When to use getActiveSpreadsheet?

Question

I'm trying to understand when to use getActiveSpreadsheet().

I've seen numerous examples:

var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();

But I've also seen:

var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getActiveSheet();

Is the active spreadsheet implied in some circumstances?

Answer 1

Yes, it is implied. The reference for SpreadsheetApp states:

getActiveSheet()

Gets the active sheet in a spreadsheet. The active sheet in a spreadsheet is the sheet that is being displayed in the spreadsheet UI.

Including the getActiveSpreadsheet() is probably often done because the getting of a spreadsheet is needed for other sheets and methods and it keeps the command flow consistent when done everywhere.

Answer 2

getActiveSpreadsheet() is a method used by container-bound script.

A script is bound to a Google Sheets, Docs or Forms file if it was created from that document rather than as a standalone script. The file a bound script is attached to is referred to as a "container". Bound scripts generally behave like standalone scripts except that they do not appear in Google Drive, they cannot be detached from the file they are bound to, and they gain a few special privileges over the parent file.

getActiveSpreadsheet(), getActiveDocument(), and getActiveForm() allow bound scripts to refer to their parent file without referring to the file's ID.

In Google Sheets, getActiveSheet(), getActiveRange(), and getActiveCell() let the script determine the user's current sheet, selected range of cells, or selected individual cell. setActiveSheet(sheet) and setActiveRange(range) let the script change those selections.

Taken from https://developers.google.com/apps-script/guides/bound

Answer 3

getActiveSheet() is usefull when you are working with one sheet in the active spreadsheet.

You would use getActiveSpreadsheet() when you need to use other methods for example getSheets() would get all the sheets and you can access them as an array. Or if you wish to work with the spreadsheet as opposed to the sheet itself.

A good example would be the methods available to the spreadsheet class which would not be available for the sheet class