Google-drive – ‘Only the owner can change permissions’ option is not inherited to subfolders

Unless something has changed, Google Groups aliases should always dynamically change permissions based on people's membership in the group.

The problem it sounds like you're having is that these docs aren't showing up in UserC's doc list. This is because UserC must first open the document before it will be added and remain in the doc list.

For a single file, you can just email the link of the doc to UserC, ask him to open it, and it will be added and available.

For multiple files I would suggest adding all of these to a shared folder so that once the folder is shared and accessed, all files will be up to date.

Another option for multiple files is to create a "Master List" of all admin docs that UserC will need to access. This could be a Spreadsheet or Doc that just has a list of links (and possibly descriptions of each file). You can then just email the link to that single doc to a new admin (UserD, E, F for example) and they will be able to have a single file that will house all relevant docs. As they click into each link these docs will be added to their doc list.

I installed Vidar’s script and works very well for files, but wouldn't reset permissions on folders. So, I changed a little bit the code to make the folders also inherite the permissions from their upper folder.

Two important disclaimers:

1. I don't know if the original intention was to leave folders unchanged. Or even if it worked well for everybody but me, and this solutions was unnecesary. It worked for me.
2. This is the first script I do, so it is very likely that it is not very efficient and may content some errors. Please feel free to correct it and improve it.

I only changed the doResetPermissions function, but I paste all the code for simplicity reasons.

var selectedFolder;
var dialog;

function doGet() {
  var app = UiApp.createApplication();
  var heading = app.createHTML("<h1>Folders for</h1>");
  app.add(heading);
  var allFoldersIterator = DriveApp.getFolders();
  var text = app.createTextArea().setName("text").setId("output");
  app.add(text);
  var tree = app.createTree();
  var rootFolder = DriveApp.getRootFolder();
  var treeRoot = app.createTreeItem(rootFolder.getName()).setId(rootFolder.getId());
  var handler = app.createServerHandler("folderSelected");
  tree.addItem(treeRoot);
  tree.addSelectionHandler(handler);
  treeRoot.setState(true);
  createBranch(rootFolder, treeRoot, app);
  app.add(tree);
  var selectedFolderIdBox = app.createTextBox().setName("selectedFolderIdBox").setId("selectedFolderIdBox");
  app.add(selectedFolderIdBox);
  return app;
}

function createBranch(folder, branch, app) {
  var children = folder.getFolders();
  while (children.hasNext()) {
    child = children.next();
    Logger.log("Folder id: " + child.getId());
    var subBranch = app.createTreeItem(child.getName()).setId(child.getId());
    branch.addItem(subBranch);
    createBranch(child, subBranch, app);
  }
}

function folderSelected(eventInfo) {
  var app = UiApp.getActiveApplication();
  var parameter = eventInfo.parameter;
  Logger.log("Selected " + eventInfo.parameter.selected);
  selectedFolder = DriveApp.getFolderById(eventInfo.parameter.selected);
  var selectedFolderIdBox = app.getElementById("selectedFolderIdBox");
  selectedFolderIdBox.setValue(eventInfo.parameter.selected);
  var okHandler = app.createServerHandler("okResetPermissions");
  okHandler.addCallbackElement(selectedFolderIdBox);
  dialog = app.createDialogBox(true, true);
  var panel = app.createFlowPanel();
  dialog.add(panel);
  dialog.setId("confirmationDialog");
  dialog.setPopupPosition(100, 100).setSize(500, 500);
  panel.add(app.createLabel("Do you want to reset permissions for all files found in folder " + selectedFolder.getName() + " and its subfolders?\n (Click outside of the dialog box to cancel)"));
  panel.add(app.createButton("Do it!", okHandler));
  dialog.show();
  return app;
}

function okResetPermissions(eventInfo) {
  var selectedFolderId = eventInfo.parameter.selectedFolderIdBox;
  var selectedFolder = DriveApp.getFolderById(selectedFolderId);
  Logger.log("Resetting permissions on " + selectedFolder.getName());
  var app = UiApp.getActiveApplication();
  app.getElementById("confirmationDialog").hide();
  Logger.log("Confirmation dialog hidden");
  var progressIndicator = app.createDialogBox(false, true);
  progressIndicator.setId("progressIndicator");
  progressIndicator.setPopupPosition(100, 100).setSize(500, 500);
  var label = app.createLabel("Working ...");
  progressIndicator.add(label);
  progressIndicator.show();
  doResetPermissions(selectedFolder, function() {
    var app = UiApp.getActiveApplication();
    var progressIndicator = app.getElementById("progressIndicator");
    progressIndicator.hide();
    return app;
  });
  return app;
}

function doResetPermissions(selectedFolder, callback) {
  Logger.log("Resetting permissions on folder " + selectedFolder.getName());

  var sharingAccess = selectedFolder.getSharingAccess();
  var sharingPermission = selectedFolder.getSharingPermission();

  var viewersfolder = selectedFolder.getViewers();
  Logger.log("Number of Viewers in folder: " + selectedFolder.getName() + " = " + viewersfolder.length);
  for (var i = 0; i < viewersfolder.length; i++) {
    Logger.log("      Removing viewer " + viewersfolder[i].getEmail());
    selectedFolder.removeViewer(viewersfolder[i]);
  }

  var editorsfolder = selectedFolder.getEditors();

  Logger.log("Number of Editors in folder: " + selectedFolder.getName() + " = " + editorsfolder.length);

  for (var i = 0; i < editorsfolder.length; i++) {
    Logger.log("      Removing editor " + editorsfolder[i].getEmail());
    selectedFolder.removeEditor(editorsfolder[i]);
  }

  var files = selectedFolder.getFiles();
  while (files.hasNext()) {
    var file = files.next();
    Logger.log("   Resetting permissions on file " + file.getName());
    file.setSharing(sharingAccess, sharingPermission);

    var viewers = file.getViewers();
    Logger.log("Number of Viewers in file: " + file.getName() + " = " + viewers.length);
    for (var i = 0; i < viewers.length; i++) {
      Logger.log("      Removing viewer " + viewers[i].getEmail());
      file.removeViewer(viewers[i]);
    }

    var editors = file.getEditors();

    Logger.log("Number of editors in file: " + file.getName() + " = " + editors.length);

    for (var i = 0; i < editors.length; i++) {
      Logger.log("      Removing editor " + editors[i].getEmail());
      file.removeEditor(editors[i]);
    }
  }

  var children = selectedFolder.getFolders();
  while (children.hasNext()) {
    var child = children.next();
    doResetPermissions(child);
  }

  if (callback) {
    callback();
  }
}