Systems and methods for implementing formulas

• US 20050097464A1
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Graeber, Astrid
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for building and implementing formulas. The systems and methods may treat operands in a formula as having a value and a unit type or dimension and may recognize the compatibility of unit types among operands. One embodiment performs automatic error checking of a formula based on the value and dimension of the operands and the expected result. The automatic error checking may be performed to assist a user in defining and building a formula. Another embodiment performs automatic unit conversion based on the value and unit type of the formula'"'"'s operands. The automatic unit conversion may be performed when applying data to the formula during runtime or execution of an application program.

Claims

1. A method performed by a processor for building a formula, the formula including an operator and operands with associated dimensions, the method comprising:

receiving a first operand of the formula;

identifying a first dimension associated with the first operand;

receiving an operator of the formula;

determining at least one compatible dimension for the first dimension associated with the first operand;

receiving a second operand of the formula;

identifying a second dimension associated with the second operand; and

flagging an error if the second dimension is not at least one of the compatible dimensions for the first dimension.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

proposing a compatible dimension if the second dimension is determined not to be compatible, wherein proposing the compatible dimension comprises;

presenting the compatible dimension to a user; and

prompting a user to enter a second operand having the compatible dimension.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one compatible dimension is the first dimension.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

evaluating an output of the formula, the output having a third dimension; and

wherein determining at least one compatible dimension for the first dimension comprises;

determining the at least one compatible dimension based upon the third dimension.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein flagging an error comprises:

notifying a user that the second operand is not compatible with the first operand.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least one compatible dimension comprises:

determining at least one compatible dimension based upon a set of rules for the operator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least one compatible dimension comprises:

determining at least one compatible dimension based upon a characteristic of the operator and the first dimension.

8. A system for building a formula, the formula including an operator and operands with associated dimensions, comprising:

means for receiving a first operand of the formula;

means for identifying a first dimension associated with the first operand;

means for receiving an operator of the formula;

means for determining at least one compatible dimension for the first dimension associated with the first operand;

means for receiving a second operand of the formula;

means for identifying a second dimension associated with the second operand; and

means for flagging an error if the second dimension is not at least one of the compatible dimensions for the first dimension.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for proposing a compatible dimension if the second dimension is determined not to be compatible,

wherein the means for proposing the compatible dimension comprises;

means for presenting the compatible dimension to a user; and

means for prompting a user to enter a second operand having the compatible dimension.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the compatible dimension is the first dimension.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for evaluating an output of the formula, the output having a third dimension; and

wherein the means for determining at least one compatible dimension for the first dimension comprises;

means for determining the compatible dimension based upon the third dimension.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for flagging an error comprises:

means for notifying a user that the second operand is not compatible with the first operand.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for determining at least one compatible dimension comprises:

means for determining at least one compatible dimension based upon a set of rules for the operator.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for determining at least one compatible dimension comprises:

means for determining at least one compatible dimension based upon a characteristic of the operator and the first dimension.

15. A computer program product for building a formula, the formula including an operator and operands with associated dimensions, comprising code for causing a processor to perform the steps of:

receiving a first operand of the formula;

identifying a first dimension associated with the first operand;

receiving an operator of the formula;

determining at least one compatible dimension for the first dimension associated with the first operand;

receiving a second operand of the formula;

identifying a second dimension associated with the second operand; and

flagging an error if the second dimension is not at least one of the compatible dimensions for the first dimension.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising code for causing a processor to perform the step of:

proposing a compatible dimension if the second dimension is determined not to be compatible, wherein proposing the compatible dimension comprises;

presenting the compatible dimension to a user; and

prompting a user to enter a second operand having the compatible dimension.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the at least one compatible dimension is the same as the first dimension.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising code for causing a processor to perform the step of:

evaluating an output of the formula, the output having a third dimension; and

wherein determining at least one compatible dimension for the first dimension comprises;

determining the compatible dimension based upon the third dimension.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein flagging an error comprises:

notifying a user that the second operand is not compatible with the first operand.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein determining at least one compatible dimension comprises:

determining at least one compatible dimension based upon a set of rules for the operator.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein determining at least one compatible dimension comprises:

determining at least one compatible dimension based upon a characteristic of the operator and the first dimension.

22. A method performed by a processor for executing a formula having operands and an operator in an application program, comprising:

retrieving data corresponding to a first operand for the operator of the formula;

identifying a first dimension associated with the first operand;

retrieving data corresponding to a second operand for the operator of the formula;

identifying a second unit type associated with the second operand;

determining whether the second unit type is compatible with the first unit type;

if the second unit type is not compatible with the first unit type, converting the data corresponding to the second operand into a compatible value in terms of the first unit type; and

producing a result of the formula using the converted data.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the second unit type is determined to be compatible with the first unit type if the first unit type and the second unit type are equivalent.

