Method and system for linking controls with cells of a spreadsheet
First Claim
1. A method for enabling a user to graphically control a cell of a spreadsheet, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a toolbar on which is disposed a graphic representation of a control;
(b) enabling the user to select the graphic representation of the control on the toolbar and position a copy of the graphic representation of the control in a workspace selected by the user on a display, said workspace comprising one of the spreadsheet, a dialog sheet, a chart, and a macro sheet; and
(c) enabling the user to link said cell of the spreadsheet to the control without requiring the user to enter code to effect the link, linkage of said cell to the control causing a value in said cell to change as the user varies a corresponding parameter of the control by graphically manipulating the control with a user interface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for inserting a selected graphic control within a spreadsheet, chart, or dialog sheet. The graphic control can be selected from a Forms button toolbar and then positioned within a desired workspace of a spreadsheet program. The graphic controls provided on the Forms button toolbar include a check box, an option box, a list box, a drop-down box, a combination list-edit box, a combination drop-down list-edit box, a scrollbar, and a spinner. A Format Object properties dialog box is also provided on the Forms button toolbar to enable the user to set various parameters for the graphic control. These parameters include an identification of the cell within the spreadsheet to which the graphic control is bi-directionally linked. If the user manipulates the graphic control, a value in the spreadsheet cell that is linked to the graphic control changes in a corresponding fashion. Similarly, any change to the spreadsheet cell linked to the graphic control is reflected within the graphic control. With this tool, the user can apply graphic controls to the spreadsheet program without requiring the user be skilled in programming.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for enabling a user to graphically control a cell of a spreadsheet, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a toolbar on which is disposed a graphic representation of a control; (b) enabling the user to select the graphic representation of the control on the toolbar and position a copy of the graphic representation of the control in a workspace selected by the user on a display, said workspace comprising one of the spreadsheet, a dialog sheet, a chart, and a macro sheet; and (c) enabling the user to link said cell of the spreadsheet to the control without requiring the user to enter code to effect the link, linkage of said cell to the control causing a value in said cell to change as the user varies a corresponding parameter of the control by graphically manipulating the control with a user interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for controlling a value in a selected cell of a spreadsheet, comprising the steps of:
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(a) inserting a control in a workspace comprising one of the spreadsheet, a chart, a dialog sheet, and a macro sheet; (b) linking the control to the selected cell of the spreadsheet without requiring the user to enter code to effect the link; and (c) varying a parameter of the control by graphically manipulating the control, a value in said selected cell changing in a corresponding manner as the parameter changes as a result of the linking of the control to the selected cell. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A spreadsheet system comprising:
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a personal computer having a central processing unit, a memory, a display screen, a user interface, and a non-volatile storage unit, said memory storing program instructions that control operation of the central processing unit so that it functions as a spreadsheet application, said program instructions further causing said central processing unit to; (a) display a plurality of control icons on the display screen in order to enable a user to select a control icon with the user interface and to position a graphic control represented by the control icon in a workspace comprising one of the spreadsheet, a chart, a dialog sheet, and a macro sheet, appearing on the display screen; (b) specify a cell in the spreadsheet to which the graphic control selected by the user is linked without requiring the user to enter code to effect the link; and (c) vary a value of said cell as the user changes a parameter of the graphic control by manipulating it with the user interface, said value varying as the control is manipulated because said cell is linked to the graphic control. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification