React: Trouble inserting text into table cells using Google Docs API

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1

Hey everyone, I’m struggling with the Google Docs API in my React app. I’m trying to create a table and add text to each cell, but it’s not working as expected.

Here’s what’s happening:

  1. I make a table using the API. That part works fine.
  2. I get the updated doc to find where the table is.
  3. I try to put text in each cell.

The problem is all the text ends up in the first cell instead of spreading out to where it should go. It’s like the API is ignoring which cell I want the text in.

I’ve tried using insertTable and then insertText for each cell, but no luck. The table shows up, but all the text is crammed into the top-left cell.

Has anyone run into this before? Any ideas on how to fix it? I’m pretty new to the Google Docs API, so I might be missing something obvious.

Here’s a simplified version of what I’m trying:

async function makeTableWithText() {
  // Make the table
  await api.insertTable(2, 2);

  // Get the updated doc
  const doc = await api.getDocument();

  // Find the table
  const table = findTableInDoc(doc);

  // Try to add text to cells
  for (let row = 0; row < 2; row++) {
    for (let col = 0; col < 2; col++) {
      await api.insertText(`Cell ${row},${col}`, table.cells[row][col]);
    }
  }
}

Any help would be awesome. Thanks!

2

I’ve encountered similar issues with the Google Docs API. One approach that’s worked for me is to use the ‘insertText’ method with a specific location parameter. Instead of targeting cells directly, you can calculate the exact position for each cell’s content.

Try something like this:

const tableIndex = doc.body.content.findIndex(item => item.table);
const tableStartIndex = doc.body.content[tableIndex].startIndex;

for (let row = 0; row < 2; row++) {
  for (let col = 0; col < 2; col++) {
    const cellIndex = tableStartIndex + (row * 2 + col) + 1;
    await api.insertText({
      text: `Cell ${row},${col}`,
      location: { index: cellIndex }
    });
  }
}

This method ensures each text insertion targets the correct cell position. It’s a bit more complex, but it’s been reliable in my experience. Let me know if this helps solve your problem.

3

yo finn, i’ve had this issue too. the api can be tricky with tables. try using the ‘insertTextIntoTableCell’ method instead of ‘insertText’. it’s specifically for adding text to table cells. also, double check ur table indexing - it might be off. good luck!

4

I’ve dealt with this exact problem before, and it’s definitely frustrating. The key is to use the table cell’s location within the document, not just its position in the table. Here’s what worked for me:

After creating the table, get the table’s start index in the document. Then, for each cell, calculate its specific index by adding offsets based on its row and column. Something like this:

const tableStartIndex = table.startIndex;
for (let row = 0; row < 2; row++) {
  for (let col = 0; col < 2; col++) {
    const cellIndex = tableStartIndex + (row * 2 + col);
    await api.insertText(`Cell ${row},${col}`, { index: cellIndex });
  }
}

This approach ensures each insertion targets the correct cell. It took me a while to figure this out, but it’s been working reliably since. Hope this helps!