How to fetch entire Google Sheet data using Java and Sheets API v4?

Other Questions API
1

Hey everyone,

I’m trying to grab all the data from a Google Sheet using Java and the Sheets API v4. I’ve looked at the Java Quickstart guide, but it only shows how to read a specific range. My problem is that I don’t know the exact range of my spreadsheet, and the number of columns can vary.

Here’s a snippet of what I’ve tried so far:

String sheetName = "MySheet";
ValueRange result = sheetsService.spreadsheets().values()
    .get(spreadsheetId, sheetName)
    .execute();

List<List<Object>> allData = result.getValues();

But this doesn’t seem to work. How can I fetch all the data without specifying a range? Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Mike

2

I’ve encountered a similar issue in my projects. While Alex_Thunder’s suggestion works, it might be inefficient for large sheets. Here’s an alternative approach I’ve found effective:

First, fetch the sheet’s properties to get its dimensions:

Sheets sheetsService = service.spreadsheets();
Spreadsheet spreadsheet = sheetsService.get(spreadsheetId).execute();
SheetProperties properties = spreadsheet.getSheets().get(0).getProperties();
int rowCount = properties.getGridProperties().getRowCount();
int colCount = properties.getGridProperties().getColumnCount();

Then, use these dimensions to construct your range:

String range = String.format(“%s!A1:%s%d”, sheetName, Character.toString((char)(‘A’ + colCount - 1)), rowCount);

This method ensures you’re only fetching the exact data range, improving efficiency and reducing unnecessary API calls.

3

hey mike, i’ve dealt with this before. try using the A1:ZZ notation to grab everything. like this:

String range = “MySheet!A1:ZZ”;
ValueRange result = sheetsService.spreadsheets().values()
.get(spreadsheetId, range)
.execute();

this should fetch all data without knowing exact dimensions. hope it helps!

4

I’ve been working with the Sheets API quite a bit lately, and I’ve found a method that’s both efficient and flexible for fetching all data. Instead of using a fixed range like A1:ZZ, which might miss data if you have more than 702 columns, you can use the sheet’s title followed by an exclamation mark:

String range = “MySheet!”;
ValueRange result = sheetsService.spreadsheets().values()
.get(spreadsheetId, range)
.execute();

List<List> allData = result.getValues();

This approach fetches all data in the sheet without needing to specify dimensions. It’s particularly useful when dealing with sheets that might grow or shrink over time. Just remember to handle potential null values in sparse areas of your sheet when processing the data.