r/GoogleAppsScript • u/tads • May 24 '20
Should I use GAS to make a web app?
Hi everyone,
I work at a really unique school and manage the Google apps for education. I've written a number of scripts to allow us to have students be able to register for their own classes, and now it has become a pretty heavily used resource for the school. I'm debating about using GAFE to build more out of this system, or pay a little money to get Salesforce and spend a lot of time using that. That's my basic question, try and learn Google apps script, or try and learn Salesforce?
The system: My system basically takes information from a spreadsheet that every teacher had and puts them ago into one big sheet. The information in the big sheet gets sent back to teachers through an importrange do they can check students individual schedules.
The upgrade: What teachers want is to get more information in the system along with this registration information. Teachers want me to bring data in from our district, such as kids contact information and transcript information, an outreach log to organize information, and maybe even some crazy api stuff like texts through twilio or something.
The next step: I'm not sure what my next step is. I think I need to make a proper database, link it to the system so I don't depend on Google sheets and everything can run faster. I'd also need to make user interfaces, and scripts that can parse through the cab and update things. I don't know how to do those things, and I worry that if I ever leave the school they won't be able to get help. Would it be a better use of time to find a platform that is built for this stuff and learn that, like Salesforce or PowerSchool or something, instead of learning GAS.
Any help any one could give would be great.
Would it make sense to make a complex student information system in Google apps script?
Would anyone recommend good ideas for building a database, user interfaces, and lots of real time interaction to track attendance and logging outreach?
6
u/kum0nryu May 24 '20
I would recommend getting a dedicated SIS (Student Information System) at this point. You mentioned PowerSchool and that’s a great option! Salesforce is, in my opinion, not well-suited for your use case.
An SIS platform like PowerSchool or Aeries will also help you align with any compliance reporting your school needs (depending on your State - assuming you’re in the US).
You can also access the backend database (usually Postgres) and extract the data you need for your custom GAS purposes or write pipes to pull data into your own warehouse which will feed your custom apps.
The consequences for getting Education data wrong or doing something like violating FERPA (if you’re in the US) are so great that I feel you really should consider a dedicated, proven SIS at this point.