Articulate Storyline: Export to Google Drive

PREVIEW  |  SOURCE

On the Articulate user days in Utrecht (2015), we held a session about exporting Articulate Storyline variables to Google Drive (Spreadsheet). This export is achieved via JavaScript (jQuery).

Use the button Source to download the Storyline project. If you want the same lay-out as the example above, please install the following fonts (see source file):

• flaticons-stroke.ttf
• fontawesome-webfont.ttf

Why do you want to make an export to Google Drive?

• No LMS (or database) available;
• Store more information than just the test results. You can export all Storyline variables to Google Drive.

Why using Javascript?

Besides using Javascript it's also possible to embed a Google form as WEB object. This is a lot easier than using Javascript.

We have chosen for Javascript because we would like the ability to change the appearance of the form. In addition, we want to collect data across multiple slides and then store them in Google Drive.

UPDATE 2017-06-06:

There is also an article available for importing records of a Google Spreadsheet into Storyline:

Articulate Storyline: Import from Google Drive

UPDATE 18-10-2018: PROBLEMS WITH NEW SPREADSHEET, TRY TO USE A TEMPLATE

Google changed somthing within the mechanism of storing variables into a Google Spreadsheet. Creating a new spreadsheet can give you problems for storing variables. Before you try the steps below, please use a template:

Go to the page below and use the button Use this template:
https://drive.google.com/previewtemplate?id=1vrqb9ykwCSxzjcBIpYO7P9AXPyh37J3HviSwhZvYc_U&mode=public

And go further with step 4 below!

Export to Google Drive

The export consists of several steps. Some steps take place on the side of Google. For these steps you will need a Google account. The remaining steps take place in Articulate Storyline.

Below you'll find the steps to create the export to Google Drive: 

1. Login with your Google account

Go to the page below and login with your credentials:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/

2. Create a new spreadsheet

Click on the Plus-sign (+) to create a new spreadsheet.

3. Rename the sheet to DATA

Give the spreadsheet a title and change the name of the sheet to DATA.

4. Add extra columns

Add extra columns you would like to use. Probably these columns will have the same name as the variables in Articulate Storyline. As example: the column names name, email and message like in the source project.

You can add the column date in the spreadsheet, if you would like to save the date when the form is sent to Google.

The column names needs to be identical to the variable names in Articulate Storyline. The column names are case sensitive.

 5. Copy the ID of your form

Find out your spreadsheet ‘key’ by looking in the address bar, the key is the long series of letters and numbers after /d/ and before /edit: Like:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AzBuim89ma_ght1-O14cksVzXrQL5Vh4XnRqY9OM_gc/edit#gid=0

The KEY will be = 1AzBuim89ma_ght1-O14cksVzXrQL5Vh4XnRqY9OM_gc

Save this KEY in a Notepad file to keep safe, or other application, you will need this ID in step 8.

6. Open the Script Editor

Open the script editor Tools, Script Editor.

7. Paste custom script

If you are using the template, then you can skip this step. The code is already in the template available. If not, paste the script below, which is needed for importing the Storyline variables into this spreadsheet:

// 1. Enter sheet name where data is to be written below
 var SHEET_NAME = "DATA";

// 2. Enter the KEY of your form
var KEY = "KEY"

// 3. Run > setup

// 4. Publish > Deploy as web app 
// - enter Project Version name and click 'Save New Version' 
// - set security level and enable service (most likely execute as 'me' and access 'anyone, even anonymously)

// 5. Copy the 'Current web app URL' and post this in your form/script action

// 6. Insert column names on your destination sheet matching the parameter names of the data you are passing in (exactly matching case)

var SCRIPT_PROP = PropertiesService.getScriptProperties(); // new property service

// If you don't want to expose either GET or POST methods you can comment out the appropriate function

function doGet(e){
 return handleResponse(e);
}
 function doPost(e){
 return handleResponse(e);
}

function handleResponse(e) {
 // shortly after my original solution Google announced the LockService[1]
 // this prevents concurrent access overwritting data
 // [1] http://googleappsdeveloper.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/concurrency-and-google-apps-script.html
 // we want a public lock, one that locks for all invocations
 var lock = LockService.getPublicLock();
 lock.waitLock(30000); // wait 30 seconds before conceding defeat.

 try {
 // next set where we write the data - you could write to multiple/alternate destinations
 var doc = SpreadsheetApp.openById(SCRIPT_PROP.getProperty(KEY));
 var sheet = doc.getSheetByName(SHEET_NAME);

