Undefined merge field in google apps script - pdf

Question

I have a Google Apps Script for a Google Spreadsheet based on a Google Form that clients fill out online. The script is triggered by OnFormSubmit and generates a pdf based on a Google Doc template and sends the pdf to me by email using MailApp.sendEmail.
This script has been working fine until recently. The script runs successfully but the pdf output is incorrect. It seems like fields that are left blank are now being ignored in the script and so my pdf output shows the value for the next non-blank field. Ugh!
Anybody know what's going on here?
Below is an example of my script:
var docTemplate = "1FZL4rVe0LLpvMtIsq_3-pwv5POllIsyYThjfemkbkfg";
var docName = "Travel Details";
function onFormSubmit(e) {
var last = e.values[1];
var first = e.values[2];
var order = e.values[3];
var date = e.values[4];
var gender = e.values[5];
var email = "example#gmail.com";
var copyId = DocsList.getFileById(docTemplate)
.makeCopy(docName+' for '+last + ', ' + first)
.getId();
var copyDoc = DocumentApp.openById(copyId);
var copyBody = copyDoc.getActiveSection();
copyBody.replaceText('keyLast', last);
copyBody.replaceText('keyFirst', first);
copyBody.replaceText('keyOrder', order);
copyBody.replaceText('keyDate', date);
copyBody.replaceText('keyGender', gender);
copyDoc.saveAndClose();
var pdf = DocsList.getFileById(copyId).getAs("application/pdf");
MailApp.sendEmail(email, subject, "", {htmlBody: office_message, attachments: pdf,
noReply:true});
DocsList.getFileById(copyId).setTrashed(true);
}
Example of the problem: If client leaves date field blank on the form, the gender value in the resulting pdf is put where the date value should be and the value for gender on the pdf shows "undefined".
Any ideas out there?

Answer 1

You should validate the values of all your variables.
if (last === undefined) {
last = 'No Data!'; //re-assign a different value
};
So, you are changing the value of the variable last if it somehow got set to undefined. That way, hopefully the pdf would still show the field.
If there is some bug that just showed up recently, you should report it as a bug. If everything was working fine, and now it's broken, Google may have changed something.
There might be something wrong with your code. I don't know. Have you looked under the "View" menu and the "Execution Transcript" to see if there are any errors? You should also use Logger.log statements: Logger.log('The value of last is: ' + last); to print output to the log. Then you can check what is actually going on.

Answer 2

I am no great coder but I use this script all the time to send pdf's I have never received an undefined if a field was missing. Typically if something is missing, the keygender is replaced with a blank spot and there is no error. In a spreadsheet, typically this means the columns were changed. It used to be timestamp(0), last(1), first(2), order(3), date(4), gender(5) and now their in a different order.

Answer 3

Try the below code it works
//commons errors -
//Triggers are not set
//spaces after Form questions
//e.values dont work when fields are not mandatory and left blank
//e.namedValues dont work for sending emails use e.values[#]
//place holder keys in template dont match
//spelling errors
//Note expect undefined error when de-bugging as values are not defined until form completed and submitted - run first with a small test form as per below
// Get Template
//from Google Docs and name it
var docTemplate = " "; // *** replace with new templae ID if new Template created***
var docName = "Test Script"; //replace with document name
// When Form Gets submitted
function onFormSubmit(e) {
//Get information from the form and set as variables
//var variablename = "static entry or form value"
//Note: var Variablename = e.namedValues["X"]; is taking the value from the spreadsheet by column name so update if spreadsheet or form questions change
//Additions to the form will be added to the end of the spreadsheet regardless of their position in the form
var Timestamp = e.namedValues["Timestamp"];
var full_name = e.namedValues["Name"];
var position = e.namedValues["Position"]
var contact_email = e.namedValues["Contact Email"];
var phone_number = e.namedValues["Telephone Number"];
// Get document template, copy it as a new doc with Name and email, and save the id
var copyId = DocsList.getFileById(docTemplate)
.makeCopy(full_name+' '+docName+' for ' +contact_email+' '+Timestamp)//Update or remove Variablename to create full doc Name
.getId();
// Open the temporary document
var copyDoc = DocumentApp.openById(copyId);
// Get the documents body section
var copyBody = copyDoc.getActiveSection();
// Replace place holder keys <<namedValues>> in template
//copyBody.replaceText('<<X>>', Variablename); Variables from above
//***Update if template is changed***
copyBody.replaceText('<<Timestamp>>', Timestamp);
copyBody.replaceText('<<Name>>', full_name);
copyBody.replaceText('<<Position>>', position);
copyBody.replaceText('<<Contact Email>>', contact_email);
copyBody.replaceText('<<Telephone Number>>', phone_number);
// Save and close the temporary document
copyDoc.saveAndClose();
// Convert temporary document to PDF by using the getAs blob conversion
var pdf = DocsList.getFileById(copyId).getAs("application/pdf");
{
// Add the data fields to the message
var s = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
var columns = s.getRange(1,1,1,s.getLastColumn()).getValues()[0];
var message = " ";
// Only include form fields that are not blank
for ( var keys in columns ) {
var key = columns[keys];
if ( e.namedValues[key] && (e.namedValues[key] != "") ) {
message += key+ ' : '+ e.namedValues[key] + "<br>";
}
}}
// Attach PDF and send the email
//***Change the "To" email address when to form goes live***
var to = "youremail#gmail.com";
var senders_name = e.values[1]
var contact_email = e.values[3]
var subject = "Test";
var htmlbody = "text goes here"+
"<br> <br>"+message+
"<br> <br>Submitted By:"+
"<br> <br>"+full_name+
"<br>"+position+
"<br>"+contact_email+
"<br>"+phone_number+
"<br> <br>Generated by Hansmoleman for Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net";
MailApp.sendEmail({
name: senders_name,
to: to,
cc: contact_email,
replyTo: contact_email,
subject: subject,
htmlBody: htmlbody,
attachments: pdf,
});
}