Google script for sheets not copying formulas inside cells, only the values

Question

I found this excellent script by --Hyde on support.google.com called moveRowsFromSpreadsheetToSpreadsheet, which enables the transfer of Google Sheet rows between a target sheet and a destination sheet, based on a value set in a dropdown cell for each row in the target sheet.

The challenge i'm facing is that the script is copying & pasting values only for each cell, not the formulas inside those cells.

My spreadsheet contains cells with =IMAGE() formulas and =HYPERLINK() formulas and these cells are transferred either empty (in cells where I have =IMAGE() formulas) or non-hyperlinked values only (in cells where I have =HYPERLINK() formulas).

My hope is, if at all possible, to find a way to modulate the script so it will copy & paste the rows as they are, with formulas and all, and not just values only for each cell. Similar to the manual copying & pasting of cell ranges.

I'm guessing it has to do with the targetRange.setValues([values]); class in line 269 which probably should have used the targetRange.copyTo(destination, options); class. I tried to change the class but it returned the following error: "The parameters (number[]) don't match the method signature for SpreadsheetApp.Range.copyTo. Code line 270"

Here is the script:

try {
  // START Modifiable parameters
  var sheetsToWatch =       ['Incoming'];
  var columnsToWatch =      ['Review'];
  var valuesToWatch =       ['ignore','threat','defamatory'];
  var targetSheets =        ['Ignored','Threats','Defamation'];
  var targetSpreadheets =   ['18Cj0oSroQJ_c_4exPK03ubqUd3Fpr8o1M1lzebsyD9g','18Cj0oSroQJ_c_4exPK03ubqUd3Fpr8o1M1lzebsyD9g','18Cj0oSroQJ_c_4exPK03ubqUd3Fpr8o1M1lzebsyD9g'];
  var targetIdColumn =      ['Review'];
  var targetValues =        [];
  var copyInsteadOfMove =   [false, false, false];
  var numColumnsToMove =    [];
  var changeColumnOrderTo = [];
  var sheetsToSort =        [];
  var columnToSortBy =      [];
  var sortAscending =       [];
  // END modifiable parameters
} catch (error) {
  showAndThrow_(error);
}

function moveRowsFromSpreadsheetToSpreadsheet_(e) {
  if (!e || !e.range) {
    return;
  }
  var sourceSheet = e.range.getSheet();
  var sourceSheetName = sourceSheet.getName();
  if (sheetsToWatch.indexOf(sourceSheetName) === -1) {
    return;
  }
  var columnLabelRow = sourceSheet.getFrozenRows() || 1;
  var numSheetColumns = sourceSheet.getLastColumn();
  var columnLabels = sourceSheet.getRange(columnLabelRow, 1, 1, numSheetColumns).getValues()[0];
  if (targetIdColumn.length && targetValues.length) {
    var targetIdColumnNumber = columnLabels.indexOf(targetIdColumn[0]) + 1;
    if (!targetIdColumnNumber) {
      throw new Error('Could not find a column named "' + String(targetIdColumn[0]) + '".');
    }
  }
  for (var i = 0, numValuesToWatch = valuesToWatch.length; i < numValuesToWatch; i++) {
    valuesToWatch[i] = String(valuesToWatch[i]).toLowerCase();
  }
  var values = e.range.getDisplayValues();
  var rowsToDelete = [];
  var numRowsMoved = 0;
  var messageOnDisplay = false;
  for (var row = 0, numRows = values.length; row < numRows; row++) {
    for (var column = 0, numColumns = values[row].length; column < numColumns; column++) {
      if (e.range.rowStart + row <= columnLabelRow) {
        continue;
      }
      var columnLabel = columnLabels[e.range.columnStart - 1 + column];
      if (columnsToWatch.indexOf(columnLabel) === -1) {
        continue;
      }
      var valueLowerCase = values[row][column].toLowerCase();
      var valuesToWatchIndex = valuesToWatch.indexOf(valueLowerCase);
      if (valuesToWatchIndex === -1) {
        continue;
      }
      if (targetIdColumn.length && targetValues.length) {
        var valueInTargetIdColumn = sourceSheet.getRange(e.range.rowStart + row, targetIdColumnNumber).getValue();
        var targetIndex = targetValues.indexOf(valueInTargetIdColumn);
      } else {
        targetIndex = valuesToWatchIndex;
      }  
      if (targetIndex === -1) {
        continue;
      }
      // all checks done, there is at least one row to move
      var movedRowIndex = e.range.rowStart + row;
      if (!messageOnDisplay) {
        showMessage_('Moving rows...', 30);
        messageOnDisplay = true;
      }
      var sourceRange = sourceSheet.getRange(e.range.rowStart + row, 1, 1, numSheetColumns);
      var rowValuesInOriginalOrder = sourceRange.getValues()[0];
      if (numColumnsToMove[targetIndex] !== undefined) {
        var rowValues = rowValuesInOriginalOrder.slice(0, numColumnsToMove[targetIndex]);
      } else {
        rowValues = rowValuesInOriginalOrder.slice();
      }
      for (var changeIndex = 0; changeIndex < changeColumnOrderTo.length; changeIndex++) {
        if (changeColumnOrderTo[changeIndex] !== undefined) {
          rowValues[changeIndex] = rowValuesInOriginalOrder[changeColumnOrderTo[changeIndex]];
        } else if (rowValues[changeIndex] === undefined) {
          rowValues[changeIndex] = null;
        }
      }
      if (targetSpreadheets[targetIndex]) {
        try {
          var targetSpreadsheet = SpreadsheetApp.openById(targetSpreadheets[targetIndex]);
        } catch (error) {
          var ssIdShortened = String(targetSpreadheets[targetIndex]).slice(0, 5) + '...' + String(targetSpreadheets[targetIndex]).slice(-5);
          throw new Error("Could not find the target spreadsheet with ID '" + ssIdShortened + "'.");
        }
      } else {
        targetSpreadsheet = sourceSheet.getParent();
      }
      var targetSheet = targetSpreadsheet.getSheetByName(targetSheets[targetIndex]);
      if (!targetSheet) {
        throw new Error("Could not find the target sheet '" + targetSheets[targetIndex] + "'.");
      }
      var targetRange = targetSheet.getRange(targetSheet.getLastRow() + 1, 1, 1, rowValues.length);
      targetRange.setValues([rowValues]);
      numRowsMoved += 1;
      if (!copyInsteadOfMove[targetIndex]) {
        rowsToDelete.push(e.range.rowStart + row);
      }
    } // column
  } // row
  if (messageOnDisplay) {
    var message = (rowsToDelete.length ? 'Moved ' : 'Copied ') + numRowsMoved + (numRowsMoved === 1 ? ' row.' : ' rows.');
    showMessage_('Moving rows... done. ' + message);
  }
  if (rowsToDelete.length) {
    for (var i = rowsToDelete.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
      sourceSheet.deleteRow(rowsToDelete[i]);
    }
  }
  return { sourceSheet: sourceSheet, targetSheet: targetSheet };
}

function installOnEditTrigger() {
  ScriptApp.newTrigger('moveRowsAndSortSheet_')
  .forSpreadsheet(SpreadsheetApp.getActive())
  .onEdit()
  .create();  
}

Answer 1

From the question

I tried to change the class but it returned the following error: "The parameters (number[]) don't match the method signature for SpreadsheetApp.Range.copyTo. Code line 270"

The error means that the first argument is an Array of numbers but SpreadsheetApp.Range.copyTo requires a Class Range object.

The solution to this error is to pass an appropiate object. By the other hand, the copyTo method should be applied to the source range instead of the target range.

Instead of

targetRange.copyTo(destination, options);

try

sourceRange.copyTo(targetRange, options);