patchRows() - Update index.js

[Dmytro2V]

Added patchRows and patchRow methods.
They are similar to updateRows/updateRow, but patchRow() only updates cells which was changed. So functions in some other cells will be safe. Only drawbacks are - 1) writing is cell by cell 2) making a shallow copy of every row to compare are there any changes.
Probably can be more optimized if somehow to read data from updateFn function. And take only fields to change directly.
But proposed version can be added quite easily without major changes.
For now did only small testing, showing cell patch with formulas kept.

  .from('Transactions')
  .where((row) => row.Business.toLowerCase().includes('starbucks'))
  .patchRows((row) => {
    row.Category = 'Coffee Shops';
  });
  console.log(query.getRows()) ;

[Dmytro2V]

Started to use it. Some details.

When patching row with data, it works smooth.
When we need to add to a new row, it becomes a little tricky. Suppose, we have formulas in some rows filled up to down. Then api will think, last data row is last row with formulas.

I've found several ways, how to find first row with empty cell in some column (like 'id' column).

1. We can use formulas, which returns blank when non active. Here I mean like IF(A10 = '';''; A102).
   to return blank we can use like IF(A10 = ''; ; A102).
   In this case api get last row correctly.

2. We can use array formulas only in a top row, so values will be calculated. This approach allows to use an old update method.

3. We can store somewhere on the sheet last + 1 row number, like =3 + ROWS( FILTER( A4:A ; NOT( ISBLANK( A4:A ) ) )) + 1.
   In this case we probably need to use idx in (row,idx) => {row.ID = nextRow }

4. We can try to figure out this row with condition - previous row !== '', current row ===''.
   Can add check next 2-3 rows are also ==='' or undefined (to skip possible holes above the header row).
   We need use (row, idx, arr) ={ .... }.
   Have checked, this works.

Probably the best approach is 3, if 2 is not implemented on a sheet.

[vlucas]

Can you write some tests for this for the behavior that you expect?

I would love to merge this in.

With formulas, you can probably just check if the cell starts with a = and don't count it as having a value if it does.

[glompho]

Thanks for this very helpful!