Conditional cell execution in electronic spreadsheets
First Claim
1. A method for use with a computer, the method being for programming conditional execution of program statements in an electronic spreadsheet having a plurality of cells, the method comprising:
- associating program statements with respective cells of the plurality of cells;
associating a conditional cell execution wrapper with each cell, the conditional cell execution wrapper programmably controlling whether the cell will execute upon execution of the electronic spreadsheet;
selecting, via a computer screen interface, at least one cell from among the plurality of cells; and
entering, via a computer screen interface, a programmable logical switch expression into the conditional cell execution wrapper associated with the selected at least one cell, an evaluation of the programmable logical switch expression programmably controlling, upon execution of the electronic spreadsheet, the execution and non-execution of a corresponding one of the program statements associated with the selected at least one cell;
wherein the programmable logical switch expression is supplemental to the corresponding one of the program statements, and wherein the programmable logical switch expression is built in the electronic spreadsheet.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved electronic spreadsheet is provided for applications requiring conditional expression execution behavior. Each cell having an executable expression is cooperative with an implicit conditional execution wrapper. The execution of each cellular expression is implicitly conditioned on the state of an individually assigned logical switch expression. The improved electronic spreadsheet also includes a user interface by which a user can assign logical switch expressions to a cell, or to a range of cells. The improved electronic spreadsheet facilitates the use of spreadsheets for wider range of applications than was possible with conventional electronic spreadsheets.
84 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method for use with a computer, the method being for programming conditional execution of program statements in an electronic spreadsheet having a plurality of cells, the method comprising:
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associating program statements with respective cells of the plurality of cells; associating a conditional cell execution wrapper with each cell, the conditional cell execution wrapper programmably controlling whether the cell will execute upon execution of the electronic spreadsheet; selecting, via a computer screen interface, at least one cell from among the plurality of cells; and entering, via a computer screen interface, a programmable logical switch expression into the conditional cell execution wrapper associated with the selected at least one cell, an evaluation of the programmable logical switch expression programmably controlling, upon execution of the electronic spreadsheet, the execution and non-execution of a corresponding one of the program statements associated with the selected at least one cell; wherein the programmable logical switch expression is supplemental to the corresponding one of the program statements, and wherein the programmable logical switch expression is built in the electronic spreadsheet. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
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2. Computer apparatus for programming conditional execution of program statements in an electronic spreadsheet having a plurality of cells, the computer apparatus comprising:
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means for associating program statements with respective cells of the plurality of cells; means including a processor and memory configured to associate a conditional cell execution wrapper with each cell, the conditional cell execution wrapper programmably controlling whether the cell will execute upon execution of the electronic spreadsheet; means for selecting at least one cell; and means for entering a programmable logical switch expression into the conditional cell execution wrapper associated with the selected at least one cell, an evaluation of the programmable logical switch expression controlling, upon execution of the electronic spreadsheet, the execution and non-execution of a corresponding one of the program statements associated with the selected at least one cell; wherein the programmable logical switch expression is supplemental to the corresponding one of the program statements, and wherein the programmable logical switch expression is built in the electronic spreadsheet.
