Update a configuration card

This guide explains how to dynamically update a configuration card in response to user actions, such as clicking a button or selecting an item from a menu.

You can insert, remove, or replace card sections and widgets to create responsive interfaces that adapt to user input. For example, you can update a card interface to show a validation error message to users who enter a string in an input field that expects an integer, and then update it again to hide the message after the user enters an integer.

Modify card sections and widgets

To update a card, your widget action (such as onClickAction) must call a function that returns a RenderActions object containing modification instructions.

On card sections, you can perform the following modifications:

Insert a section: Add a section to the top of the card or beneath an existing section specified by ID with setInsertSection.
Remove a section: Remove a section specified by ID with setRemoveSection.
Replace a section: Replace an existing section with a new section specified by ID with setReplaceSection.

On card widgets, you can perform the following modifications:

Insert a widget: Add a widget before or after an existing widget specified by ID with setInsertWidget.
Remove a widget: Remove a widget specified by ID with setRemoveWidget.
Replace a widget: Replace an existing widget with a new widget with setReplaceWidget.

Example: Insert and remove sections and widgets

The following example builds a configuration card containing buttons that call functions to modify the card by inserting or removing widgets and sections.

JSON

{
  "timeZone": "America/Los_Angeles",
  "exceptionLogging": "STACKDRIVER",
  "runtimeVersion": "V8",
  "addOns": {
    "common": {
      "name": "Test Project",
      "logoUrl": "https://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/material/system/1x/pets_black_48dp.png",
      "useLocaleFromApp": true
    },
    "flows": {
      "workflowElements": [
        {
          "id": "modify_card",
          "state": "ACTIVE",
          "name": "Modify Card",
          "workflowAction": {
            "inputs": [
              {
                "id": "value1",
                "description": "The first input",
                "cardinality": "SINGLE",
                "dataType": {
                  "basicType": "STRING"
                }
              },
              {
                "id": "value2",
                "description": "The second number",
                "cardinality": "SINGLE",
                "dataType": {
                  "basicType": "STRING"
                }
              },
              {
                "id": "value3",
                "description": "The third number",
                "cardinality": "SINGLE",
                "dataType": {
                  "basicType": "STRING"
                }
              }
            ],
            "outputs": [
              {
                "id": "result",
                "description": "Modify Card result",
                "cardinality": "SINGLE",
                "dataType": {
                  "basicType": "STRING"
                }
              }
            ],
            "onConfigFunction": "onConfig",
            "onExecuteFunction": "onExecute"
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Apps Script

// Return a configuration Card for the step.
function onConfig() {

  const textInput_1 = CardService.newTextInput().setFieldName("value1").setTitle("First Value").setId("text_input_1").setHostAppDataSource(CardService.newHostAppDataSource().setWorkflowDataSource(CardService.newWorkflowDataSource().setIncludeVariables(true)));
  const textInput_2 = CardService.newTextInput().setFieldName("value2").setTitle("Second Value").setId("text_input_2").setHostAppDataSource(CardService.newHostAppDataSource().setWorkflowDataSource(CardService.newWorkflowDataSource().setIncludeVariables(true)));

  // Create buttons that call functions to modify the card.
  const buttonSet = CardService.newButtonSet().setId("card_modification_buttons")
    .addButton(
      CardService.newTextButton()
        .setAltText("Insert Card Section")
        .setText("Insert Card Section")
        .setOnClickAction(
          CardService.newAction().setFunctionName('insertSection')
        )
    )
    .addButton(
      CardService.newTextButton()
        .setAltText("Insert Text Widget")
        .setText("Insert Text Widget")
        .setOnClickAction(
          CardService.newAction().setFunctionName('insertWidget')
        )
    );

  var firstSection =
    CardService.newCardSection()
      .setId("card_section_1")
      .addWidget(textInput_1)
      .addWidget(textInput_2)
      .addWidget(buttonSet);

  var card = CardService.newCardBuilder()
    .addSection(firstSection)
    .build();

  return card;
}

// If the step runs, return output variables.
function onExecute(event) {
  var value1 = event.workflow.actionInvocation.inputs["value1"].stringValues[0];
  var value2 = event.workflow.actionInvocation.inputs["value2"].stringValues[0];
  var value3; // Declare value3
  var result;
  // Check if the "value3" key exists in the inputs, which only exists if
  // the third text input is inserted to the Card.
  if (event.workflow.actionInvocation.inputs["value3"]) {
    value3 = event.workflow.actionInvocation.inputs["value3"].stringValues[0];

    result = value1 + "\n" + value2 + "\n" + value3;
  } else {
    result = value1 + "\n" + value2;
  }
  // Output the file ID through a variableData, which can be used by
  // later steps in a workflow.
  const variableData = AddOnsResponseService.newVariableData().addStringValue(result);

  let textFormatElement = AddOnsResponseService.newTextFormatElement().setText("Output: " + JSON.stringify(variableData));
  let workflowTextFormat = AddOnsResponseService.newWorkflowTextFormat()
  .addTextFormatElement(textFormatElement);

  // The string key for each variableData must match with the IDs of the
  // outputs defined in the manifest.
  let returnAction = AddOnsResponseService.newReturnOutputVariablesAction()
      .setVariables({ "result": variableData }).setLog(workflowTextFormat);

  let hostAppAction = AddOnsResponseService.newHostAppAction().setWorkflowAction(returnAction);

  const renderAction = AddOnsResponseService.newRenderActionBuilder()
      .setHostAppAction(hostAppAction).build();

  return renderAction;
}

/**
 * Inserts a new CardSection with several widgets.
 */
function insertSection(event) {
  console.log("event: " + JSON.stringify(event, null, 3));

  const optionalSection = CardService.newCardSection().setId("card_section_2")
    .addWidget(
      CardService.newTextParagraph().setText("This is a text paragraph inside the new card section")
    )
    .addWidget(
      CardService.newButtonSet().addButton(
        CardService.newTextButton().setText("Remove Card Section").setOnClickAction(CardService.newAction().setFunctionName("removeSection"))))
    .addWidget(
      CardService.newButtonSet().addButton(
        CardService.newTextButton().setText("Replace Card Section").setOnClickAction(CardService.newAction().setFunctionName("replaceSection"))));

  // Insert the new section beneath section "card_section_1".
  // You can also insert at the top of a Card.
  const sectionInsertion = AddOnsResponseService.newInsertSection().insertBelowSection("card_section_1").setSection(optionalSection);

  const modifyAction = AddOnsResponseService.newAction()
    .addModifyCard(AddOnsResponseService.newModifyCard().setInsertSection(sectionInsertion));

  return AddOnsResponseService.newRenderActionBuilder().setAction(modifyAction).build();
}
/**
 * Replaces an existing CardSection with a new CardSection with the same ID.
 */
function replaceSection(event) {
  console.log("event: " + JSON.stringify(event, null, 3));

  const replacementSection = CardService.newCardSection().setId("card_section_2")
    .addWidget(
      CardService.newTextParagraph().setText("Card Section replaced!")
    )
    .addWidget(
      CardService.newButtonSet().addButton(
        CardService.newTextButton().setText("Remove Card Section").setOnClickAction(CardService.newAction().setFunctionName("removeSection"))));

  const modifyAction = AddOnsResponseService.newAction()
    .addModifyCard(AddOnsResponseService.newModifyCard().setReplaceSection(replacementSection));

  return AddOnsResponseService.newRenderActionBuilder().setAction(modifyAction).build();
}

/**
* Replaces an existing CardWidget with a new CardWidget with the same ID.
*/
function replaceWidget(event) {
console.log("event: " + JSON.stringify(event, null, 3));

const replacementWidget = CardService.newTextParagraph().setText("This is a replacement widget!").setId("text_input_3");

const modifyAction = AddOnsResponseService.newAction()
  .addModifyCard(AddOnsResponseService.newModifyCard().setReplaceWidget(replacementWidget));

return AddOnsResponseService.newRenderActionBuilder().setAction(modifyAction).build();
}

/**
 * Inserts an additional text input widget and a button that can remove it.
 */
function insertWidget(event) {
  console.log("event: " + JSON.stringify(event, null, 3));

  const buttonSet = CardService.newButtonSet().setId("widget_1")
    .addButton(
      CardService.newTextButton()
        .setAltText("Remove Widget")
        .setText("Remove Widget")
        .setOnClickAction(
          CardService.newAction().setFunctionName('removeWidget')
        ))
    .addButton(
      CardService.newTextButton()
        .setAltText("Replace Widget")
        .setText("Replace Widget")
        .setOnClickAction(
          CardService.newAction().setFunctionName('replaceWidget')
        ));

  const textInput_3 = CardService.newTextInput().setFieldName("value3").setTitle("Third Value").setId("text_input_3");

  // Widgets can be inserted either before or after another widget.
  // This example inserts a button below a text input, then inserts
  // another text input between the existing text input and the new button.
  const buttonSetInsertion = AddOnsResponseService.newInsertWidget().insertBelowWidget("text_input_2").setWidget(buttonSet);
  const textInputInsertion = AddOnsResponseService.newInsertWidget().insertAboveWidget("widget_1").setWidget(textInput_3);

  const modifyAction = AddOnsResponseService.newAction()
    .addModifyCard(AddOnsResponseService.newModifyCard().setInsertWidget(buttonSetInsertion))
    .addModifyCard(AddOnsResponseService.newModifyCard().setInsertWidget(textInputInsertion));

  return AddOnsResponseService.newRenderActionBuilder().setAction(modifyAction).build();
}

/**
 * Removes one or more existing widgets by ID.
 */
function removeWidget(event) {
  console.log("event: " + JSON.stringify(event, null, 3));

  const textInputDeletion = AddOnsResponseService.newRemoveWidget().setWidgetId("text_input_3");
  const buttonSetDeletion = AddOnsResponseService.newRemoveWidget().setWidgetId("widget_1");

  const modifyAction = AddOnsResponseService.newAction()
    .addModifyCard(
      AddOnsResponseService.newModifyCard().setRemoveWidget(textInputDeletion)
    )
    .addModifyCard(
      AddOnsResponseService.newModifyCard().setRemoveWidget(buttonSetDeletion)
    );

  return AddOnsResponseService.newRenderActionBuilder().setAction(modifyAction).build();
}

/**
 * Removes an existing card section by ID.
 */
function removeSection(event) {
  console.log("event: " + JSON.stringify(event, null, 3));

  const sectionDeletion = AddOnsResponseService.newRemoveSection().setSectionId('card_section_2');

  const modifyAction = AddOnsResponseService.newAction()
    .addModifyCard(
      AddOnsResponseService.newModifyCard().setRemoveSection(sectionDeletion)
    );

  return AddOnsResponseService.newRenderActionBuilder().setAction(modifyAction).build();
}