How can I relaunch/update/refresh the card again using Apps Script

Question

I'm having a nightmare doing a lot of scenarios using Apps Script, but nothing works! I have a function that makes a GET request returns an array of cards. Now, sometimes I need this card refreshes again to fetch the new content.

function listTemplatesCards(){
  var getAllTemplates = getTemplates();
  var allTemplates = getAllTemplates.templates;
  var theUserSlug = getAllTemplates.user_slug;
  var templateCards = [];

  //There are templates
  if(allTemplates.length > 0){
    allTemplates.forEach(function(template){
      templateCards.push(templateCard(template, theUserSlug).build());
    });
    return templateCards;
  }
}

This function is called on onTriggerFunction. Now, if I moved to another card and I wanted to back again to the root but in clean and clear way, I use this but it doesn't work:

  //Move the user to the root card again
  var refreshNav = CardService.newNavigation().popToRoot();
  return CardService.newActionResponseBuilder().setStateChanged(true).setNavigation(refreshNav).build();

Simply, what I want is once the user clicks on Refresh button, the card refreshes/updates itself to make the call again and get the new data.

Answer 1

The only way I've found to do this is to always use a single card for the root. In the main function (named in the appscript.json onTriggerFunction), return only a single card, not an array of cards. You can then use popToRoot().updateCard(...) and it works.

Answer 2

I struggled with this for over a day, improving on Glen Little's answer so that its a bit more clear.

I have my root card to be refreshed defined in a funciton called: onHomepage.

I update the appscript.json manifest to set the homepageTrigger and onTriggerFunction to return the function that builds my root card.

"gmail": {
      "homepageTrigger": {
          "enabled": true,
          "runFunction":"onHomepage"
        },
      "contextualTriggers":[
        {
          "unconditional":{},
          "onTriggerFunction": "onHomepage"
        }
      ]  
      }

Then it is as simple as building a gotoRoot nav button function that will always refresh the root page.

  function gotoRootCard() {
    var nav = CardService.newNavigation()
    .popToRoot()
    .updateCard(onHomepage());
    
    return CardService.newActionResponseBuilder()
        .setNavigation(nav)
        .build();        
  }

Answer 3

As far as gmail addons are considered, cards are not refreshed but updated with new cards. And it is pretty simple.

//lets assume you need a form to be updated
function updateProfile() {
    //ajax calls
    //...

    //recreate the card again.
    var card = CardService.newCardBuilder();
    //fill it with widgets
    //....

    //replace the current outdated card with the newly created card.
    return CardService.newNavigation().updateCard(card.build());
}