Google Sheets API (PHP) Batch Update - php

Question

I would like to use the Google Sheets API Batch Update because the calls to update individual cells are extremely slow. The problem is that cells that have no data do not come back as part of a cell feed, so I do not have the necessary edit URL to include those cells in the Batch Update. I have seen reference to a "return-empty" parameter in the Google .NET API which will supposedly return all cells, even empty cells, in a cell feed, but I cannot find any reference to that for the "Protocol" API I am using in PHP (here is an example of a reference to the "return-empty" parameter: Writing to an empty cell in Google Spreadsheets). Does anyone know how to get the cell feed request to return all cells (including empty cells)? Or am I doomed to using the abysmally slow cell update requests?

Answer 1

Quick Hack
If you're using the same API I am, then in googlespraedsheet/api.php at line 152 after
$cellRangeCriteriaQuerystringList = [];
You can add:
$cellRangeCriteriaQuerystringList[] = "return-empty=true";
Better Way
There's a better way, which I have added in my own fork. I created a pull request.
If you work with my fork (or if the pull request is accepted), then you can just add 'returnEmpty' => true to your $cellRange. For example:
$cellList = $spreadsheetAPI->getWorksheetCellList(
$spreadsheetKey,
$worksheetID,
['rowStart' => $rowStart,
'rowEnd' => $rowEnd,
'returnEmpty' => true]);