Converting .xls to google spreadsheet in google apps script

Question

I have an .xls file stored in Google Drive. I want to convert it to the Google Sheets spreadsheet file format from Google Apps Script. Is there any way to do this without external solutions?

score 8 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 24 '16 at 09:06

8

This is now possible using the Advanced Drive service:

https://developers.google.com/apps-script/advanced/drive

When using Drive.Files.insert, simply set the optional parameter "convert" to "true".

var file = {
    title: 'Converted Spreadsheet'
  };
  file = Drive.Files.insert(file, xlsxBlob, {
    convert: true
  });

This was also obtained from the above given issue

answered Feb 24 '16 at 09:06

Riyafa Abdul Hameed

7,417
6
40
55

Yep, already using it for a few years. Just forgot to update info here. – Buravchik Feb 24 '16 at 13:52
3

You can also set the destination folder by providing the "parents" parameter to Drive.Files.insert. Like so: `parents: [{"kind": "drive#parentReference", "id": "folder id"}]` – Ben Visness Apr 01 '16 at 18:19
I'm getting "empty response". Any ideas? – kurokirasama Jun 01 '17 at 23:39
To enable 'Drive' service, open Google Apps Script console, click on + icon next to Services and select 'Drive API'. – aareeph Apr 01 '22 at 05:49

score 3 · Answer 2 · edited Jan 04 '13 at 15:50

3

Other than using the delivered 'upload' and convert functions, it's not currently available. Requesting enhancement request here: http://code.google.com/p/google-apps-script-issues/issues/detail?id=1019

edited Jan 04 '13 at 15:50

mzimmerman

910
6
13

answered Jul 27 '12 at 13:41

Joe Foley

168
12

This answer is outdated since Google now provides the Advanced Drive Service. See Hameed's answer. – Ben Visness Apr 01 '16 at 18:15

score 2 · Answer 3 · answered May 17 '18 at 14:40

Here's the complete code to create a file in a particular folder: (was a hint but was not completely apparent to me from @ben-visness comment)

var file = { 
    "title": filename, 
    "parents": [{"id": folderId}]
};
file = Drive.Files.insert(file, blobObj, {
    "convert": true
});

Note: This will require enabling advanced Drive service from within Google Apps Script - Menu > Resources > Advanced Google Services AND Menu > Resources > Advanced Google Services > Google API Console.

Max Stevens · Answer 4 · 2021-11-22T22:41:02.813

Here's the code I used to convert an Excel file into a Google Sheets file, with the same name and in the same folder.

var excel = DriveApp.getFileById(...);

var resource = {
   title : excel.getName(),
   mimeType : MimeType.GOOGLE_SHEETS,
   parents: [{id : folder.getId()}],
}

Drive.Files.insert(resource, excel.getBlob());

In my case, I already had a folder object available which represented the folder I wanted to save the sheet to, but you could just as easily get the folder of the original file using excel.getParents().

You will also have to enable an Advanced Google Service called "Drive API" in order to use Drive.Files. Read more here.

Solution was originally derived from this article.

Converting .xls to google spreadsheet in google apps script

4 Answers4

Linked