Reusable macro markup language

• US 7,650,355 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2000
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: e-Numerate Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: e-Numerate Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Davis, Russell T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Cam Y T
• Application Number:
  US09/573,780
• Time in Patent Office: 3,533 Days
• Field of Search: 707/103, 707/102, 707/100, 707/3, 707/6, 707/101, 707/10, 345/604, 715/517, 715/500, 715/503, 715/513, 715/523, 715/50.1
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

Methods and systems in accordance with the present invention provide macros and a markup language referred to as Reusable Macro Markup Language (“RMML”) which allows numerical analysis routines to be written quickly, cheaply, and in a form that is usable by a broad range of data documents in the Reusable Data Markup Language (“RDML”) formatting language. RMML and RDML are markup languages, such as the Hypertext Markup Language (“HTML”) or the Extensible Markup Language (“XML”). Generally, RDML facilitates the browsing and manipulation of numbers, as opposed to text as in HTML, and does so by requiring attributes describing the meaning of the numbers to be attached to the numbers. RMML allows spreadsheet type macros to be posted as web documents, to be searched by search engines, to be combined into more complex programs, and to be reused with many data documents. RMML macros also provide reusable user-defined calculations for use in conjunction with RDML that automatically manipulate and display numerical data contained in RDML markup documents.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of processing tagged numerical data, the method comprising:

receiving a series of numerical values having tags indicating characteristics of the numerical values;

generating at least one first title corresponding to the series of numerical values;

receiving a macro defined to perform an operation on the series of numerical values;

performing an operation defined by the macro on the series of numerical values to transform the series of numerical values into a new representation of the series of numerical values based on the tags;

generating at least one second title corresponding to results of the operation; and

displaying the results of the operation and the at least one second title, wherein;

the macro makes a copy of the series of numerical values before the operation is performed,

the macro comprises at least one arithmetic statement, the at least one arithmetic statement comprises a variable, the variable is referenced in a local or remote document other than a document that contains the macro, and the step of receiving the macro comprises receiving the macro including interpreted code, meta-data, and error handling instructions.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the macro comprises at least one control flow keyword.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the macro comprises at least one control flow keyword selected from the group consisting of:

IF, SWITCH, and WHILE.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the macro comprises an intrinsic function supported by a data viewer.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the intrinsic function comprises a function selected from the group consisting of:

Average( ), Sum( ), ChangeCurrencyFormat( ), and ChangeLanguage( ).

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the macro comprises a user-specified function.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of performing comprises the step of producing at least one of (1) an output value, (2) a tree and (3) a chart.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of performing comprises the step of updating descriptive textual components of at least one of a chart and a tree.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of performing comprises the step of creating descriptive textual components of at least one of a chart and a tree view.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of performing comprises the step of updating descriptive textual components of at least one of a chart and a tree view.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the descriptive textual components comprise at least one of:

a title, a legend, and a label.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the variable comprises a variable referring to at least one of (1) a chart, (2) a graph, and (3) a tree displayed by a data viewer.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the tags represent meta-data about the series of numerical values.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the tags represent at least one of:

(1) value, (2) semantics, (3) format, (4) measurement, (5) structure, and (6) provenance.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving tags indicating characteristics selected from the group consisting of:

(1) value, (2) semantics, (3) format, (4) measurement, (5) structure, and (6) provenance.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the series of numerical values comprises values to be displayed on at least one of (1) an n-dimensional chart and (2) an n-dimensional graph.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the series of numerical values comprises at least one of:

(1) a series of scalar values, (2) a vector of tuples and (3) a vector of vectors.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the step of performing comprises performing a set operation on the at least one of:

(1) a series of scalar values, (2) a vector of tuples and (3) a vector of vectors.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the set operation comprises at least one of:

(1) a sort operation, (2) a filter operation, (3) a select operation, and (4) a join operation.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the step of performing comprises performing a transformation operation on the at least one of:

(1) a series of scalar values, (2) a vector of tuples and (3) a vector of vectors to modify the at least one of;

(1) a series of scalar values, (2) a vector of tuples and (3) a vector of vectors.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of performing comprises the step of adding, to at least one of a chart, a report and a graph, at least one of:

overlays, datapoint notes, and footnotes.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of performing comprises the step of adding, to at least one of a chart, a report and a graph, an additional variable representing at least one of a regression line and a moving average.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the step of performing comprises performing a “

replace each”

operation for replacing the at least one of;

(1) a series of scalar values, (2) a vector of tuples and (3) a vector of vectors with modified versions of the at least one of;

(1) a series of scalar values, (2) a vector of tuples and (3) a vector of vectors and displaying in at least one of a chart and a graph the modified versions.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the step of performing comprises performing a “

replace all”

operation for removing the at least one of;

(1) a series of scalar values, (2) a vector of tuples and (3) a vector of vectors from at least one of a chart and a graph and substituting on the at least one of a chart and a graph a result of the macro.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

creating the macro.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, wherein the step of creating the macro further comprises the steps of:

specifying desired characteristics; and

creating the macro to perform an operation on a series of numerical values having specified characteristics.

55. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the new representation of the series of numerical values is displayed in a chart view, and the macro changes at least one of the title, legend, footnote, and axis scale of the chart view.

56. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the parameters of the macro are graphically changed.