24. A method according to claim 22, further comprising:

analyzing a unit type of an expected result of the formula to determine whether the second unit type is compatible with the first unit type.

25. A method according to claim 22, wherein determining whether the second unit type is compatible with the first unit type further comprises:

analyzing compatibility based upon a predetermined rule for the operator.

26. A method according to claim 22, wherein converting the data corresponding to the second operand into a compatible value in terms of the first unit type further comprises:

obtaining a fixed conversion factor; and

using the fixed conversion factor to convert the data corresponding to the second operand.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the fixed conversion factor comes from a predetermined unit conversion table.

28. A method according to claim 22, wherein converting the data corresponding to the second operand into a compatible value in terms of the first unit type further comprises:

obtaining a variable conversion factor from an updatable data source; and

using the variable conversion factor to convert the data corresponding to the second operand.

29. A system for executing a formula having operands and an operator in an application program, comprising:

means for retrieving data corresponding to a first operand for the operator of the formula;

means for identifying a first unit type associated with the first operand;

means for retrieving data corresponding to a second operand for the operator of the formula;

means for identifying a second unit type associated with the second operand;

means for determining whether the second unit type is compatible with the first unit type;

means for converting the data corresponding to the second operand into a compatible value in terms of the first unit type, if the second unit type is not compatible with the first unit type; and

means for producing a result of the formula using the converted dat.

30. A system according to claim 29, wherein the second unit type is determined to be compatible with the first unit type if the first unit type and the second unit type are equivalent.

31. A system according to claim 29, further comprising:

means for analyzing a unit type of an expected result of the formula to determine whether the second unit type is compatible with the first unit type.

32. A system according to claim 29, wherein the means for determining whether the second unit type is compatible with the first unit type further comprises:

means for analyzing compatibility based upon a predetermined rule for the operator.

33. A system according to claim 29, wherein the means for converting the data corresponding to the second operand into a compatible value in terms of the first unit type further comprises:

means for obtaining a fixed conversion factor; and

means for using the fixed conversion factor to convert the data corresponding to the second operand.

34. A system according to claim 33, wherein the fixed conversion factor comes from a predetermined unit conversion table.

35. A system according to claim 29, wherein the means for converting the data corresponding to the second operand into a compatible value in terms of the first unit type further comprises:

means for obtaining a variable conversion factor from an updatable data source; and

means for using the variable conversion factor to convert the data corresponding to the second operand.

36. A computer program product for executing a formula having operands and an operator in an application program, comprising code for causing a processor to perform the steps of:

retrieving data corresponding to a first operand for the operator of the formula;

identifying a first unit type associated with the first operand;

retrieving data corresponding to a second operand for the operator of the formula;

identifying a second unit type associated with the second operand;

determining whether the second unit type is compatible with the first unit type;

if the second unit type is not compatible with the first unit type, converting the data corresponding to the second operand into a compatible value in terms of the first unit type; and

producing a result of the formula using the converted data.

37. A computer program product according to claim 36, wherein the second unit type is determined to be compatible with the first unit type if the first unit type and the second unit type are equivalent.

38. A computer program product according to claim 36, further comprising the step:

analyzing a unit type of an expected result of the formula to determine whether the second unit type is compatible with the first unit type.

39. A computer program product according to claim 36, wherein determining whether the second unit type is compatible with the first unit type further comprises:

analyzing compatibility based upon a predetermined rule for the operator.

40. A computer program product according to claim 36, wherein converting the data corresponding to the second operand into a compatible value in terms of the first unit type further comprises:

obtaining a fixed conversion factor; and

using the fixed conversion factor to convert the data corresponding to the second operand.

41. A computer program product according to claim 40, wherein the fixed conversion factor comes from a predetermined unit conversion table.

42. A computer program product according to claim 36, wherein converting the data corresponding to the second operand into a compatible value in terms of the first unit type further comprises:

obtaining a variable conversion factor from an updatable data source; and

using the variable conversion factor to convert the data corresponding to the second operand.

43. A method for executing a formula including operands and an operator, the method comprising:

retrieving data corresponding to at least one operand for the operator of the formula;

identifying a unit type associated with the at least one operand;

determining whether the unit type of the at least one operand is consistent with an expected unit type to that operand; and

if the unit type is not consistent with the expected unit type, converting the data corresponding to the operand into a value having a unit type that is compatible with the expected unit type.