Method in an electronic spreadsheet for persistently self-replicating multiple ranges of cells through a copy-paste operation and a self-replication table

• US 7,472,339 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2001
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bauchot, Frederic
• Primary Examiner(s): Paula; Cesar B
• Application Number:
  US09/887,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20020049785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,748 Days
• Field of Search: 715/212, 715/214, 715/217, 715219-220, 715227-228, 715503-504, 715509-510, 715/770, 715903-904
• US Class Current: 715/214
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

The present invention includes a method and system for persistently self-replicating multiple ranges of cells through a copy-paste operation, in a multi dimensional spreadsheet. A set of ranges of cells is defined, wherein each range of cells has the same size. Each time the content of a range of cells belonging to this set is changed, a self-replication operation is performed automatically. The self-replication operation includes the steps of copying the changed range of cells onto a buffer; determining the set of ranges of cells to which the changed range of cells belongs to; identifying the ranges of cells belonging to the set; and pasting the content of the buffer in each of identified range of cells belonging to the set.

Claims

1. In a method for persistently self-replicating multiple ranges of cells through a copy and paste operation in a multi dimensional spreadsheet comprising at least one page having a plurality of cells with content and identified by a cell address along each dimension, with the address of the top leftmost cell of said at least one page labelled A1, at least two self-replicating ranges (PSRR) of cells, each range containing at least one cell;

at least two of said ranges comprising a self-replicating set (PSRS) and having different addresses relative to the top leftmost cell A1 of the respective page on which each of said ranges is located;

wherein each time the content of a range of cells belonging to said set is updated, a self-replication operation is automatically performed, said self-replication operation comprising the steps of;

(1) automatically copying the changed range of cells onto a buffer;

(2) automatically defining the set of ranges of cells to which the changed range of cells belongs;

(3) automatically identifying the ranges of cells belonging to said set;

(4) establishing a self replication table containing a PSRR address, a PSRR pattern, a PSRS name, a set and range indices, and having a top record;

(5) setting the top record of the self replication table as the current record; and

(6) comparing the current record of the self replication table with the address of the range of cells that is updated;

the step of automatically updating all other PSRRs within a persistent self replicating set (PSRS) by;

a) detecting a PSRR content update;

b) retrieving the address of the updated PSRR; and

c) pasting the updated range of cells into the range of cells pointed by the PSRR address field of the current record of the self replication table.

2. The method according to claim 1 further including the steps of adding a new range of cells to said set of ranges of cells, wherein said step of adding comprises selecting a new range of cells;

and

creating a link between the new range of cells with at least one range of cells belonging to said set of ranges of cells.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of defining a set of ranges of cells further comprises the step of:

performing a persistent copy operation on a first range of cells, wherein said persistent copy operation comprises the steps of;

selecting a first range of cells;

copying the selected first range of cells onto a buffer;

performing a persistent paste operation, wherein said persistent paste operation comprises the steps of;

selecting at least one other range of cells; and

for each other selected range of cells, copying the content of said buffer onto each others'"'"' selected range of cells; and

creating a link between each other range of cells and the first range of cells.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of performing a persistent copy operation further comprises the step of invoking a persistent copy command;

and wherein the step of performing a persistent paste operation further comprises the step of invoking a persistent paste command.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of defining a set of ranges of cells further comprises the steps of:

storing in a table a name for identifying said set of ranges of cells;

storing in said table, means for identifying each range of cells belonging to said set; and

creating a link in said table between the name of the set and said means for identifying each range of cells belonging to said set.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the step of defining a set of ranges of cells further comprises the step of associating the ranges of cells belonging to said defined set with set dependent display attributes.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of associating the ranges of cells belonging to said defined set, further comprises the steps of:

associating a first variable with said set of ranges of cells;

setting said first variable to a set dependent value; and

displaying the ranges of cells of said set with current attributes according to the value of said first variable.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of storing in said table said current attributes, comprises the further steps of:

associating a second variable with each range of cells; and

setting said second variable to a value associated with said current attributes.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising a step of removing a range of cells from the set of ranges of cells, wherein the step of removing said range of cells further comprises the steps of:

retrieving the current attributes associated with said range of cells; and

displaying said range of cells with said current display attributes.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of storing an identifying name in said table includes means for identifying each range of cells belonging to said set, and further includes, for each range of cells belonging to said set, the steps of:

determining current attributes of said range of cells;

storing in said table said current attributes; and

associating in said table the range of cells with the current attributes.

11. A method of implementing a software product for a client, the software product capable of persistently self-replicating multiple ranges of cells through a copy and paste operation, in a multi dimensional spreadsheet comprising at least one page having a plurality of cells with content and identified by a cell address along each dimension, with the address of a top leftmost cell of each page labelled Al, a range of cells comprising one or a plurality of cells, the method comprising the steps of:

providing first instruction code for defining a set of ranges of cells, each range of cells having the same size, and at least two of said ranges having different addresses relative to the top leftmost cell Al of the respective page on which each of said ranges are located; and

providing second instruction code for detecting each time the content of a range of cells belonging to said set is changed, and automatically performing a self-replication operation, said self replication operation comprising the steps of;

automatically copying the changed range of cells onto a buffer;

automatically determining the set of ranges of cells to which the changed range of cells belongs;

automatically identifying the ranges of cells belonging to said set; and

automatically inserting the content of the buffer in each of identified range of cells belonging to said set by;

a) detecting a PSRR content update;

b) retrieving the address of the updated PSRR; and

c) pasting the updated range of cells into the range of cells pointed by the PSRR address field of the current record of the self replication tablet; and

utilizing a common repository to record data required to create, delete or rename a PSRS, to add a PSRR to a PSRS, or to suppress a PSRR from a PSRS, the recorded data including five fields comprising a PSRS name, a PSRR address, a PSRR pattern, a set index and a range index.