System and method for transforming an XML file into an add-in function for implementation into a spreadsheet application

• US 7,770,110 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Credit Suisse Securities USA LLC (Credit Suisse)
• Original Assignee: Credit Suisse Securities USA LLC (Credit Suisse)
• Inventors: Mansell, Howard Christopher, Dwyer, Neville, Brown, Daniel Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): RIES, LAURIE ANNE
• Application Number:
  US11/635,881
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 715/234, 715/235, 715/236, 715/237, 715/239, 715/242, 715/255, 715/249, 715/209, 707/E17.123, 707/E17.124, 707/E17.126
• US Class Current: 715/249
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/427 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/51 Source to source
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4486 Formation of subprogram jump address
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4491 Optimising based on receiver type

Abstract

The XML conversion system provides methods and architecture for defining an interface between a spreadsheet application and a COM server independent of the areas that the interface is defined. In support of defining the interface, an add-in function defines the interface using extensible markup language (“XML”). An add-in XML file is scanned for instructions. An instruction is analyzed to determine the interface it will expose. An interface XML file having a function specification can be retrieved from a COM server based on the interface exposed in the instruction. Function qualifiers are taken from the instruction and applied to the function specification. The function specification is converted to an intermediate function and implementation specifiers are applied to the intermediate function. The intermediate function is then converted to an add-in function and applied in the spreadsheet application.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for transforming an XML file into an add-in function for use in a spreadsheet application comprising:

scanning an add-in XML file for an instruction;

determining an interface XML file to be exposed by the instruction;

accepting the interface XML file from a COM server;

determining if the instruction comprises a function qualifier;

wherein the function qualifier modifies a function specification in the interface XML file;

applying the function qualifier to the function specification;

converting the function specification to an intermediate function;

applying an implementation specifier to the intermediate function, wherein the implementation specifier overrides the default implementation of the interface XML file;

converting the intermediate function to an add-in function; and

transmitting the add-in function to the spreadsheet application for processing.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein applying the function qualifier to the function specification further comprises the steps of:

generating an empty form intermediate function;

applying a name to the form intermediate function;

transferring at least one parameter of the function from the interface XML file to the form intermediate function;

determining if the instruction in the add-in XML file comprises additional parameters to be included in the form intermediate function;

adding the additional parameters from the instruction to the form intermediate function if the instruction comprises additional parameters; and

adding the a function summary, function description, and function return-value from the function specification to the form intermediate function thereby creating the intermediate function.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

accepting a function modifier from the instruction in the add-in XML file;

determining if the function modifier comprises instructions to modify a name of the add-in function; and

setting a name of the intermediate function based on the instructions in the function modifier based on a positive determination.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

determining if the function modifier comprises instructions to modify the parameter of the function specification;

modifying the parameter based on the instruction in the function modifier based on a positive determination;

adding the modified parameter into the form intermediate function;

determining if the function specification comprises additional parameters; and

accepting the additional parameters to determine if the function modifier comprises instructions to modify the additional parameters.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein applying the implementation specifier to the intermediate function further comprises the steps of:

generating an empty form add-in function;

transferring at least one attribute from the intermediate function to the form add-in function, wherein the attribute comprises all elements in the intermediate function other than an implementation and return value attribute of the intermediate function;

determining if the instruction comprises an implementation specifier for the function specification;

formatting implementation and return value attributes of the form add-in function based on the implementation specifier in the instruction; and

converting the form add-in function to the add-in function.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein formatting the implementation and return value attributes further comprises the steps of:

determining the implementation in the intermediate function;

adding the implementation from the intermediate function to the form add-in function;

setting the return value of the form add-in function to be the same as the return value of the intermediate function if the implementation is of a group consisting of a method call or a create and call;

determining if the intermediate function comprises a return value if the implementation in the intermediate function is of a group consisting of clone and modify or create and define;

setting the return value of the form add-in function to be the same as the return value of the intermediate function if the intermediate function comprises a return value; and

setting the return value in the form add-in function to an interface pointer in the interface XML file.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of copying the interface XML file to the intermediate function if the instruction does not comprise the function qualifier.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining if the function qualifier is semantically consistent with the function specification;

determining if the function qualifier instructs that the function specification be ignored; and

accepting another function specification for analysis against the function qualifier.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining if the instruction comprises an implementation specifier for the function specification;

determining if the implementation specifier is semantically consistent with the function specification and the intermediate function if the instruction comprises and implementation specifier; and

determining the implementation specifier for the add-in function if the instruction does not comprise an implementation specifier.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein determining the implementation specifier for the add-in function further comprises the steps of:

determining if the function specification comprises a return value;

inputting a method call as the implementation specifier for the intermediate function if the function specification comprises a return value; and

inputting create and define as the implementation specifier for the intermediate function if the function specifier does not comprise a return value.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining if there is another function specification for the interface XML file;

accepting another function specification for the interface XML file based on a positive determination;

determining if the add-in XML file comprises another instruction based on the determination that this is not another function specification for the interface XML file; and

accepting another instruction from the add-in XML file.

12. A computer-implemented method for transforming an XML file into an add-in function for use in a spreadsheet application comprising:

scanning an add-in XML file for an instruction from a plug-in file;

determining an interface XML file to be exposed by the instruction by verifying that the interface XML file identified in the instruction is accessible from a COM server;

accepting the interface XML file comprising an interface from the COM server;

determining if the instruction comprises a function qualifier;

wherein the function qualifier modifies a function specification in the interface XML file;

copying the interface to a form intermediate function based on a negative determination that the instruction comprises a function qualifier converting the function specification to an intermediate function;

applying an implementation specifier to the intermediate function, wherein the implementation specifier overrides the default implementation of the interface XML file;

converting the intermediate function to an add-in function; and

transmitting the add-in function to the spreadsheet application for processing.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein applying the implementation specifier to the intermediate function further comprises the steps of:

generating an empty form add-in function;

transferring at least one attribute from the intermediate function to the form add-in function, wherein the attribute comprises all elements in the intermediate function other than an implementation and return value attribute of the intermediate function;

determining if the instruction comprises an implementation specifier for the function specification;

formatting implementation and return value attributes of the form add-in function based on the implementation specifier in the instruction; and

converting the form add-in function to the add-in function.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein formatting the implementation and return value attributes further comprises the steps of:

determining the implementation in the intermediate function;

adding the implementation from the intermediate function to the form add-in function;

setting the return value of the form add-in function to be the same as the return value of the intermediate function if the implementation is of a group consisting of a method call or a create and call;

determining if the intermediate function comprises a return value if the implementation in the intermediate function is of a group consisting of clone and modify or create and define;

setting the return value of the form add-in function to be the same as the return value of the intermediate function if the intermediate function comprises a return value; and

setting the return value in the form add-in function to an interface pointer in the interface XML file.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

determining if the instruction comprises an implementation specifier for the function specification;

determining if the implementation specifier is semantically consistent with the function specification and the intermediate function if the instruction comprises and implementation specifier; and

determining the implementation specifier for the add-in function if the instruction does not comprise an implementation specifier.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein determining the implementation specifier for the add-in function further comprises the steps of:

determining if the function specification comprises a return value;

inputting a method call as the implementation specifier for the intermediate function if the function specification comprises a return value; and

inputting create and define as the implementation specifier for the intermediate function if the function specifier does not comprise a return value.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

determining if there is another function specification for the interface XML file;

accepting another function specification for the interface XML file based on a positive determination;

determining if the add-in XML file comprises another instruction based on the determination that this is not another function specification for the interface XML file; and

accepting another instruction from the add-in XML file.

18. A computer-implemented method for transforming an XML file into an add-in function for use in a spreadsheet application comprising:

scanning an add-in XML file for an instruction;

determining an interface XML file to be exposed by the instruction;

accepting the interface XML file from a COM server;

determining if the instruction comprises a function qualifier;

wherein the function qualifier modifies a function specification in the interface XML file;

applying the function qualifier to the function specification;

converting the function specification to an intermediate function;

determining if the instruction comprises an implementation specifier for the function specification, wherein the implementation specifier overrides the default implementation of the interface XML file;

determining the implementation specifier for the add-in function if the instruction does not comprise an implementation specifier;

applying an implementation specifier to the intermediate function;

converting the intermediate function to an add-in function; and

transmitting the add-in function to the spreadsheet application for processing.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein applying the function qualifier to the function specification further comprises the steps of:

generating an empty form intermediate function;

accepting a function modifier from the instruction in the add-in XML file;

determining if the function modifier comprises instructions to modify a name of the add-in function;

setting a name of the form intermediate function based on the instructions in the function modifier based on a positive determination;

transferring at least one parameter of the function from the interface XML file to the form intermediate function;

determining if the instruction in the add-in XML file comprises additional parameters to be included in the form intermediate function;

adding the additional parameters from the instruction to the form intermediate function if the instruction comprises additional parameters; and

adding the a function summary, function description, and function return-value from the function specification to the form intermediate function thereby creating the intermediate function.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

determining if the function modifier comprises instructions to modify the parameter of the function specification;

modifying the parameter based on the instruction in the function modifier based on a positive determination;

adding the modified parameter into the form intermediate function;

determining if the function specification comprises additional parameters; and

accepting the additional parameters to determine if the function modifier comprises instructions to modify the additional parameters.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein applying the implementation specifier to the intermediate function further comprises the steps of:

generating an empty form add-in function;

transferring at least one attribute from the intermediate function to the form add-in function, wherein the attribute comprises all elements in the intermediate function other than an implementation and return value attribute of the intermediate function;

determining if the instruction comprises an implementation specifier for the function specification;

formatting implementation and return value attributes of the form add-in function based on the implementation specifier in the instruction; and

converting the form add-in function to the add-in function.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein formatting the implementation and return value attributes further comprises the steps of:

determining the implementation in the intermediate function;

adding the implementation from the intermediate function to the form add-in function;

setting the return value of the form add-in function to be the same as the return value of the intermediate function if the implementation is of a group consisting of a method call or a create and call;

determining if the intermediate function comprises a return value if the implementation in the intermediate function is of a group consisting of clone and modify or create and define;

setting the return value of the form add-in function to be the same as the return value of the intermediate function if the intermediate function comprises a return value; and

setting the return value in the form add-in function to an interface pointer in the interface XML file.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, further comprising the step of copying the interface XML file to the intermediate function if the instruction does not comprise the function qualifier.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein determining the implementation specifier for the add-in function further comprises the steps of:

determining if the function specification comprises a return value;

inputting a method call as the implementation specifier in the form intermediate function if the function specification comprises a return value; and

inputting create and define as the implementation specifier in the form intermediate function if the function specifier does not comprise a return value.