System and methods for improved spreadsheet interface with user-familiar objects
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. In a computer system having a three-dimensional spreadsheet, said three-dimensional spreadsheet comprising a plurality of information cells arranged in a three-dimensional matrix, said information cells storing user-supplied data and formulas operative on said user-supplied data, each said information cell being uniquely identified by a three-dimensional cell address comprising three-dimensional coordinates, wherein at least one cell stores a formula having a cell address for referencing information stored by another cell, an improved method for creating a formula with cell references to information cells in said three-dimensional spreadsheet, the method comprising:
- (a) dividing said three-dimensional matrix of information cells into a plurality of two-dimensional matrices, each of said two-dimensional matrices being represented on a display device as a page array of information cells, wherein cell references between cells on one page array are formed by specifying horizontal and vertical coordinates, and cell references between cells on different page arrays are formed by specifying horizontal, vertical, and page coordinates;
(b) displaying with each said page array of information cells a tab identifier, so that each tab identifier of a particular page array displays the page coordinate for that particular page array;
(c) receiving as input from a user a descriptive name for naming a page array;
(d) in response to step (c), assigning said descriptive name to the page coordinate for the named page array; and
(e) creating a formula having at least one cell reference to a cell on said named page array from a cell on a different page array, so that said at least one cell reference includes said descriptive name as the page coordinate for said named page array.
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Abstract
An electronic spreadsheet system includes a notebook interface having a plurality of notebook pages, each of which may contain a spread of information cells, or other desired page type (e.g., Graphs page). Methods are provided for rapidly accessing and processing information on the different pages, including displaying a plurality of page identifiers for selecting individual pages, and further including a preferred syntax for referencing information. Additional methods are provided for editing cells and blocks of cells.
97 Citations
56 Claims
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1. In a computer system having a three-dimensional spreadsheet, said three-dimensional spreadsheet comprising a plurality of information cells arranged in a three-dimensional matrix, said information cells storing user-supplied data and formulas operative on said user-supplied data, each said information cell being uniquely identified by a three-dimensional cell address comprising three-dimensional coordinates, wherein at least one cell stores a formula having a cell address for referencing information stored by another cell, an improved method for creating a formula with cell references to information cells in said three-dimensional spreadsheet, the method comprising:
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(a) dividing said three-dimensional matrix of information cells into a plurality of two-dimensional matrices, each of said two-dimensional matrices being represented on a display device as a page array of information cells, wherein cell references between cells on one page array are formed by specifying horizontal and vertical coordinates, and cell references between cells on different page arrays are formed by specifying horizontal, vertical, and page coordinates; (b) displaying with each said page array of information cells a tab identifier, so that each tab identifier of a particular page array displays the page coordinate for that particular page array; (c) receiving as input from a user a descriptive name for naming a page array; (d) in response to step (c), assigning said descriptive name to the page coordinate for the named page array; and (e) creating a formula having at least one cell reference to a cell on said named page array from a cell on a different page array, so that said at least one cell reference includes said descriptive name as the page coordinate for said named page array. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In an electronic spreadsheet system for storing and manipulating information, a computer-implemented method of representing a three-dimensional spreadsheet on a screen display, the method comprising:
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displaying on said screen display a first spreadsheet page from a plurality of spreadsheet pages, each of said spreadsheet pages comprising an array of information cells arranged in row and column format, at least some of said information cells storing user-supplied information and formulas operative on said user-supplied information, each of said information cells being uniquely identified by a spreadsheet page identifier, a column identifier, and a row identifier; while displaying said first spreadsheet page, displaying a row of spreadsheet page identifiers along one side of said first spreadsheet page, each said spreadsheet page identifier being displayed as an image of a notebook tab on said screen display and indicating a single respective spreadsheet page, wherein at least one spreadsheet page identifier of said displayed row of spreadsheet page identifiers comprises at least one user-settable identifying character; receiving user input for requesting display of a second spreadsheet page in response to selection with an input device of a spreadsheet page identifier for said second spreadsheet page; in response to said receiving user input step, displaying said second spreadsheet page on said screen display in a manner so as to obscure said first spreadsheet page from display while continuing to display at least a portion of said row of spreadsheet page identifiers; and receiving user input for entering a formula in a cell on said second spreadsheet page, said formula including a cell reference to a particular cell on another of said spreadsheet pages having a particular spreadsheet page identifier comprising at least one user-supplied identifying character, said cell reference comprising said at least one user-supplied identifying character for said particular spreadsheet page identifier together with said column identifier and said row identifier for said particular cell. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An electronic spreadsheet system for storing and manipulating information comprising:
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a computer having a processor and a memory, said memory storing said information in a three-dimensional spreadsheet; a screen display for presenting said three-dimensional spreadsheet as a plurality of spreadsheet pages, each of said spreadsheet pages comprising an array of information cells arranged in row and column format, at least some of said information cells storing user-supplied information, each of said information cells being uniquely identified by a spreadsheet page identifier, a column identifier and a row identifier; a storage device for storing said plurality of spreadsheet pages; means for displaying a first spreadsheet page on said screen device and simultaneously displaying a row of spreadsheet page identifiers along one side of said first spreadsheet page, each said spreadsheet page identifier being displayed as an image of a notebook tab on said screen display and indicating a single respective spreadsheet page, wherein at least one spreadsheet page identifier of said displayed row of spreadsheet page identifiers comprises at least one user-settable identifying character; a first input means for receiving user input for requesting display of a second spreadsheet page in response to selection with said first input means of a spreadsheet page identifier for said second spreadsheet page; means, responsive to said first input means, for displaying said second spreadsheet page on said screen display in a manner so as to obscure said first spreadsheet page from display while continuing to display at least a portion of said row of spreadsheet page identifiers; and a second input means for receiving user input for entering a formula in a cell on said second spreadsheet page, said formula including a cell reference to a particular cell on another of said spreadsheet pages having a particular spreadsheet page identifier comprising at least one user-supplied identifying character, said cell reference comprising said at least one user-supplied identifying character for said particular spreadsheet page identifier together with said column identifier and said row identifier for said particular cell. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. In an electronic spreadsheet system for storing and manipulating information, a computer-implemented method of representing a three-dimensional spreadsheet on a screen display, the method comprising:
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displaying on said screen display a first spreadsheet page from a plurality of spreadsheet pages, each of said spreadsheet pages comprising an array of information cells arranged in row and column format, at least some of said information cells storing user-supplied information and formulas operative on said user-supplied information, each of said information cells being uniquely identified by a spreadsheet page identifier, a column identifier, and a row identifier; while displaying said first spreadsheet page, displaying a row of spreadsheet page identifiers along one side of said first spreadsheet page, each .said spreadsheet page identifier being displayed as an image of a notebook tab on said screen display and indicating a single respective spreadsheet page, wherein at least one spreadsheet page identifier of said displayed row of spreadsheet page identifiers comprises at least one user-settable identifying character; in response to first user input for selecting a spreadsheet page identifier for a second spreadsheet page, displaying said second spreadsheet page on said screen display in a manner so as to obscure said first spreadsheet page from display while continuing to display at least a portion of said row of spreadsheet page identifiers; in response to second user input for entering a formula in a cell on said second spreadsheet page, said formula including a cell reference to a particular cell on another of said spreadsheet pages having a particular spreadsheet page identifier comprising at least one user-supplied identifying character, creating a cell reference comprising said at least one user-supplied identifying character for said particular spreadsheet page identifier together with said column identifier and said row identifier for said particular cell; in response to third user input for requesting a change in said at least one user-supplied identifying character for said particular spreadsheet page identifier, (a) changing said at least one user-settable identifying character for the spreadsheet page identifier of said particular spreadsheet page, and (b) changing the page identifier for the cell reference of said particular formula to said at least one user-supplied identifying character, so changed; and in response to fourth user input for grouping together desired ones of said spreadsheet pages, grouping together said desired ones of said spreadsheet pages so that a subsequent spreadsheet operation in any one spreadsheet page of the group propagates to other spreadsheet pages of the group. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification