Method for capturing design-time and run-time formulas associated with a cell

• US 8,341,512 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sol, Alisson A. S., Wang, Luming, Yang, Xiaohong Mark, Baumgartner, Patrick J., Eberhardy, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton, Jr., Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dasgupta, Soumya
• Application Number:
  US11/931,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20090113283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 715/212, 715/215, 715/222
• US Class Current: 715/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

An interface for designing a report is provided, with elements of the report being disposed at intersections of report positions and configured to present information derived from data in a database. A formula is associated with one or more selected elements in the report to generate a result for the one or more selected elements. A tuple identifying the report positions of the one or more selected elements is associated and stored with the formula in a formula list associated with the report. The report is configured so that, when the report is generated, it is determined whether identifying report positions corresponding to an identified element in the report correspond with the tuple in the formula list. Upon determining the tuple corresponds with the identifying report positions for the identified element, the formula associated with the tuple is applied to generate the result.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing a spreadsheet application interface for designing a report including a plurality of cells, each of the cells being disposed at an intersection of a spreadsheet coordinates corresponding with and configured to present information derived from data retrievable from a multidimensional database;

in one or more of the cells of the spreadsheet, receiving a run-time formula specified in syntax understandable by the spreadsheet application that is stored separately from the report, the formula being configured to generate a result in the one or more cells that modifies a result of the report;

associating a tuple with the formula identifying the spreadsheet coordinates of the one or more cells with which the formula is associated, the spreadsheet coordinates being specified in terms of content represented by the row and column addresses;

generating a formula list associated with the report, the formula list including an entry for the tuple and the formula associated with the tuple;

storing the formula list in metadata associated with the report; and

configuring the report to be locally generated in the spreadsheet application, wherein locally generating the report includes;

retrieving the data from the multidimensional database referenced in the report;

determining whether the report includes the spreadsheet coordinates corresponding to the tuple in the formula list;

prioritizing an application of formulas in the formula list when at least two formulas operate on a same value within the report;

applying the formula stored in the formula list to the one or more cells in the report having the spreadsheet coordinates identified by the tuple; and

displaying the report as a spreadsheet in the spreadsheet application including results generated by the application of the formula.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the spreadsheet coordinates identify an intersection of a row, a column, and one or more additional positions included in the report; and

the tuple associated with the formula identifies the spreadsheet coordinates according to a row position, a column position, and the one or more other additional report positions of the one or more cells included in the report with which the formula is associated.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the spreadsheet coordinates identified by the tuple include one or more delimited parameters identifying multiple cells.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein prioritizing the application of formulas comprises prioritizing the application of formulas according by which of the tuples includes fewer delimited parameters.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the spreadsheet coordinates identified by the tuple include parameters indicating the substantive content of the one or more selected elements such that the tuple identifies the formula based on the report positions independent of physical dimensions of the report.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving:

a design-time formula prepared by a designer of the report, and the formula list in which the design-time formula is stored includes a design-time formula list; and

wherein the run-time formula is prepared by a user of the report, and the formula list in which the run-time formula is stored includes a run-time formula list.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein access to the one or more of the design-time formula list and the run-time formula list is designated to one or more of:

one or more specified users; and

one or more groups of users.

8. A computer-readable medium, excluding transmission media, storing instructions executable by a computing system, comprising instructions to:

providing a spreadsheet application interface for designing a report including a plurality of cells, each of the cells being disposed at an intersection of a spreadsheet coordinates corresponding with and configured to present information derived from data retrievable from a multidimensional database;

in one or more of the cells of the spreadsheet, receiving a run-time formula specified in syntax understandable by the spreadsheet application that is stored separately from the report, the formula being configured to generate a result in the one or more cells that modifies a result of the report;

associating a tuple with the formula identifying the spreadsheet coordinates of the one or more cells with which the formula is associated, the spreadsheet coordinates being specified in terms of content represented by the row and column addresses;