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7. Apparatus comprising:
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an electronic spreadsheet generator including a processor and memory configured to generate a spreadsheet in accordance with a spreadsheet application on a computer screen, the spreadsheet having a plurality of cells; stored executable expressions respectively corresponding to select ones of the plurality of cells; stored switch expressions preconfigured by the spreadsheet application to respectively correspond to the cells, the stored switch expressions being built in the spreadsheet application; a user interface configured to receive data for and to display, on a computer screen, cells of the spreadsheet, the executable expressions, and the switch expressions; an evaluator configured to evaluate a given switch expression from among the switch expressions, the given switch expression corresponding to a given cell among the plurality of cells; and an execution controller preconfigured to allow a given executable expression corresponding to the given cell to be executed when the given switch expression is evaluated to create one result, and configured to disallow the given executable expression to be executed when the given switch expression is evaluated to create another result; wherein the given switch expression for the given cell is supplemental to the given executable expression. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. Apparatus comprising:
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an execution controller including a processor and memory configured to drive execution of a program including expressions and parameters, subsets of the expressions and the parameters being associated with respective cells of a computer screen viewable grid of the cells, wherein the execution of the program when driven through plural consecutive runs, the consecutive runs including an earlier run and a current run after the earlier run; a “
cell execution jump”
screen input configured to cause a given expression associated with a given cell during the current run to be jumped so that the given cell'"'"'s last executed result, as determined when the given cell was last executed during the earlier run prior to the current run, remains unchanged, wherein the given cell'"'"'s last executed result was determined during the earlier run in accordance with earlier expressions and parameters associated with the given cell during the earlier run, wherein the content of the current expressions and parameters currently associated with the given cell during the current run is not executed; andwherein the cell execution jump screen input is configured to be able to receive switch information before the current run, thereby causing the current expressions and parameters associated with the given cell during the current run to be jumped during the current run.
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26. Apparatus comprising:
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an engine including a processor and memory configured to execute a spreadsheet program of a spreadsheet to carry out image measurement, the spreadsheet program being programmable to have at least two modes, including a non-train mode whereby a given “
mode switch”
cell may be configured so that the spreadsheet is in the non-train mode when the mode switch cell has one value and so that the spreadsheet is in the train mode when the mode switch cell has another value;a train value cell including, associated therewith, a grid displayed train result, a skip switch, and a train expression, the train expression when executed causing the train result to be as determined by execution of the train expression, and the skip switch being configurable to cause the execution of the train expression to be foregone for a current execution of the spreadsheet so that an earlier train result remains displayed, the earlier train result having been determined during an earlier execution of an earlier associated train expression; and wherein the skip switch is configurable to either forego execution of the train expression or execute the train expression as a function of a state of the mode switch.
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27. Apparatus comprising:
an execution controller including a processor and memory configured to drive execution of a program, in accordance with expressions and parameters associated with cells of a computer screen viewable grid of the cells, wherein the execution of the program when driven through plural consecutive runs, the consecutive runs including an earlier run and a current run after the earlier run, and wherein, during the current run, when a switch is in one mode, a given expression associated with a given cell of the cells is not executed, so that a current result of the given cell during the current run is the earlier result of the given expression when executed during the earlier run, and when the switch is in another mode, the given expression is executed so that a current result of the given cell during the current run is the current result of the given expression when executed during the current run. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A method comprising:
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executing a spreadsheet program to carry out image measurement, the spreadsheet program being programmable to have at least two modes, including a non-train mode whereby a given “
mode switch”
cell may be configured so that the spreadsheet is in the non-train mode when the mode switch cell has one value and so that the spreadsheet is in the train mode when the mode switch cell has another value;providing a train value cell including, associated therewith, a grid displayed train result, a skip switch, and a train expression, the train expression when executed causing the train result to be as determined by execution of the train expression, and the skip switch being configurable to cause the execution of the train expression to be foregone for a current execution of the spreadsheet so that an earlier train result remains displayed, the earlier train result having been determined during an earlier execution of an earlier associated train expression; and wherein the skip switch is configurable to either forego execution of the train expression or execute the train expression as a function of a state of the mode switch.
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32. A method comprising:
configuring an execution controller to drive execution of a program, in accordance with expressions and parameters associated with cells of a computer screen viewable grid of the cells, wherein the execution of the program may be driven through plural consecutive runs, the consecutive runs including an earlier run and a current run after the earlier run, and wherein, during the current run, when a switch is in one mode, a given expression associated with a given cell of the cells is not executed, so that a current result of the given cell during the current run is the earlier result of the given expression when executed during the earlier run, and when the switch is in another mode, the given expression is executed so that a current result of the given cell during the current run is the current result of the given expression when executed during the current run.
Specification