Google Apps Script:
Checking if a directory exists

How to:

Google Apps Script doesn’t offer a direct “exists” method for folders. Instead, we use Google Drive’s search capabilities to check if a folder with a specific name exists. Here’s a step-by-step example:

// Function to check if a directory exists
function checkIfDirectoryExists(directoryName) {
  // Retrieve the collection of folders matching the specified name
  var folders = DriveApp.getFoldersByName(directoryName);
  
  // Check if at least one folder with the specified name exists
  if (folders.hasNext()) {
    Logger.log('Directory exists.');
    return true;
  } else {
    Logger.log('Directory does not exist.');
    return false;
  }
}

// Example usage
var directoryName = 'My Sample Folder';
checkIfDirectoryExists(directoryName);

Sample output:

Directory exists.

or

Directory does not exist.

This script leverages the getFoldersByName method which retrieves all folders in the user’s Drive that match the specified name. Since names aren’t unique in Drive, this method returns a FolderIterator. The presence of a next item (hasNext()) in this iterator indicates the directory exists.

Deep Dive

Historically, file management in web and cloud environments has evolved significantly. Google Apps Script, providing an extensive API for Google Drive, allows for sophisticated file and folder management operations, including the search and check mechanisms demonstrated. However, a notable aspect is the lack of a direct existence check, likely due to Google Drive’s allowance for multiple folders of the same name, which contrasts with many file systems that enforce unique names within the same directory.

In this context, using the getFoldersByName method is an effective workaround but could potentially introduce inefficiencies in a scenario where vast numbers of folders with duplicate names exist. An alternative approach might involve maintaining an application-specific indexing or naming convention to ensure quicker checks, especially when performance becomes a critical concern.

While Google Apps Script’s approach might initially seem less direct compared to file existence checks in programming languages directly interfaced with a singular file system, it reflects the necessity to handle the complexities of cloud-based file storage. Developers leveraging Google Apps Script for Drive management should consider these nuances, optimizing for Google Drive’s strengths and limitations.