triggers. In this guide, we will dive deep into the problem and show you a simple solution to resolve this error when using a button to add new sheets in your Google Sheet.

Understanding the Problem

In your script, you aim to store the names of the sheets when you either open the spreadsheet or when you click a button to create a new sheet. Here’s a breakdown of your current setup:

onOpen Trigger: This function runs when you open the Google Sheet and it successfully stores the names of the existing sheets into a script property using the storeSheets_ function.

Button Click: You have assigned an onButton function to a button that creates a new sheet and then attempts to call storeSheets_ with the event object passed to it.

However, the primary issue arises because the onButton function does not receive the event object (e) when it is executed from the button. As a result, when the storeSheets_ function attempts to destructure the source property from the e object, it results in an error since e is undefined. Let’s go through the solution step-by-step.

Solution: Modify the Button Function

To fix the error, you'll need to modify your onButton function so it provides the source object to the storeSheets_ function directly, rather than relying on the event object passed automatically from a trigger. Here’s how you can do it:

Current Implementation

Here's how your current onButton function looks:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Updated Implementation

You can modify your onButton function to look like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Why This Works

Directly Passing Source: In the updated implementation, instead of relying on an undefined e, you're passing an object with the source property directly to the storeSheets_ function. Here, source: ss dynamically provides the active spreadsheet without encountering an error.

Storing All Sheet Names: Once the sheet is created, the storeSheets_ function will now have access to the active spreadsheet, including the newly added sheet, and will successfully store all sheet names in the script properties.

Conclusion

By understanding how Google Apps Script manages event objects and modifying your button functions accordingly, you can effectively handle situations where you encounter the 'source undefined' error. This approach not only resolves the issue but also helps maintain good coding practices by ensuring your functions handle inputs correctly.

Feel free to implement this solution in your script and streamline your Google Sheets automation! Happy scripting!