Class Date Stay organized with collections Save and categorize content based on your preferences.
Page Summary
A Date element represents a formatted date and includes methods to retrieve and set its attributes, display text, locale, and timestamp.
The element provides methods for document structure manipulation like getting siblings and parent, checking if it's at the document end, merging with a preceding sibling, and removing itself from its parent.
The element can be copied to create a detached, deep copy including any child elements.
An element representing a formatted date
Methods
| Method | Return type | Brief description |
|---|---|---|
copy() | Date | Returns a detached, deep copy of the current element. |
get | Object | Retrieves the element's attributes. |
get | String | Returns the display value that's rendered in the document. |
get | String | Returns the date's locale used for the display value. |
get | Element|null | Retrieves the element's next sibling element. |
get | Container | Retrieves the element's parent element. |
get | Element|null | Retrieves the element's previous sibling element. |
get | Date | Returns the timestamp associated with the date. |
get | Element | Retrieves the element'sElement. |
is | Boolean | Determines whether the element is at the end of theDocument. |
merge() | Date|null | Merges the element with the preceding sibling of the same type. |
remove | Date|null | Removes the element from its parent. |
set | Date | Sets the element's attributes. |
Detailed documentation
copy()
Returns a detached, deep copy of the current element.
Any child elements present in the element are also copied. The new element doesn't have aparent.
Return
Date — The new copy.
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents.currentonlyhttps://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents
getAttributes()
Retrieves the element's attributes.
The result is an object containing a property for each valid element attribute where eachproperty name corresponds to an item in theDocument enumeration.
constdoc=DocumentApp.getActiveDocument();constdocumentTab=doc.getActiveTab().asDocumentTab();constbody=documentTab.getBody();// Append a styled paragraph.constpar=body.appendParagraph('A bold, italicized paragraph.');par.setBold(true);par.setItalic(true);// Retrieve the paragraph's attributes.constatts=par.getAttributes();// Log the paragraph attributes.for(constattinatts){Logger.log(`${att}:${atts[att]}`);}
Return
Object — The element's attributes.
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents.currentonlyhttps://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents
getDisplayText()
Returns the display value that's rendered in the document. The display value uses the UTCtimezone and the date's locale. For example,Jul 16, 2021.
Return
String — The display value.
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents.currentonlyhttps://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents
getLocale()
Returns the date's locale used for the display value. For example,en.
Return
String — The locale of the date.
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents.currentonlyhttps://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents
getNextSibling()
Retrieves the element's next sibling element.
The next sibling has the same parent and follows the current element.
Return
Element|null — The next sibling element.
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents.currentonlyhttps://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents
getParent()
Retrieves the element's parent element.
The parent element contains the current element.
Return
Container — The parent element.
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents.currentonlyhttps://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents
getPreviousSibling()
Retrieves the element's previous sibling element.
The previous sibling has the same parent and precedes the current element.
Return
Element|null — The previous sibling element.
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents.currentonlyhttps://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents
getTimestamp()
Returns the timestamp associated with the date.
Return
Date — The timestamp.
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents.currentonlyhttps://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents
getType()
Retrieves the element'sElement.
Useget to determine the exact type of a given element.
constdoc=DocumentApp.getActiveDocument();constdocumentTab=doc.getActiveTab().asDocumentTab();constbody=documentTab.getBody();// Obtain the first element in the active tab's body.constfirstChild=body.getChild(0);// Use getType() to determine the element's type.if(firstChild.getType()===DocumentApp.ElementType.PARAGRAPH){Logger.log('The first element is a paragraph.');}else{Logger.log('The first element is not a paragraph.');}
Return
Element — The element type.
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents.currentonlyhttps://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents
isAtDocumentEnd()
Determines whether the element is at the end of theDocument.
Return
Boolean — Whether the element is at the end of the tab.
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents.currentonlyhttps://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents
merge()
Merges the element with the preceding sibling of the same type.
Only elements of the sameElement can be merged. Any child elements contained inthe current element are moved to the preceding sibling element.
The current element is removed from the document.
constdoc=DocumentApp.getActiveDocument();constdocumentTab=doc.getActiveTab().asDocumentTab();constbody=documentTab.getBody();// Example 1: Merge paragraphs// Append two paragraphs to the document's active tab.constpar1=body.appendParagraph('Paragraph 1.');constpar2=body.appendParagraph('Paragraph 2.');// Merge the newly added paragraphs into a single paragraph.par2.merge();// Example 2: Merge table cells// Create a two-dimensional array containing the table's cell contents.constcells=[['Row 1, Cell 1','Row 1, Cell 2'],['Row 2, Cell 1','Row 2, Cell 2'],];// Build a table from the array.consttable=body.appendTable(cells);// Get the first row in the table.constrow=table.getRow(0);// Get the two cells in this row.constcell1=row.getCell(0);constcell2=row.getCell(1);// Merge the current cell into its preceding sibling element.constmerged=cell2.merge();
Return
Date|null — The merged element.
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents.currentonlyhttps://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents
removeFromParent()
Removes the element from its parent.
constdoc=DocumentApp.getActiveDocument();constdocumentTab=doc.getActiveTab().asDocumentTab();constbody=documentTab.getBody();// Remove all images in the active tab's body.constimgs=body.getImages();for(leti=0;i <imgs.length;i++){imgs[i].removeFromParent();}
Return
Date|null — The removed element.
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents.currentonlyhttps://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents
setAttributes(attributes)
Sets the element's attributes.
The specified attributes parameter must be an object where each property name is an item intheDocument enumeration and each property value is the new value to beapplied.
constdoc=DocumentApp.getActiveDocument();constdocumentTab=doc.getActiveTab().asDocumentTab();constbody=documentTab.getBody();// Define a custom paragraph style.conststyle={};style[DocumentApp.Attribute.HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT]=DocumentApp.HorizontalAlignment.RIGHT;style[DocumentApp.Attribute.FONT_FAMILY]='Calibri';style[DocumentApp.Attribute.FONT_SIZE]=18;style[DocumentApp.Attribute.BOLD]=true;// Append a plain paragraph.constpar=body.appendParagraph('A paragraph with custom style.');// Apply the custom style.par.setAttributes(style);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
attributes | Object | The element's attributes. |
Return
Date — The current element.
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents.currentonlyhttps://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents
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Last updated 2025-12-11 UTC.