Worldwide number format for a spreadsheet program module

• US 20050257133A1
• Filed: 07/22/2005
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yu, Christopher C., Schmidt, Kenneth E., Chan, Marise, McCord, Barry C., Sukhabut, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,549,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/111 Mathematical or scientific formatting; Subscripts; Superscripts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

A worldwide number format for use with a spreadsheet program module is disclosed. The worldwide number format includes a locale specifier comprising a number shape, a calendar type and a locale identification (LCID). The worldwide number format also includes a base number format and a value. The LCID is used to categorize different parts of the world. Primarily, the LCID categorizes different parts of the world by language such as English, German, French, Thai, Arabic, etc. The LCID is used to determine what language to display month names, month abbreviations, weekday names, weekday abbreviations, time designations such as AM/PM, etc. The calendar type supports both Gregorian and non-Gregorian calendars. Calendar type is a value to indicate which calendar should be used to calculate the date from the value. The number shape is a value that indicates what shape in which to represent the number. In other words, number shape refers to the manner of writing numbers and the digit shape to use to represent a number. For example, some countries prefer to see numbers written out.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to render a number in a spreadsheet program module, the control logic comprising computer-readable program code for causing the computer to:

determine the value of the number;

read a worldwide number format of the number wherein the worldwide format includes a locale specifier of the number and a base format of the number; and

use the base format and the locale specifier to render the number independent of regional settings associated with the spreadsheet program module therein applying the worldwide number format to the number.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the locale specifier comprises a locale identification used to categorize different parts of the world and determine what language in which to render the number.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the locale specifier comprises a number shape including a number shape value that indicates what shape in which to render the number.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the locale specifier comprises a calendar type including a calendar type value that indicates which calendar should be used to calculate a date from the value of the number.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the number shape value indicates that the number is to be rendered as written out text.

20. A computer-implemented system for entering a number into a cell in an electronic spreadsheet of a spreadsheet application program module, the system comprising:

means for receiving a category indication for the number;

means for receiving a locale identifier only for the number;

means for cross-referencing the category indication and the locale identifier independent of regional format settings to determine a plurality of sample number formats with a plurality of underlying number formats;

means for displaying the plurality of sample number formats;

means for receiving an indication of a selection of one of the plurality of sample number formats; and

means for storing the underlying number format of the selected sample number format in association with a value for the cell, wherein the underlying number format of the selected sample number format and the value for the cell comprise the number.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for receiving a category indication for the number comprises means for receiving the category indication from a selection via a Category dropdown menu of a Format Cells dialog within the spreadsheet application program module.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for receiving a locale identifier for the number comprises means for receiving the locale identifier from a selection via a Locale dropdown menu of a Format Cells dialog within the spreadsheet application program module.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for displaying the plurality of sample number formats comprises means for displaying the plurality of sample number formats in a Type menu of a Format Cells dialog.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for receiving an indication of a selection of one of the plurality of sample number formats comprises means for receiving an indication from the Type menu of the Format Cells dialog.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the category indication and the locale identifier determine a calendar type of the number independent of the regional format settings.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the category indication and the locale identifier determine a number shape of the number independent of the regional format settings.

27. A Format Cells dialog box implemented in a computer system for choosing a number format of a number in an electronic spreadsheet application program module, the dialog box comprising:

a Category menu comprising a plurality of number categories to select for the number;

a Locale menu comprising a plurality of locales to select as the locale identification for the number independent of at least one of operating system regional settings or a language version of the electronic spreadsheet application program module; and

a Type menu comprising a plurality of sample display formats to select to display the number.

28. The Format Cells dialog box of claim 27, wherein the plurality of sample display formats is generated in response to a selection of one of the plurality of number categories and a selection of one of the plurality of locales.

29. The Format Cells dialog box of claim 27, wherein each of the plurality of sample display formats is associated with a corresponding underlying number format.

30. The Format Cells dialog box of claim 27, wherein a selection of one of the plurality of sample display formats causes the corresponding underlying number format of the selected sample display format to be applied to the number independent of at least one of the regional settings or the language version of the electronic spreadsheet application program module.

31. The Format Cells dialog box of claim 29, wherein the corresponding underlying number format includes at least one of a calendar type of the number or a number shape of the number.

32. The Format Cells dialog box of claim 31, wherein the number shape is determined based on the selection of one of the plurality of number categories and the selection of one of the plurality of locales.

33. The Format Cells dialog box of claim 31, wherein the calendar type is determined based on the selection of one of the plurality of number categories and the selection of one of the plurality of locales.