Client side, web-based calculator

• US 7,296,219 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2000
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Guttman, Steve, Ternasky, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaughn; Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US09/714,683
• Time in Patent Office: 2,554 Days
• Field of Search: 715/501.1, 715/503, 715/504, 715/505, 715/517, 715/526
• US Class Current: 715/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

A method and data structure that allows a user to view a spreadsheet in a “calculator” mode, wherein certain cells are non-editable. The calculator designer/creator can alter the default as to which cells are editable when the calculator is displayed in the calculator preview mode. Once the designer/creator made all modifications in the calculator preview mode, the user can change the cell values in the calculator mode based on the adjustments made in the calculator preview mode. The invention further allows the user to embed the calculator in any web page, to email a link to the calculator, and to open and save the calculator.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by a client system for viewing a calculator web page, comprising:

sending a request from a client having a web browser, to view the calculator web page;

receiving, by the client, the requested calculator web page, wherein JavaScript Dynamic HyperText Markup Language (HTML) including functionality, format and content of the requested calculator web page is received;

displaying the requested calculator web page in the web browser in a calculator mode, wherein the web browser executes the JavaScript Dynamic HTML, the requested calculator web page comprising one or more editable cells and one or more non-editable cells, wherein the editable cells are displayed with a visually distinct indication from the non-editable cells via the JavaScript Dynamic HTML;

allowing, via the JavaScript Dynamic HTML being executed by the web browser, a user to change content in the editable cells and not allowing the user to change content in the non-editable cells in the displayed calculator web page in the web browser; and

allowing, via the JavaScript Dynamic HTML of the calculator web page, the user to display the requested calculator web page in a calculator preview mode in which the user is allowed to edit the calculator web page as a web-based spreadsheet, wherein the web-based spreadsheet comprises JavaScript code that allows a user to change at least one of the non-editable cells to editable in response to clicking on the at least one of the editable cells without additional input, and to change at least one of the editable cells to non-editable in response to clicking on the at least one of the non-editable cells without additional input.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising e-mailing a link to the calculator web page, including:

allowing the user to click on .“

e-mail this page”

button; and

allowing the user to enter a recipient'"'"'s address.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising embedding the calculator in a web page, including:

allowing the user to indicate a calculator identifier (ID) of the calculator;

displaying an HTML code including the calculator ID of the calculator; and

allowing the user to copy the HTML code and paste it into the web page'"'"'s HTML.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the web page includes “

JavaScript include”

tags.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein any cell depending on a value in another cell defaults to being non-editable in response to the web-based spreadsheet being initially displayed in a calculator preview mode, wherein any cell having a value that another cell depends on defaults to being editable in response to the web-based spreadsheet being initially displayed in the calculator preview mode.

6. A computer-implemented method performed by a server data processing system, comprising:

receiving a request, from a client system, for a calculator web page;

reviewing parameters received with the request for the calculator web page, the parameters including a calculator mode and a data ID; and

sending the requested calculator web page, to the client system, based on the parameters received, wherein the calculator web page contains embedded data specific to the requested calculator web page and is capable of causing display of a calculator, wherein a script dynamic mark-up language includes functionality, format and content of the calculator web page, the script dynamic mark-up language being executable by the web browser, wherein the calculator web page comprises one or more editable cells and one or more non-editable cells, the script dynamic mark-up language of the calculator web page causing the editable cells to be displayed with a visually distinct indication from the non-editable cells, and wherein the script dynamic mark-up language of the requested calculator web page allows a user to display the requested calculator web page in a calculator preview mode in which the user is allowed to change content of at least one of the editable cells in response to clicking on the at least one of the editable cells without additional input, and does not allow a user to change content of at least one of the non-editable cells in a web browser in response to clicking on the at least one of the non-editable cells without additional input.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein before sending the calculator web page, JavaScript data is embedded into the calculator web page.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the data ID identifies a file name.

