Generate Secure Random Passwords with Google Apps Script

by

Title: “Generate Secure Random Passwords with Google Apps Script”

Description: In this video, we dive into a Google Apps Script function that’s perfect for generating secure and random passwords. Whether you’re looking for strong passwords for your online accounts or want to enhance security in your applications, this function has got you covered. We’ll show you how to use it and share some valuable insights.

Hashtags: #GoogleAppsScript #PasswordGeneration #SecurePasswords #RandomPasswords #OnlineSecurity #CodingTutorial

In your YouTube video, you can demonstrate the usage of this Google Apps Script function and explain the importance of using strong, random passwords for online security. Additionally, you can provide tips on how to integrate this password generation function into your Google Workspace applications or other coding projects.

GENERATE_PASSWORD

In this example, we’ll create a custom formula that generates a random password based on certain criteria.

Scenario: You want to create a custom formula that generates a random password with a specified length and a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

function GENERATE_PASSWORD(len){

const charset = “ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789!@#$%^&*()”;

let password = ”;

for(let i=0;i<len;i++){

const randomIndex = Math.floor(Math.random()*charset.length);

password += charset.charAt(randomIndex);

}

return password;

}

The provided Google Apps Script function, named GENERATE_PASSWORD, is designed to generate a random password of a specified length. This function takes one parameter:

len: An integer representing the desired length of the generated password.

Here’s a detailed description of how the function works:

const charset = “ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789!@#$%^&*()”;: This line defines a character set that the password will be generated from. The character set includes uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers (0-9), and a selection of special characters such as !, @, #, $, %, ^, & and *.

let password = ”;: This line initializes an empty string called password, which will be used to build the generated password.

The function uses a for loop to iterate len times. This loop is responsible for generating the password with the specified length:

for (let i = 0; i < len; i++) {

  // …

}

Inside the loop, a random character is selected from the charset string. This is done by generating a random index between 0 and the length of the charset string:

const randomIndex = Math.floor(Math.random() * charset.length);

The Math.random() function generates a random decimal between 0 and 1, which is then multiplied by the length of the charset. Math.floor() is used to round this result down to an integer, ensuring it is a valid index.

The character at the random index in the charset string is added to the password string:

password += charset.charAt(randomIndex);

This step appends the randomly selected character to the password string.

After the loop has run len times and the password string has been constructed with random characters, the function returns the generated password.

To use this function, you can call it with the desired length and store the result in a variable:

const generatedPassword = GENERATE_PASSWORD(12);

The generatedPassword variable will contain a randomly generated password with a length of 12 characters, based on the characters in the charset. This function is useful for creating secure, randomized passwords for various applications.

Data Table:

ABCDE
Password LengthGenerated Password
12
8
15
Total

Step 1: Setting up the Spreadsheet

  • Create a new Google Sheets document.
  • Enter your password length values in column A starting from row 2.
  • Leave cells in column B empty for now.
  • In cell B1, enter “Generated Password” as a header.

Step 2: Writing the Google Apps Script Code

  • Click on “Extensions” in the top menu, then select “Apps Script”.
  • Delete any default code and replace it with the following script:

// Custom formula to generate a random password

function GENERATE_PASSWORD(length) {

  var charset = “ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789!@#$%^&*()”;

  var password = “”;

  for (var i = 0; i < length; i++) {

    var randomIndex = Math.floor(Math.random() * charset.length);

    password += charset.charAt(randomIndex);

  }

  return password;

}

Step 3: Using the Custom Formula in Google Sheets

  • Go back to your Google Sheets document.
  • In cell B2, enter the following formula:

=GENERATE_PASSWORD(A2)

Explanation of the Code:

  • The function GENERATE_PASSWORD generates a random password with a specified length.
  • It takes one parameter: length – the length of the password to be generated.
  • Inside the function, a charset string is defined. This string contains all the possible characters that can be used in the password.
  • A loop iterates length times. In each iteration, a random index within the charset string is generated, and the character at that index is added to the password string.
  • The function returns the generated random password.

Step 4: Testing the Custom Formula

  • Enter password length values in column A starting from row 2.
  • Use the custom formula in cell B2 (or any other appropriate cell) to generate a random password based on the specified length.

For example, if you have entered the password length values as shown in the data table, the generated random passwords should appear in column B, each with the corresponding length specified in column A.

Remember to enable the “Google Apps Script” extension and use the exact function name (GENERATE_PASSWORD) in your formula.