 // we'll assume header is in row 1 but you can override with header_row in GET/POST data
 var headRow = e.parameter.header_row || 1;
 var headers = sheet.getRange(1, 1, 1, sheet.getLastColumn()).getValues()[0];
 var nextRow = sheet.getLastRow()+1; // get next row
 var row = []; 
 // loop through the header columns
 for (i in headers){
 if (headers[i] == "Timestamp"){ // special case if you include a 'Timestamp' column
 row.push(new Date());
 } else { // else use header name to get data
 row.push(e.parameter[headers[i]]);
 }
 }
 // more efficient to set values as [][] array than individually
 sheet.getRange(nextRow, 1, 1, row.length).setValues([row]);
 // return json success results
 return ContentService
 .createTextOutput(JSON.stringify({"result":"success", "row": nextRow}))
 .setMimeType(ContentService.MimeType.JSON);
 } catch(e){
 // if error return this
 return ContentService
 .createTextOutput(JSON.stringify({"result":"error", "error": e})) .setMimeType(ContentService.MimeType.JSON);
 } finally { //release lock
 lock.releaseLock();
 }
}

function setup() {
 var doc = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
 SCRIPT_PROP.setProperty(KEY, doc.getId());
}

8. Paste your key

There is one place in the script where it says var KEY = "KEY". Copy and paste your key between the "".

9. Run the script

Run the script via Run, Run function, setup. The first time you run the script it will ask for permission to run. You will need to grant it. If you run the script for a second time you won't get any popup. This is an indication it has run successfully.

10. Deploy a web app

Go to Publish, Deploy as web app. Enter a project name (optional) and set security level. Choose for Me and access Anyone, even anonymously. Click on the button Deploy to create the web app.

11. Copy the Current web app URL

Copy the 'Current web app URL' and paste it in a Notepad file to keep safe.

Example URL:

https://script.google.com/macros/s/AKfycbyoP8c3_wlons5PSHx1W8PWJx4pn7t3ch-_IxTz0dVIKFw1AGLN/exec

12. Add jQuery library

In Articulate, add a trigger to run javascript (Execute Javascript) and use the code below.

This code will add the jQuery library to this project, so you won't have to change the HTML files after publishing the project. The jQuery library is needed for exporting the information to Google Drive.

var head = document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0];
var script = document.createElement('script');
script.src = '//code.jquery.com/jquery-1.11.0.min.js';
script.type = 'text/javascript';
head.appendChild(script)

13. Store information

Add another trigger to run Javascript (Execute Javascript). You can use the code below.

Replace the value Current web app URL for the webapp url you've saved in step 11. 

Below the webapp URL, you can place the column names of the spreadsheet and the Storyline variables. Please be aware of the comma if you add multiple variables.

var player = GetPlayer();
 
//PLACE YOUR WEB APP URL
WEB_APP_URL = "Current web app URL";
 
// STORE ARTICULATE STORYLINE VARIABLES
// "Columnname_Google_Spreadsheet" : player.GetVar("Name_Storyline_Variable")
// ATTENTION: Use a comma if you use multiple Storyline variables
storyline =
{
 "date" : new Date().toJSON().slice(0,10), //STORE DATE
 "name" : player.GetVar("name"),
 "email" : player.GetVar("email"),
 "message" : player.GetVar("message")
}

Don't delete the row below, if you would like to save the date when the form is sent:

"date" : new Date().toJSON().slice(0,10), //STORE DATE

14. Export code to Google Drive

Latest Javascript code. Add another trigger to run Javascript (Execute Javascript). You can use the code below. This trigger will send the information from step 13 to Google Drive.

//DELAY SO JQUERY LIBRARY IS LOADED
setTimeout(function (){
 
//Export to Google
$.ajax({
url: WEB_APP_URL,
type: "POST",
data : storyline,
success: function(data)
{
console.log(data);
},
error: function(err) {
console.log('Error:', err);
}
});
return false;
}, 1000);

15. Publish to SCORM or WEB format

Publish your articulate project to WEB or SCORM format. You need to host it on a WEB server or somewhere like SCORM cloud (or a LMS).

This export will work in Flash and HTML5 output. You can't use the Articulate Mobile Player, because it won't support Javascript code.

Thank You

Thanks Kate Robertson for making the blog post below:
Exporting Variables into a Google Spreadsheet

I started with your setup and then have tried to simplify the steps by changing the Javascript code and importing the JQuery Library.