9. A computer-implemented method for viewing a spreadsheet using a calculator preview mode on a computer system, comprising:

sending a request, from a designer/creator, to view a web-based spreadsheet in a spreadsheet mode, the web-based spreadsheet comprising a script;

displaying the spreadsheet in the spreadsheet mode in a web browser, wherein the web browser executes the script;

in response to a selection by the designer/creator to view the spreadsheet using the calculator preview mode in the web browser, the script of the web-based spreadsheet causing the display of the spreadsheet in the calculator preview mode in the web browser, wherein certain portions of the displayed spreadsheet are selected as non-editable such that the spreadsheet has one or more editable cells and one or more non-editable cells, the script of the web-based spreadsheet causing the editable cells being displayed with a visually distinct indication from the non-editable cells; and

allowing, via the script of the web-based spreadsheet, the designer/creator to change at least one of the editable cells to non-editable in response to clicking on the at least one of the editable cells without additional input, and to change at least one of the non-editable cells to editable in the displayed spreadsheet in the calculator preview mode in the web browser in response to clicking on the at least one of the non-editable cells without additional input.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the script of the web-based spreadsheet allows the designer/creator to select the calculator preview mode from a Tools menu.

11. A computer-implemented method for allowing a user to change contents of cells in a calculator in a calculator mode, the method comprising:

displaying a web-based spreadsheet in the web browser using a calculator preview mode, the spreadsheet having cells, at least one of the cells of the spreadsheet depending on a value in one or more other cells of the spreadsheet, wherein any cell depending on the value in another cell defaults to being non-editable in response to the web-based spreadsheet being initially displayed in the calculator preview mode, wherein any cell having a value that another cell depends on defaults to being editable in response to the web-based spreadsheet being initially displayed in the calculator preview mode, any editable cells being displayed with a distinct visual indication from the non-editable cells, the web-based spreadsheet comprising JavaScript code including functionality of the web-based spreadsheet, wherein the displaying comprises executing the JavaScript code by the web browser;

in response to the designer/creator clicking on the at least one of the editable cells in the calculator preview mode, the web browser by executing the JavaScript code changes the at least one of the editable cells to being non-editable without additional input;

in response to the designer/creator clicking on the at least one of the non-editable cells in the calculator preview mode, the web browser by executing the JavaScript code changes the at least one of the non-editable cells to being editable without additional input;

receiving, by a client system, a calculator based on the web-based spreadsheet in a calculator mode, the calculator comprising web-browser executable code including functionality, format and content of the calculator;

displaying the calculator in a web browser on a client system, wherein the web browser executes the web-browser executable code of the calculator that cause the cells to be displayed with a visual indication based on the editablity of the cells, such that any editable cells are displayed with the distinct visual indication from sa the non-editable cells; and

allowing, by the web browser executing the web-browser executable code of the calculator on the client system, a user to change contents of the editable cells in the calculator, which is displayed in the web browser, in the calculator mode based on any changes to the cells'"'"' editability made in the calculator preview mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the designer/creator is at the client, the client comprising a Data Array file of cell descriptions having values that are loadable from JavaScript of the web-based spreadsheet, further comprising:

in response to the designer/creator selecting to save the web-based spreadsheet, the client sends the cell descriptions to a server, the server writing the cells descriptions to a Spreadsheet/Calculator data file.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the Data Array file comprises at least one flag value indicating editability of at least one cell, the flag value being changed in response to changing the editability of the cell, and the Spreadsheet/Calculator data file comprises at least one flag value indicating editability of at least one cell, the at least one flag value being changed in response to changing the editability of the cell.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the flag in the Spreadsheet/Calculator Data file has a “

FALSE”

value for editable cells.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the flag in the Spreadsheet/Calculator Data file has a “

TRUE”

value for non-editable cells.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the cells containing text only default to being non-editable in the calculator preview mode.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the JavaScript code is JavaScript Dynamic HyperText Markup Language (HTML).

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the visually distinguishing indication is an outline around the editable cells, and the non-editable cells do not have the outline.

19. A computer-implemented method for building a calculator on a client system, the method comprising:

receiving a calculator web page comprising a web-browser executable script to display a calculator;

determining, by executing the script in a web browser, a number of rows and columns for the calculator in accordance with data sent from a server;

initializing, by executing the script in the web browser, the content of each cell in the calculator in accordance with data sent from a server, the calculator comprising one or more editable cells and one or more non-editable cells;

building, by executing the script in the web browser, an input box for editable cells, wherein the input box visually distinguishes the editable cells from the non-editable cells;

making the cells visible once all the cells are built by executing the script in the web browser;

performing, by executing the script in the web browser, a formula calculation for cells having formulas in them;

allowing, by executing the script in the web browser, a user to enter contents in the editable cells, and not allowing the user to enter contents in non-editable cells; and

