Unexpected actions in the while loop within the workplace script

This code snippet I have been using to update cell A1 doesn't seem to be working:

function main(workbook: ExcelScript.Workbook) { 

    let worksheet = workbook.getWorksheet("Sheet1");
    var i: number = 0; 

    while (true) {
        worksheet.getRange("A1").setValue(i);
        i = i + 1;
    }
}

When I run the code, nothing happens.

However, if I add a seemingly irrelevant line like

console.log("abc")

at the end of the loop, as shown below:

function main(workbook: ExcelScript.Workbook) { 

    let worksheet = workbook.getWorksheet("Sheet1");
    var i: number = 0; 

    while (true) {
        worksheet.getRange("A1").setValue(i);
        i = i + 1;
        console.log("abc");
    }
}

everything works perfectly fine.

What could possibly be causing this issue?

Answer №1

In order to enhance performance, Office Scripts will only display the outcomes of your script after you "synchronize" with it. While using console.log() is a method to trigger this synchronization, there are alternative ways as well.


According to guidance from Office Scripts in Excel > Troubleshooting > Improve script performance (emphasis added):

Eliminate unnecessary console.log statements

Console logging is crucial for troubleshooting your scripts. However, it necessitates the script to synchronize with the workbook to ensure accurate information is logged. It is advisable to omit surplus logging commands (such as those used for testing) before distributing your script. Generally, this won't cause a noticeable decline in performance, unless the console.log() statement is within a loop.

Similarly, as mentioned in the article Avoid using the context.sync method in loops:

It's considered good practice to include a final context.sync right before the concluding "}" character of the application run method (e.g., Excel.run, Word.run, etc.). This is because the run method automatically makes an invisible call of context.sync as the last operation if there are pending commands that have not been synchronized yet. Although this hidden call can be perplexing, we generally recommend adding the explicit context.sync. Nevertheless, given the focus on reducing calls of context.sync in this article, including an entirely unwarranted final context.sync could be more confusing. Therefore, in this article, we exclude it when there are no unsynchronized commands by the end of the run.

Your Office document undergoes visual updates solely when the workbook is synchronized. This occurs when context.sync is executed, which implicitly happens at the conclusion of your script; it also takes place when executing a synchronized command like console.log. Adjusting your loop to be finite rather than infinite would result in the script synchronizing automatically once the loop limit is reached, updating the workbook accordingly.

If you wish to view partial progress, you can initiate an update midway through your script using console.log or context.sync. Be mindful that these calls are resource-intensive, so exercise caution and strive to utilize them sparingly as advised in the referenced articles.

Answer №2

The explanation provided above is accurate, but I'd like to elaborate on the concept of context.sync. With Office Scripts, a synchronous API eliminates the need for manual synchronization operations and hides the context object. When multiple writes occur in succession, they are grouped together and processed as a single batch. In the example you shared, each write action is queued up continuously until a console.log or read operation triggers the synchronization process, revealing all the accumulated write actions at once.

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