Difference between Google Script (.GS) and JavaScript (.js)


What is a .GS file?

The computer language Google Apps Script is related to the file extension GS. This JavaScript-based application is used to execute automated activities across all Google apps designed for producing online Web-based applications, such as programs that send personalized emails, instantly prepare and load Google Docs files, and develop Web interfaces.

GS files are implemented using Google Cloud and are made up of scripts written in Google Apps Script. These files are a foundation for an automated system that will help Google apps and other third-party software. The Verify Software Houses GemStone application, which can run on both MAC and Windows OS, is another program that uses the GS file format.

Systems from the Probability State Modeling systems are used in this software to analyze the data from flow cytometry. This application generates GS files that contain calculations of flow cytometer data as well as a model.

What is a .js file?

JavaScript code is included in JS (JavaScript) files, which are used to run JavaScript on web pages. The.js file extension is used to hold JavaScript files. Either add a JS file or use the tags to embed the JavaScript code into the HTML text. For code reuse, JS files may be included in many HTML documents, similar to CSS files. The HTML DOM may be adjusted using JavaScript.

Differences between JavaScript and Google Apps Script

The following table highlights the major differences between JavaScript and Google Apps Script −

Comparison Factors

JavaScript

Google Apps Script

Version

It can be challenging to determine precisely which features of JavaScript a given implementation supports due to the variously branded ECMAScript implementations. The standard method refers to the ECMAScript version specification; the most recent is version 6, and version 7 is currently being developed.

In terms of functionality, Apps Script is not directly comparable to any one version of JavaScript because it is based on the ECMAScript version 3 specification. It utilizes JavaScript 1.6 as a starting point but includes features from JavaScript 1.7 and 1.8.

Origin

The primary function of JavaScript was to make it possible for users to interact with and dynamically modify the document object model (DOM), which was previously built from HTML hosted on a server or developed there and sent as static content. JavaScript revolutionized the user experience by enabling dynamic DOM modification from the client browser. Through a Netscape/Sun development partnership, Sun Microsystems acquired the JavaScript trademark, which it still owns today. Oracle purchased Sun after acquiring Sun.

This Google Apps Script (GAS) scripting language, created on the back-end of these Google Sheets and uses JavaScript, has a convenient interface that lets you write or copy/paste the code. The Google Apps Script is also cloud-based because Google Sheets (and other Google Apps) are cloud-based and accessible from anywhere. This implies that you can access a Google Sheets document from anywhere if you create a code for it and save it. It is stored on Google cloud servers rather than on your computer or laptop.

Processing

JavaScript runs on the Client-side. For the browser to understand the script's code, it must be included in or linked from an HTML document. Thus, a web page need not be static HTML; instead, it may contain scripts that interact with users, manage browsers, and generate HTML content on the go. Comparing classic CGI server-side scripts to the JavaScript client-side method reveals significant benefits. For instance, a valid email address given by the user in a form field might be checked using JavaScript. The user submits the form, and only if all the entries are correct are they sent to the web server along with the JavaScript code that runs.

The Google Apps Script runs on Server-side. Apps Script cannot access client-specific things like the DOM and Windows APIs since it does not execute in a browser. Apps Script is server-based and uses a JavaScript clone as its programming language. Google might have chosen JavaScript instead of Python, PHP, Java, or maybe some other language completely (or, more precisely, ECMAScript). It seems strange that a language with its roots in client-side DOM manipulation and user interaction would make a strong fit for a server environment with neither DOM nor much in the way of built-in user interaction.

Conclusion

We may therefore conclude that Google Apps Script is a micro framework of JavaScript or a small framework made specifically for use with Google Apps. On the other hand, JavaScript is a widely used web language primarily used for client-side code execution. But these days, it's also becoming well-liked as a server language.

Updated on: 16-Jan-2023

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