allowing, via the script dynamic mark-up language of the calculator web page, the user to display the requested calculator web page in a calculator preview mode in which the user is allowed to edit the calculator web page as a web-based spreadsheet, wherein the web-based spreadsheet comprises script that allows a user to change at least one of the non-editable cells to editable in response to clicking on the at least one of the editable cells without additional input, and to change at least one of the editable cells to non-editable in response to clicking on the at least one of the non-editable cells without additional input.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein any cell depending on a value in another cell defaults to being non-editable when the web-based spreadsheet is initially displayed in a calculator preview mode, wherein any cell having a value that another cell depends on defaults to being editable when the web-based spreadsheet is initially displayed in the calculator preview mode.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the initializing includes obtaining information about each particular cell from a Data Array file.

22. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium embodying one or more instructions executable by a computer for performing a method of producing a web-based spreadsheet, the method comprising:

providing a web-based spreadsheet at a server, wherein the web-based spreadsheet has one or more editable cells and one or more non-editable cells, the web-based spreadsheet comprising a web-browser-executable script to allow a user to change at least one of the editable cells to non-editable in response to clicking on the at least one of the editable cells without additional input, and to change at least one of the non-editable cells to editable in a web browser in response to clicking on the at least one of the non-editable cells without additional input; and

in response to a request from a client, sending the web-based spreadsheet to a client.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein the script of the web-based spreadsheet, in response to being executed by a web browser at the client, causes the editable cells to be displayed with a visually distinct indication from the non-editable cells.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 22 wherein the web browser-executable script causes any cell depending on a value in another cell to default to being non-editable in response to the web-based spreadsheet being initially displayed in a calculator preview mode, and any cell having a value that another cell depends on to default to being editable in response to the web-based spreadsheet being initially displayed in the calculator preview mode.

25. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium embodying one or more instructions executable by a computer for performing a method of producing a web-based spreadsheet, the method comprising:

providing a web-based spreadsheet at a server, wherein the web-based spreadsheet has one or more editable cells and one or more non-editable cells, the web-based spreadsheet comprising a web-browser-executable script such that any cell depending on a value in another cell defaults to being non-editable in response to the web-based spreadsheet being initially displayed in a calculator preview mode, and any cell having a value that another cell depends on defaults to being editable in response to the web-based spreadsheet being initially displayed in the calculator preview mode; and

in response to a request from a client, sending the web-based spreadsheet to a client.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 25 wherein the script of the web-based spreadsheet allows a user to change at least one of the editable cells to non-editable in response to clicking on the at least one of the editable cells without additional input, and to change at least one of the non-editable cells to editable in a web browser in response to clicking on the at least one of the non-editable cells without additional input.

27. A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a web-based spreadsheet, wherein the web-based spreadsheet has one or more editable cells and one or more non-editable cells, the web-based spreadsheet comprising a web-browser-executable script to allow a user to change at least one of the editable cells to non-editable in response to clicking on the at least one of the editable cells without additional input, and to change at least one of the non-editable cells to editable in a web browser in response to clicking on the at least one of the non-editable cells without additional input.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the web-browser-executable script allows the user to change at least one of the editable cells to non-editable in response to clicking on the at least one of the editable cells without additional input in a calculator preview mode, and to change at least one of the non-editable cells to editable in a web browser in response to clicking on the at least one of the non-editable cells without additional input in the calculator preview mode.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the web-browser-executable script causes any cell depending on a value in another cell to default to being non-editable, and any cell having a value that another cell depends on to default to being editable in response to the web-based spreadsheet being initially displayed in the calculator preview mode.

30. A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a web-based spreadsheet, wherein the web-based spreadsheet has one or more editable cells and one or more non-editable cells, the web-based spreadsheet comprising a web-browser-executable script such that any cell depending on a value in another cell defaults to being non-editable in response to the web-based spreadsheet being initially displayed in a calculator preview mode, and any cell having a value that another cell depends on defaults to being editable in response to the web-based spreadsheet being initially displayed in the calculator preview mode.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the script of the web-based spreadsheet allows a user to change at least one of the editable cells to non-editable in response to clicking on the at least one of the editable cells without additional input, and to change at least one of the non-editable cells to editable in a web browser in response to clicking on the at least one of the non-editable cells without additional input.