Fast-tracking feedback using Google Apps Script [Release 1] See http://mashe.hawksey.info/2012/01/fast-tracking-feedback-using-google-apps-script-release-1/

gistfile1.js

// Part of this code up to END OF (c) is:
/*   
   Copyright 2011 Martin Hawksey

   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
   You may obtain a copy of the License at

       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
   limitations under the License.
*/

function onOpen() {
  var menuEntries = [  {name: "Push Grades to Learners", functionName: "createDocFromSheet"}];
  SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().addMenu("Grading Sheets", menuEntries);
}

function createDocFromSheet(){
  var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
  var feedsheet = ss.getSheetByName("Feedback_Table"); // get sheet of grades/feedback
  var infosheet = ss.getSheetByName("Assessment Details"); // get sheet with general assignment info
  
  var templateid = infosheet.getRange("B1").getValue(); // get template file id
  var FOLDER_NAME = infosheet.getRange("B2").getValue(); // folder name of where to put completed diaries
  var file_prefix = infosheet.getRange("B3").getValue(); // file name prefix

  var commonData = getColumnsData(infosheet,infosheet.getRange(4,2, infosheet.getMaxRows(), 2)); // get array of common text from assessment details sheet
  
  // get spreadsheet values
  var data = getRowsData(feedsheet); // get all the feedback data
  
  for (var i in data){ // setup loop for all the data
    var row = data[i]; // get just one row of feedback
    var username=row.username; // get username (email address of student)

    // loop through common form data and add it to row values
    for (var a in commonData[0]){
      row[a] = commonData[0][a];
    }
    
    // if feedback hasn't already been generated (checked by existence of document link) generate feedback
    if (username && (row.documentLink =="" || row.documentLink == undefined)){
      // Get document template, copy it as a new temp doc, and save the Doc’s id
      var copyId   = DocsList.getFileById(templateid)
          .makeCopy(file_prefix+" - "+username)
          .getId();
      var copyDoc  = DocumentApp.openById(copyId);
      
      // add student as viewer - waiting for google to add addCommenter
      copyDoc.addViewer(username) ;
      
      // move doc to tutors folder
      var file = DocsList.getFileById(copyId);
      var folder = DocsList.getFolder(FOLDER_NAME);
      file.addToFolder(folder);
      
      // select the document body
      var copyBody = copyDoc.getActiveSection();
      
      // find edittable parts of the document
      var keys = createKeys(copyDoc);
      // loop through elements replacing text with values from spreadsheet
      for (var j in keys) {
        var text = keys[j].text;
        var replacementText = ""; // set the default replacement text to blank
        if (row[keys[j].id] != undefined){ // if column value is defined get text
          replacementText = row[keys[j].id];
        }
        copyBody.replaceText('{%'+keys[j].text+'%}', replacementText); // replace text
      }
      copyDoc.saveAndClose();
      // create a link to the document in the spreadsheet
      feedsheet.getRange("A"+parseInt(i)+2).setFormula('=HYPERLINK("'+file.getUrl()+'", "'+copyId+'")');

      // you can do other things here like email a link to the docuemnt to the student
    }
  }
  ss.toast("The Grades are published");
}

// From James Ferreira's Google Script: Enterprise Application Essentials
// function returns an array of unique form keys
function createKeys(templateFile){
  var templateTxt = getTemplateText(templateFile);
  var templateVars = templateTxt.match(/\{\%[^\%]+\%\}/g);
  var templateKeys = [];
  var oneEach = "";
  for (var i in templateVars) {
    var keyObject = {};
    keyObject.text = templateVars[i].replace(/\{\%|\%\}/g, '');
    keyObject.id = normalizeHeader(keyObject.text);
    if (oneEach.match(keyObject.text) == null){
      templateKeys.push(keyObject);
    }
    oneEach += " " + keyObject.text;
  }
  return templateKeys;
}
// From James Ferreira's Google Script: Enterprise Application Essentials
/*
* @returns body text from doc
*/
function getTemplateText(file){
  var output = "";
  for (var i = 0; i < file.getNumChildren(); i++) {
    output += file.getChild(i).asText().getText();
  }
  return output;
}
// END OF (c)
// The rest of this code is currently (c) Google Inc.

// setRowsData fills in one row of data per object defined in the objects Array.
// For every Column, it checks if data objects define a value for it.
// Arguments:
//   - sheet: the Sheet Object where the data will be written
//   - objects: an Array of Objects, each of which contains data for a row
//   - optHeadersRange: a Range of cells where the column headers are defined. This
//     defaults to the entire first row in sheet.
//   - optFirstDataRowIndex: index of the first row where data should be written. This
//     defaults to the row immediately below the headers.
function setRowsData(sheet, objects, optHeadersRange, optFirstDataRowIndex) {
  var headersRange = optHeadersRange || sheet.getRange(1, 1, 1, sheet.getMaxColumns());
  var firstDataRowIndex = optFirstDataRowIndex || headersRange.getRowIndex() + 1;
  var headers = normalizeHeaders(headersRange.getValues()[0]);

  var data = [];
  for (var i = 0; i < objects.length; ++i) {
    var values = []
    for (j = 0; j < headers.length; ++j) {
      var header = headers[j];
      values.push(header.length > 0 && objects[i][header] ? objects[i][header] : "");
    }
    data.push(values);
  }

