How to create a folder if it doesn't exist?

Question

I\'m trying to create a folder if it doesn\'t exist, but the code creates a new folder every time I run it. I don´t know if my code is right.

Here is my code:

Answer 1

Google has changed its scripting. I know this is an old post but this is the best current answer I could come up with:

function getFolder(parent_folder,folder_name){
  var folders = parent_folder.getFolders();     
  while (folders.hasNext()) {
    var folder = folders.next();
    if(folder_name == folder.getName()) {         
      return folder;
    }
  }
  return false;
}

var parent_folder = DriveApp.getFolderById(//id\\);
var folderName = getFolders(parent_folder,name);
if (folderName === false){
  folderName =  outputfolderId.createFolder(name);
}

Hope this helps someone else!

Answer 2

As of Google Apps Script code in 2016 Aug

var par_fdr = DriveApp.getFolderById(123456789A); // replace the ID
var fdr_name = "child_fdr";

try {
  var newFdr = par_fdr.getFoldersByName(fdr_name).next();
}
catch(e) {
  var newFdr = par_fdr.createFolder(fdr_name);
}

Answer 3

You actually don't need the if condition when you use a try/catch structure. The try/catch structure handles the case where the folder doesn't exist by itself.

Try it like this:

var alumnopath = DocsList.getFolderById ('0Bzgw8SlR34pUbFl5a2tzU2F0SUk');
var alumno2 = alumno.toString();
Logger.log(alumno2);
try{
  var folderalumno =  alumnopath.getFolder(alumno2);
}
catch(e) {
  var folderalumno =  alumnopath.createFolder(alumno2);
}
folderalumno.createFile(pdf.getAs('application/pdf')).rename(  alumno +  " , " + fechafor);

Answer 4

If someone is still looking for answer on this question and want to cerate folder if it doesn`t exist here is function I have created.

This function accepts two input values:

• base_folder - folder ID in which to perform a search or false to search folders in Drive root folder
• folder_name - folder name that you are searching for

There is some things that can be adjusted, but I have using this to create folder structure base folder -> year -> month -> day.

function checkFolders(base_folder, folder_name) {
  if (base_folder){ //Checks if is specified main folder
    var folders = DriveApp.getFolderById(base_folder).getFolders(); //Getting folder list from specified location
  } else { //If not specified folder we take all Drive folders
   var folders = DriveApp.getFolders(); //Getting all folders in Drive
  }

  var folder_exist = false, folder; //By default folder don`t exists till we check and confirm that it exists

  while(folders.hasNext()){ //Looping through all folders in specified location while we have folders which to check
    folder = folders.next(); //Taking next folder to check if it is folder that we are looking for
    if(folder.getName() == folder_name){ //Checking it`s name
     folder_exist = folder.getId(); //If folder is found we assign its ID to our return variable
    } //If folder don`t exists we have already assigned false to return value
  }

  if (!folder_exist) { //Checks if folder don`t exists than we need to create it
    if(base_folder){ //Checking where we should create folder
      DriveApp.getFolderById(base_folder).createFolder(folder_name); //If base folder is specified than we create there folder
    } else {
      DriveApp.createFolder(folder_name); //If base folder not specified than we create folder in Drive root folder
    }
   folder_exist = checkFolders(base_folder, folder_name); //Now run self again to check if folder was created and if it is created than we get folder ID
  }

  return folder_exist; //Returning false if our folder is not created or folder ID if folder exists and is created
}

This is how I`m using this function:

function createFolderStructure() {
 var base_folder_id, year_folder_id, month_folder_id, day_folder_id, date, day, month, year;

 date = new Date(); //Creates new Date object
 day = date.getDate(); //Extract day number in month
 month = date.getMonth(); //Extract month number, first month number is 0
 year = date.getFullYear(); //Extract year number

 base_folder_id = checkFolders(false, "My base folder"); //Check if base folder is created, if created return folder ID, if not, than create it and return it ID
 year_folder_id = checkFolders(base_folder_id, year); //Check if year folder is created, if created return folder ID, if not, than create it and return it ID
 month_folder_id = checkFolders(year_folder_id, month); //Check if month folder is created, if created return folder ID, if not, than create it and return it ID
 day_folder_id = checkFolders(month_folder_id, day); //Check if day folder is created, if created return folder ID, if not, than create it and return it ID, ID can be used to save files in this folder
}

Answer 5

In case anyone else runs in to this issue, you can use the ternary operator like this (replacing the "Name_of_Folder" string as needed):

var alumnopath = DriveApp.getFoldersByName("Name_of_Folder");
var folderalumno = alumnopath.hasNext() ? 
    alumnopath.next() : DriveApp.createFolder("Name_of_Folder");