I am currently working on enhancing my Google Docs add-on project using Apps Script to facilitate the download of a file created on our server (which requires authentication) directly to a local device. So far, I have found it challenging to initiate a direct download to the local machine and have resorted to first saving the file to Google Drive. My goal is to transfer it from Drive to the local system. I have already set up the code needed to save the file in Google Drive and am now focusing on figuring out the download process to the local device. I explored options using the Drive API, but have not yet found a solution that works for the various file types I need to handle, such as .pdf, .epub, .jpg, .png, .zip, .mobi, and .indd. I came across a resource that details a method for downloading text files, but it does not apply to my scenario involving non-text file formats. I would greatly appreciate any guidance on how to facilitate the downloading of a file either directly from the server to the local machine or transferring it from Drive to the ‘Downloads’ directory on my local system. Thank you for your assistance.
hey claire, you might consider using a web app in Apps Script to trigger the download. You can create a download link for the file stored in Drive and have it open in the user’s browser, initiating the download. Just remember to set the appropriate MIME type for each file format. hope that helps!
From my experience, handling such tasks often requires creating a temporary link to the file in Google Drive. You can generate a shared link with permissions set for downloading. Once you have the link, use an HTML service within Apps Script to construct a page that triggers the download when accessed. While direct downloading to a local drive via Apps Script isn’t straightforward, utilizing HTTP requests to navigate Drive’s API can be leveraged effectively, provided the proper authentication tokens are in place. This method could hopefully streamline the process for the various file types you mentioned.
One alternative way to transfer files is by utilizing Google Apps Script’s URL Fetch service to manage file data. After saving the file to Google Drive, use the Drive API to fetch the file as a blob and serve it as a downloadable link, sending the appropriate headers for download. However, handling non-text files may require additional consideration to ensure compatibility across different formats. Although this approach still involves Drive as an intermediary, it can guide toward seamless browser-based downloading on the client-side.