27. A data processing system comprising:

a memory including a numerical analysis program having a macro defined to perform an operation on a series of numerical values, the series of numerical values having tags indicating characteristics of the numerical values;

a generator for generating at least one first title corresponding to the series of numerical values;

a processor for running the program such that the program performs an operation defined by the macro on the series of numerical values using the indicated characteristics of the tags to transform the series of numerical values into a new representation of the series of numerical values;

the generator generates at least one second title corresponding to results of the operation; and

a display for displaying the at least second title and the results of the operation, wherein;

the macro makes a copy of the series of numerical values before the operation is performed, the macro comprises interpreted code, meta-data, error handling instructions, and at least one arithmetic statement, the at least one arithmetic statement comprises a variable, and the variable is referenced in a local or remote document other than a document that contains the macro.

28. A computer-readable memory storing instructions that are executed by a computer for performing steps of:

receiving a series of numerical values having tags indicating characteristics of the numerical values;

generating at least one first title corresponding to the series of numerical values;

receiving a macro defined to perform an operation on the series of numerical values;

performing an operation defined by the macro on the series of numerical values to transform the series of numerical values into a new representation of the series of numerical values based on the tags;

generating at least one second title corresponding to results of the operation; and

displaying the results of the operation and the at least one second title, wherein;

the macro makes a copy of the series of numerical values before the operation is performed, the macro comprises at least one arithmetic statement, the at least one arithmetic statement comprises a variable, the variable is referenced in a local or remote document other than a document that contains the macro, and the step of receiving the macro comprises receiving the macro including interpreted code, meta-data, and error handling instructions.

29. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the macro comprises at least one control flow keyword.

30. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the macro comprises at least one control flow keyword selected from the group consisting of:

IF, SWITCH, and WHILE.

31. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the macro comprises an intrinsic function supported by a data viewer.

32. The computer-readable memory of claim 31, wherein the intrinsic function comprises a function selected from the group consisting of:

Average( ), Sum( ), ChangeCurrencyFormat( ), and ChangeLanguage( ).

33. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the macro comprises a user-specified function.

34. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the step of performing comprises the step of producing at least one of (1) an output value, (2) a tree and (3) a chart.

35. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the step of performing comprises the step of updating descriptive textual components of at least one of a chart and a tree.

36. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the step of performing comprises the step of creating descriptive textual components of at least one of a chart and a tree view.

37. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the step of performing comprises the step of updating descriptive textual components of at least one of a chart and a tree view.

38. The computer-readable memory of claim 36, wherein the descriptive textual components comprise at least one of:

a title, a legend, and a label.

39. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the variable comprises a variable referring to at least one of (1) a chart, (2) a graph, and (3) a tree displayed by a data viewer.

40. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the tags represent meta-data about the series of numerical values.

41. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the tags represent at least one of:

(1) value, (2) semantics, (3) format, (4) measurement, (5) structure, and (6) provenance.

42. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving tags indicating characteristics selected from the group consisting of:

(1) value, (2) semantics, (3) format, (4) measurement, (5) structure, and (6) provenance.

43. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the series of numerical values comprises values to be displayed on at least one of (1) an n-dimensional chart and (2) an n-dimensional graph.

44. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the series of numerical values comprises at least one of:

(1) a series of scalar values, (2) a vector of tuples and (3) a vector of vectors.

45. The computer-readable memory of claim 44, wherein the step of performing comprises performing a set operation on the at least one of:

(1) a series of scalar values, (2) a vector of tuples and (3) a vector of vectors.

46. The computer-readable memory of claim 45, wherein the set operation comprises at least one of:

(1) a sort operation, (2) a filter operation, (3) a select operation, and (4) a join operation.

47. The computer-readable memory of claim 44, wherein the step of performing comprises performing a transformation operation on the at least one of:

(1) a series of scalar values, (2) a vector of tuples and (3) a vector of vectors to modify the at least one of;

(1) a series of scalar values, (2) a vector of tuples and (3) a vector of vectors.

48. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the step of performing comprises the step of adding, to at least one of a chart, a report and a graph, at least one of:

overlays, datapoint notes, and footnotes.

49. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the step of performing comprises the step of adding, to at least one of a chart, a report and a graph, an additional variable representing at least one of a regression line and a moving average.

50. The computer-readable memory of claim 44, wherein the step of performing comprises performing a “

replace each”

operation for replacing the at least one of;

(1) a series of scalar values, (2) a vector of tuples and (3) a vector of vectors with modified versions of the at least one of;

(1) a series of scalar values, (2) a vector of tuples and (3) a vector of vectors and displaying in at least one of a chart and a graph the modified versions.

51. The computer-readable memory of claim 44, wherein the step of performing comprises performing a “

replace all”

operation for removing the at least one of;

(1) a series of scalar values, (2) a vector of tuples and (3) a vector of vectors from at least one of a chart and a graph and substituting on the at least one of a chart and a graph a result of the macro.

52. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, further comprising the step of:

creating the macro.

53. The computer-readable memory of claim 28, wherein the step of creating the macro further comprises the steps of:

specifying desired characteristics; and

creating the macro to perform an operation on a series of numerical values having the specified characteristics.

54. A data processing system having tagged numerical data, the system comprising:

memory including a program that

receives a series of numerical values having tags indicating characteristics of the numerical values;

generates at least one first title corresponding to the series of numerical values;

receives a macro defined to perform an operation on the series of numerical values;

performs an operation defined by the macro on the series of numerical values to transform the series of numerical values into a new representation of the series of numerical values based on the tags;

generates at least one second title corresponding to results of the operation; and

displays the results of the operation and the at least one second title, wherein;

the macro makes a copy of the series of numerical values before the operation is performed, the macro comprises at least one arithmetic statement, the at least one arithmetic statement comprises a variable, the variable is referenced in a local or remote document other than a document that contains the macro, and the step of receiving the macro comprises receiving the macro including interpreted code, meta-data, and error handling instructions; and

a processor that runs the program.