Extension of formulas and formatting in an electronic spreadsheet

• US 20040060001A1
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Igra, Mark S., Lowry, Kent Rogers, Matteson, Eric Lawrence, Coffen, Robert Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 7,222,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/503
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

Methods for automatically, without user instruction, extending a format and/or a formula to include a cell in an electronic spreadsheet. A previously blank newly edited cell may be determined to be an extension to or within a list of cells. A list of cells may be defined as a number of previous cells having a consistent data type. If a list of cells exists and the previously blank newly edited cell also includes the consistent data type, the previously blank newly edited cell is considered to be an extension of or within a list. The cells in the list are then examined for consistent formatting. If consistent formatting exists in the list, the consistent formatting is applied to the previously blank newly edited cell. Also, the cells in the list are examined for consistent formulas. The rows containing the cells in the list are each examined for a consistent formula having all supporting cells populated. If such a consistent formula is detected, it is applied to the row containing the previously blank newly edited cell. Also, the spreadsheet is scanned for aggregating formulas that reference the cells within the list. If an aggregating formula is discovered, it is updated to include the value of the data stored in the previously blank newly edited cell.

Claims

1. A method for automatically extending a format to include a cell in an electronic spreadsheet, comprising the computer implemented steps of:

determining that a previously blank newly edited cell is an extension to or within a list of cells;

determining that the list of cells has a consistent format; and

automatically extending the consistent format to include the previously blank newly edited cell.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining that a previously blank newly edited cell is an extension of or within a list of cells comprises:

determining that a plurality of previous cells have a consistent data type; and

determining that the previously blank newly edited cell also has the consistent data type.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of previous cells are above the previously blank newly edited cell in a column.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of previous cells are beside the previously blank newly edited cell in a row.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining that a previously blank newly edited cell is an extension to a list of cells comprises:

determining that the previously blank newly edited cell is an extension of or within a column list comprising a plurality of previous cells above the previously blank newly edited cell, each having a first consistent data type; and

determining that the previously blank newly edited cell is an extension of or within a row list comprising a plurality of previous cells beside the previously blank newly edited cell, each having a second consistent data type.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of determining that the list of cells has a consistent format comprises determining that the column list has a consistent column format;

and

wherein the step of automatically extending the consistent format to include the previously blank newly edited cell comprises applying the consistent column format to the previously blank newly edited cell if the cell has only default formatting excluding conditional formatting.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of determining that the list of cells has a consistent format comprises:

determining that the column list does not have a consistent column format, and

determining that the row list has a consistent row format; and

wherein the step of automatically extending the consistent format to the previously blank newly edited cell comprises applying the consistent row format to the previously blank newly edited cell if the cell has only default formatting excluding conditional formatting.

8. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 7.

9. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 5.

10. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

11. A method for automatically applying a formula to a cell in an electronic spreadsheet comprising:

determining that a previously blank newly edited cell is an extension to or within a list of cells;

determining that the list of cells has a consistent formula;

determining that all the supporting cells of the formula are populated in the same row as the previously blank newly edited cell; and

automatically extending the consistent formula to include the previously blank newly edited cell.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining that a previously blank newly edited cell is an extension to a list of cells comprises:

determining that a plurality of previous cells have a consistent data type; and

determining that the previously blank newly edited cell also has the consistent data type.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of previous cells are above the previously blank newly edited cell in a column.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of previous cells are beside the previously blank newly edited cell in a row.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining that the list of cells has a consistent formula comprises determining that a plurality of previous rows include the same formula.

16. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 15.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining that the list of cells has a consistent formula comprises determining that a plurality of cells in the list are referenced by an aggregation formula.

18. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 17.

19. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 11.

20. A method for automatically applying a format and a formula to a cell in an electronic spreadsheet comprising:

determining that a plurality of previous cells have a consistent data type; and

determining that a previously blank newly edited cell also has the consistent data type; and

automatically extending any formula referencing the plurality of previous cells to include the previously blank newly edited cell.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the plurality of previous cells are above the previously blank newly edited cell in a column.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the plurality of previous cells are beside the previously blank newly edited cell in a row.

23. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 22.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the consistent formula referencing the number of previous cells comprises a function aggregating the number of previous cells;

and

wherein extending the formula to include the previously blank newly edited cell comprises updating the function to include a value stored in the previously blank newly edited cell.