Insert Date Time

DateTime

/**
 * The onOpen function runs automatically when the Google Docs document is
 * opened. Use it to add custom menus to Google Docs that allow the user to run
 * custom scripts. For more information, please consult the following two
 * resources.
 *
 * Extending Google Docs developer guide:
 *     https://developers.google.com/apps-script/guides/docs
 *
 * Document service reference documentation:
 *     https://developers.google.com/apps-script/reference/document/
 */
function onOpen() {
  // Add a menu with some items, some separators, and a sub-menu.
  DocumentApp.getUi().createMenu('Utilities')
      .addItem('Insert Date', 'insertAtCursor')
      .addItem('Insert Time', 'insertTimeAtCursor')
      .addItem('Insert Long Date', 'insertLDateAtCursor')
      .addItem('Insert Date and Time', 'insertDTAtCursor')
      .addItem('Insert Custom Long Date and Time', 'insertCLDTAtCursor')
      .addToUi();
  
}

/**
 * Inserts the date at the current cursor location in boldface.
 */
function insertAtCursor() {
  var cursor = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument().getCursor();

  if (cursor) {
    // Attempt to insert text at the cursor position. If insertion returns null,
    // then the cursor's containing element doesn't allow text insertions.
    var date = Utilities.formatDate(new Date(), "GMT", "yyyy-MM-dd"); // "yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss'Z'"
    var element = cursor.insertText(date);
    if (element) {
      element.setBold(true);
    } else {
      DocumentApp.getUi().alert('Cannot insert text at this cursor location.');
    }
  } else {
    DocumentApp.getUi().alert('Cannot find a cursor in the document.');
  }
  moveCursorToEnd();
}
/**
 * Inserts the time at the current cursor location in boldface.
 */
function insertTimeAtCursor() {
  var cursor = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument().getCursor();

  if (cursor) {
    // Attempt to insert text at the cursor position. If insertion returns null,
    // then the cursor's containing element doesn't allow text insertions.
    var time = Utilities.formatDate(new Date(), "GMT", "HH:mm:ss"); // "yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss'Z'"
    var element = cursor.insertText(time);
    if (element) {
      element.setBold(true);
    } else {
      DocumentApp.getUi().alert('Cannot insert text at this cursor location.');
    }
  } else {
    DocumentApp.getUi().alert('Cannot find a cursor in the document.');
  }
  moveCursorToEnd();
}
/**
 * Inserts the long date at the current cursor location in boldface.
 */
function insertLDateAtCursor() {
  var cursor = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument().getCursor();

  if (cursor) {
    // Attempt to insert text at the cursor position. If insertion returns null,
    // then the cursor's containing element doesn't allow text insertions.
    var longDate = Utilities.formatDate(new Date(), "GMT", "MMMM dd, yyyy"); // "yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss'Z'"
    var element = cursor.insertText(longDate);
    if (element) {
      element.setBold(true);
    } else {
      DocumentApp.getUi().alert('Cannot insert text at this cursor location.');
    }
  } else {
    DocumentApp.getUi().alert('Cannot find a cursor in the document.');
  }
  moveCursorToEnd();
}

/**
 * Inserts the Date and time at the current cursor location in boldface.
 */
function insertDTAtCursor() {
  var cursor = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument().getCursor();

  if (cursor) {
    // Attempt to insert text at the cursor position. If insertion returns null,
    // then the cursor's containing element doesn't allow text insertions.
    var longDateTime = Utilities.formatDate(new Date(), "GMT", "MMMM dd, yyyy HH:mm"); // "yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss'Z'"
    var element = cursor.insertText(longDateTime);
    if (element) {
      element.setBold(true);
    } else {
      DocumentApp.getUi().alert('Cannot insert text at this cursor location.');
    }
  } else {
    DocumentApp.getUi().alert('Cannot find a cursor in the document.');
  }
  moveCursorToEnd();
}

/**
 * Inserts the custom long date and time at the current cursor location in boldface.
 */
function insertCLDTAtCursor() {
  var cursor = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument().getCursor();

  if (cursor) {
    // Attempt to insert text at the cursor position. If insertion returns null,
    // then the cursor's containing element doesn't allow text insertions.
    var customLDateTime = Utilities.formatDate(new Date(), "GMT", "EEEE, MMMM dd, yyyy- HH:mm'hrs'"); // "yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss'Z'"
    var element = cursor.insertText(customLDateTime);
    if (element) {
      element.setBold(true);
    } else {
      DocumentApp.getUi().alert('Cannot insert text at this cursor location.');
    }
  } else {
    DocumentApp.getUi().alert('Cannot find a cursor in the document.');
  }
  moveCursorToEnd();
}

function moveCursorToEnd() {
  //move cursor to the end
  var doc=DocumentApp.getActiveDocument();
  var txtElement=doc.getCursor().getElement();
  var txtOffset=doc.getCursor().getOffset();
  var position=doc.newPosition(txtElement, txtOffset + 1);
  doc.setCursor(position);
}

Added 'time' and 'long date' formats.
Change the timezone as per your needs from 'GMT' to your time zone abbr.

Added date AND time as a new menu item.

it seems to be glitchy when I change the time zone from EST to EDT time zone to show Daylight Savings time. Or am I missing something in the code?

Hi @pbarunsarathy could you post a snippet for date format Month-Day (ex: May 08, 2019)?

Updated code to include a custom long date and time.
And moved the cursor to the end after inserting date/time.

How do you change the time format from 24 hr to 12 hr pm or am?

How can you get daylight savings time?

This is great. Thank you. What is the easiest way to have this menu always available when I am using a Google Doc, instead of just this one particular one?

The way Google Docs work is that we cannot have it altered to have this menu available on all Docs. The code can only be made Doc-specific.