Introduction
Do you often find yourself needing to clean up specific headings in your Google Docs? Maybe your document has numerous H3 headings that start with “Question” followed by a number, and you want to streamline these headings by removing the redundant word and number. This manual task can be time-consuming and prone to errors. Luckily, Google Apps Script provides a powerful way to automate this process. In this blog post, we’ll introduce a script that identifies H3 headings starting with “Question” and a number, removes the specified text, and leaves you with cleaner, more concise headings.
The Script
Here’s the complete removeQuestionAndNumberFromH3
function:
function removeQuestionAndNumberFromH3() {
// Get the active document
var doc = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument();
var body = doc.getBody();
// Get all the paragraphs in the document
var paragraphs = body.getParagraphs();
for (var i = 0; i < paragraphs.length; i++) {
var paragraph = paragraphs[i];
// Check if the paragraph is an H3
if (paragraph.getHeading() === DocumentApp.ParagraphHeading.HEADING3) {
var text = paragraph.getText();
// Check if the paragraph starts with "Question"
var regex = /^Question\s+\d+/;
if (regex.test(text)) {
// Remove "Question" and the following number
var newText = text.replace(regex, '').trim();
paragraph.setText(newText);
}
}
}
}
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Open Google Apps Script
- Open your Google Doc.
- Click on
Extensions
>Apps Script
.
Step 2: Add the Script
- Delete any code in the script editor and replace it with the provided code.
- Save the script with a descriptive name, such as
RemoveQuestionAndNumberFromH3
.
Step 3: Run the Script
- Click the play button (Run) to execute the script.
- Grant the necessary permissions if prompted.
How It Works
- Access the Document: The script starts by getting the active Google Doc and its body.
- Iterate Through Paragraphs: It then loops through all the paragraphs in the document.
- Identify H3 Headings: Within the loop, it checks if a paragraph is an H3 heading.
- Check for “Question”: It uses a regular expression to check if the paragraph starts with the word “Question” followed by a number.
- Remove “Question” and Number: If the paragraph matches, the script removes the word “Question” and the following number, then updates the paragraph text.
Benefits
- Efficiency: Automates the repetitive task of editing headings.
- Consistency: Ensures consistent formatting throughout your document.
- Time-Saving: Reduces the time spent on manual editing, allowing you to focus on more important tasks.
Conclusion
Google Apps Script is a versatile tool that can significantly enhance your productivity by automating mundane tasks. The removeQuestionAndNumberFromH3
function is a simple yet effective script that helps you clean up your document’s headings effortlessly. Feel free to modify and expand this script to suit your specific needs.
