CODEWITHSUNDEEP
google-apps-script
Diego Susa
Diego Susa

Reputation: 13

Any pointers on Apps Script deprecation path?

I'm curious about building some things on this technology, but also worried about this sunset schedule: https://developers.google.com/apps-script/guides/support/sunset On one side, the above link mentions sunset of many collateral parts in last few years. On the other hand, the Apps Script core is not yet listed in review sites like this one: https://killedbygoogle.com/ Can anyone share pointers (articles, links) with insights on why/when would Google ditch this scripting tech ? Thanks!

Upvotes: 1

Views: 358

Answers (1)

TheAddonDepot
TheAddonDepot

Reputation: 8964

Consider this, the majority of the retired features on that sunset list have been replaced with analogous tech.

Initially Apps Script supported widget-based tools (with drag-and-drop docking panels for what was once a GUI builder and a UIService API as a programmatic component) but modern developers wanted more control over the look and feel of their apps, so that tech stack was replaced with APIs that allowed devs to use HTML/CSS/Javascript (via HtmlService on the client side).

Some services were simply replaced with new implementations. For example, the SOAP and XML classes were replaced with XMLService.

Also keep in mind that just because Apps Script grants access to a service does not mean it is integral to it. Apps Script is just one part of Google's extensive ecosystem of APIs and services and sometimes when one of those services is deprecated and removed, then access to that service has to be removed from Apps Script as well. Such is the case with Google Domains API and Fusion Tables; both of those services are independent of Apps Script but for the sake of convenience API wrappers were supplied that allowed developers to interact programmatically with those services directly from Apps Script. Its only natural that those wrappers are removed when those services are retired.

Finally, Google moved deployment of Add-ons to their own dedicated marketplace (GSM) and removed them from the Chrome Web Store. Hence the Chrome Web store deprecation.

So I don't see App Script going the way of the Dodo bird anytime soon.

What should concern you as a developer looking to build something on this platform are its limitations. You'll need to understand Apps Script and its quota limitations, and if you are planning on offering a public facing application (say a public add-on) you'll need to be aware of Google's User Data Policy and sensitive/restricted scopes (look up Google's OAuth2 FAQ).

Upvotes: 4

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