generating a formula list associated with the report, the formula list including an entry for the tuple and the formula associated with the tuple;

storing the formula list in metadata associated with the report; and

configuring the report to be locally generated in the spreadsheet application, wherein locally generating the report includes;

retrieving the data from the multidimensional database referenced in the report;

determining whether the report includes the spreadsheet coordinates corresponding to the tuple in the formula list;

prioritizing an application of formulas in the formula list when at least two formulas operate on a same value within the report;

applying the formula stored in the formula list to the one or more cells in the report having the spreadsheet coordinates identified by the tuple; and

displaying the report as a spreadsheet in the spreadsheet application including results generated by the application of the formula.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:

the spreadsheet coordinates identify an intersection of a row, a column, and one or more additional positions included in the report; and

the tuple associated with the formula identifies the spreadsheet coordinates according to a row position, a column position, and the one or more other additional report positions of the one or more cells included in the report with which the formula is associated.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the spreadsheet coordinates identified by the tuple include one or more delimited parameters identifying multiple cells.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein prioritizing the application of formulas comprises prioritizing the application of formulas using which of the tuples includes fewer delimited parameters.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the spreadsheet coordinates identified by the tuple include parameters indicating the substantive content of the one or more selected elements such that the tuple identifies the formula based on the report positions independent of physical dimensions of the report.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising receiving:

a design-time formula prepared by a designer of the report, and the formula list in which the design-time formula is stored includes a design-time formula list; and

wherein the run-time formula is prepared by a user of the report, and the formula list in which the run-time formula is stored includes a run-time formula list.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein access to the one or more of the design-time formula list and the run-time formula list is designated to one or more of:

one or more specified users; and

one or more groups of users.

15. A system, comprising:

a processor and a computer-readable medium;

the processor configured to perform actions, comprising;

providing a spreadsheet application interface for designing a report including a plurality of cells, each of the cells being disposed at an intersection of a spreadsheet coordinates corresponding with and configured to present information derived from data retrievable from a multidimensional database;

in one or more of the cells of the spreadsheet, receiving a run-time formula specified in syntax understandable by the spreadsheet application that is stored separately from the report, the formula being configured to generate a result in the one or more cells that modifies a result of the report;

associating a tuple with the formula identifying the spreadsheet coordinates of the one or more cells with which the formula is associated, the spreadsheet coordinates being specified in terms of content represented by the row and column addresses;

generating a formula list associated with the report, the formula list including an entry for the tuple and the formula associated with the tuple;

storing the formula list in metadata associated with the report; and

configuring the report to be locally generated in the spreadsheet application, wherein locally generating the report includes;

retrieving the data from the multidimensional database referenced in the report;

determining whether the report includes the spreadsheet coordinates corresponding to the tuple in the formula list;

prioritizing an application of formulas in the formula list when at least two formulas operate on a same value within the report;

applying the formula stored in the formula list to the one or more cells in the report having the spreadsheet coordinates identified by the tuple; and

displaying the report as a spreadsheet in the spreadsheet application including results generated by the application of the formula.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the spreadsheet coordinates identify an intersection of a row, a column, and one or more additional positions included in the report; and

the tuple associated with the formula identifies the spreadsheet coordinates according to a row position, a column position, and the one or more other additional report positions of the one or more cells included in the report with which the formula is associated.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the spreadsheet coordinates identified by the tuple include one or more delimited parameters identifying multiple cells.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein prioritizing the application of formulas comprises determining which of the tuples includes fewer delimited parameters.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the spreadsheet coordinates identified by the tuple include parameters indicating the substantive content of the one or more selected elements such that the tuple identifies the formula based on the report positions independent of physical dimensions of the report.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising receiving:

a design-time formula prepared by a designer of the report, and the formula list in which the design-time formula is stored includes a design-time formula list; and

wherein the run-time formula is prepared by a user of the report, and the formula list in which the run-time formula is stored includes a run-time formula list.