  var destinationRange = sheet.getRange(firstDataRowIndex, headersRange.getColumnIndex(), 
                                        objects.length, headers.length);
  destinationRange.setValues(data);
}
// getRowsData iterates row by row in the input range and returns an array of objects.
// Each object contains all the data for a given row, indexed by its normalized column name.
// Arguments:
//   - sheet: the sheet object that contains the data to be processed
//   - range: the exact range of cells where the data is stored
//       This argument is optional and it defaults to all the cells except those in the first row
//       or all the cells below columnHeadersRowIndex (if defined).
//   - columnHeadersRowIndex: specifies the row number where the column names are stored.
//       This argument is optional and it defaults to the row immediately above range; 
// Returns an Array of objects.
function getRowsData(sheet, range, columnHeadersRowIndex) {
  var headersIndex = columnHeadersRowIndex || range ? range.getRowIndex() - 1 : 1;
  var dataRange = range || 
    sheet.getRange(headersIndex + 1, 1, sheet.getMaxRows() - headersIndex, sheet.getMaxColumns());
  var numColumns = dataRange.getEndColumn() - dataRange.getColumn() + 1;
  var headersRange = sheet.getRange(headersIndex, dataRange.getColumn(), 1, numColumns);
  var headers = headersRange.getValues()[0];
  return getObjects(dataRange.getValues(), normalizeHeaders(headers));
}
// Given a JavaScript 2d Array, this function returns the transposed table.
// Arguments:
//   - data: JavaScript 2d Array
// Returns a JavaScript 2d Array
// Example: arrayTranspose([[1,2,3],[4,5,6]]) returns [[1,4],[2,5],[3,6]].
function arrayTranspose(data) {
  if (data.length == 0 || data[0].length == 0) {
    return null;
  }

  var ret = [];
  for (var i = 0; i < data[0].length; ++i) {
    ret.push([]);
  }

  for (var i = 0; i < data.length; ++i) {
    for (var j = 0; j < data[i].length; ++j) {
      ret[j][i] = data[i][j];
    }
  }

  return ret;
}

// getColumnsData iterates column by column in the input range and returns an array of objects.
// Each object contains all the data for a given column, indexed by its normalized row name.
// [Modified by mhawksey]
// Arguments:
//   - sheet: the sheet object that contains the data to be processed
//   - range: the exact range of cells where the data is stored
//       This argument is optional and it defaults to all the cells except those in the first column
//       or all the cells below rowHeadersIndex (if defined).
//   - columnHeadersIndex: specifies the row number where the column names are stored.
//       This argument is optional and it defaults to the row immediately above range; 
// Returns an Array of objects.
function getColumnsData(sheet, range, columnHeadersIndex) {
  var headersIndex = columnHeadersIndex || range ? range.getColumnIndex() - 1 : 1;
  var dataRange = range || 
    sheet.getRange(1, headersIndex + 1, sheet.getMaxRows(), sheet.getMaxColumns()- headersIndex);
  var numRows = dataRange.getLastRow() - dataRange.getRow() + 1;
  var headersRange = sheet.getRange(dataRange.getRow(),headersIndex,numRows,1);
  var headers = arrayTranspose(headersRange.getValues())[0];
  return getObjects(arrayTranspose(dataRange.getValues()), normalizeHeaders(headers));
}

// For every row of data in data, generates an object that contains the data. Names of
// object fields are defined in keys.
// Arguments:
//   - data: JavaScript 2d array
//   - keys: Array of Strings that define the property names for the objects to create
function getObjects(data, keys) {
  var objects = [];
  for (var i = 0; i < data.length; ++i) {
    var object = {};
    var hasData = false;
    for (var j = 0; j < data[i].length; ++j) {
      var cellData = data[i][j];
      if (isCellEmpty(cellData)) {
        continue;
      }
      object[keys[j]] = cellData;
      hasData = true;
    }
    if (hasData) {
      objects.push(object);
    }
  }
  return objects;
}

// Returns an Array of normalized Strings. 
// Empty Strings are returned for all Strings that could not be successfully normalized.
// Arguments:
//   - headers: Array of Strings to normalize
function normalizeHeaders(headers) {
  var keys = [];
  for (var i = 0; i < headers.length; ++i) {
    keys.push(normalizeHeader(headers[i]));
  }
  return keys;
}

// Normalizes a string, by removing all alphanumeric characters and using mixed case
// to separate words. The output will always start with a lower case letter.
// This function is designed to produce JavaScript object property names.
// Arguments:
//   - header: string to normalize
// Examples:
//   "First Name" -> "firstName"
//   "Market Cap (millions) -> "marketCapMillions
//   "1 number at the beginning is ignored" -> "numberAtTheBeginningIsIgnored"
function normalizeHeader(header) {
  var key = "";
  var upperCase = false;
  for (var i = 0; i < header.length; ++i) {
    var letter = header[i];
    if (letter == " " && key.length > 0) {
      upperCase = true;
      continue;
    }
    //if (!isAlnum(letter)) { // I removed this because result identifiers have '_' in name
    //  continue;
    //}
    if (key.length == 0 && isDigit(letter)) {
      continue; // first character must be a letter
    }
    if (upperCase) {
      upperCase = false;
      key += letter.toUpperCase();
    } else {
      key += letter.toLowerCase();
    }
  }
  return key;
}

// Returns true if the cell where cellData was read from is empty.
// Arguments:
//   - cellData: string
function isCellEmpty(cellData) {
  return typeof(cellData) == "string" && cellData == "";
}

// Returns true if the character char is alphabetical, false otherwise.
function isAlnum(char) {
  return char >= 'A' && char <= 'Z' ||
    char >= 'a' && char <= 'z' ||
    isDigit(char);
}

// Returns true if the character char is a digit, false otherwise.
function isDigit(char) {
  return char >= '0' && char <= '9';
}