Adapting a spreadsheet for use with a complex object

• US 20080028288A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Saint-Paul, Regis Francois Bernard, Benatallah, Boualem, Vayssiere, Julien Jean-Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 8,656,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

A method for use with a spreadsheet includes storing a cell object, where the cell object includes a location in the spreadsheet of a cell to which the cell object relates and a process associated with the cell, and performing the process on a complex object to produce a result, where the complex object includes a construct comprised of data and code. A display is generated for the cell that is based on the result.

Claims

1. A method for use with a spreadsheet, comprising:

storing a cell object, the cell object comprising a location in the spreadsheet of a cell to which the cell object relates, and a process associated with the cell;

performing the process on a complex object to produce a result, the complex object comprising a construct comprised of data and code; and

generating a display for the cell that is based on the result.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the complex object is a first complex object and the result comprises a second complex object, the second complex object having a structure that is substantially similar to a structure of the first complex object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the complex object is a first complex object and the result comprises a second complex object, wherein the display comprises an identifier for the second complex object, and wherein the method further comprises:

providing the identifier for display in the cell; and

generating a nested spreadsheet that is associated with the identifier, the nested spreadsheet comprising a second spreadsheet that is separate from the spreadsheet containing the cell, the nested spreadsheet comprising information from the second complex object.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second complex object has an object type associated therewith, the object type corresponding to a template, the template defining a format of the nested spreadsheet;

and

wherein generating the nested spreadsheet comprises displaying the nested spreadsheet in the format of the template.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the nested spreadsheet comprises:

selecting one of plural templates resulting in a selected template, the plural templates defining different formats for the nested spreadsheet;

wherein generating the nested spreadsheet comprises displaying the nested spreadsheet in a format of the selected template.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the complex object is a first complex object and the result comprises a second complex object, the second complex object comprising metadata, and wherein the method further comprises:

generating an additional display that augments the spreadsheet, the additional display being external to a cellular structure of the spreadsheet, the additional display for showing at least some of the metadata and/or code in the process.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the result comprises a data type that is displayable in the cell, and wherein generating the display comprises:

obtaining the result; and

providing the result for display in the cell.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the cell is a first cell, and wherein performing and generating are executed following a change in a second cell in the spreadsheet upon which the first cell is dependent.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a model to implement storing, performing, and generating, the model for providing the display to the spreadsheet;

using a view to generate an additional display to augment the spreadsheet, the result having metadata associated therewith, the additional display for showing at least some of the metadata and/or code in the process; and

using a controller to update the view based on content of the spreadsheet, and to control opening of a nested spreadsheet, the nested spreadsheet comprising a second spreadsheet that is separate from the spreadsheet containing the cell, the nested spreadsheet comprising information from the result that is not displayed in the cell.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the process comprises a combination of two or more cells in a row to produce the result;

and

wherein the method further comprises copying the process to other rows of the spreadsheet.

19. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 1, further comprising instructions to:

use a model to implement storing, performing, and generating, the model for providing the display to the spreadsheet;

use a view to generate an additional display to augment the spreadsheet, the result having metadata associated therewith, the additional display for showing at least some of the metadata and/or code in the process; and

use a controller to update the view based on content of the spreadsheet, and to control opening of a nested spreadsheet, the nested spreadsheet comprising a second spreadsheet that is separate from the spreadsheet containing the cell, the nested spreadsheet comprising information from the result that is not displayed in the cell.

11. One or more machine-readable media for storing instructions that are executable by one or more processing devices to:

store a cell object, the cell object comprising a location in a spreadsheet of a cell to which the cell object relates, and a process associated with the cell;

perform the process on a complex object to produce a result, the complex object comprising a construct comprised of data and code; and

generate a display for the cell that is based on the result.

12. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 11, wherein the complex object is a first complex object and the result comprises a second complex object, the second complex object having a structure that is substantially similar to a structure of the first complex object.

13. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 11, wherein the complex object is a first complex object and the result comprises a second complex object, wherein the display comprises an identifier for the second complex object, and wherein the one or more machine-readable media further comprise instructions to:

provide the identifier for display in the cell; and

generate a nested spreadsheet that is associated with the identifier, the nested spreadsheet comprising a second spreadsheet that is separate from the spreadsheet containing the cell, the nested spreadsheet comprising information from the second complex object.

14. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 13, wherein the second complex object has an object type associated therewith, the object type corresponding to a template, the template defining a format of the nested spreadsheet;

and

wherein generating the nested spreadsheet comprises displaying the nested spreadsheet in the format of the template.

15. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 13, wherein generating the nested spreadsheet comprises:

selecting one of plural templates resulting in a selected template, the plural templates defining different formats for the nested spreadsheet;

wherein generating the nested spreadsheet comprises displaying the nested spreadsheet in a format of the selected template.

16. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 11, wherein the complex object is a first complex object and the result comprises a second complex object, the second complex object comprising metadata, and wherein the one or more machine-readable media further comprise instructions to:

generate an additional display that augments the spreadsheet, the additional display being external to a cellular structure of the spreadsheet, the additional display for showing at least some of the metadata and/or code in the process.

17. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 11, wherein the result comprises a data type that is displayable in the cell, and wherein generating the display comprises:

obtaining the result; and

providing the result for display in the cell.

18. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 11, wherein the cell is a first cell, and wherein performing and generating are executed following a change in a second cell in the spreadsheet upon which the first cell is dependent.

20. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 11, wherein the process comprises a combination of two or more cells in a row to produce the result;

and

wherein the one or more machine-readable media further comprises instructions to copy the process to other rows of the spreadsheet.